Can I crack myself?
I’m probably going to get told off by other chiropractors here… but yes, you can!
Would I recommend that you get your friend to crunch you? No. But the occasional DIY knuckle or back crack? Not a problem.
As long as you’re not having to get into extreme positions or use excessive force to get the crack, then you’re probably fine.
There’s no evidence to say that cracking gives you arthritis
(I reckon that was made up by someone who’s grossed out by the noise!), however be aware that overdoing it may end up exacerbating your discomfort, and there is a small study that suggests that frequent knuckle cracking could weaken the ligaments somewhat.
So how much is too much?
Honestly, we don’t know, the research just isn’t there. I personally crunch myself daily (neck, back, knuckles, elbows, all sorts!), so I’m not here to lecture anyone about self-crunching, but try to be aware of how much you’re doing it - several times a day every day might be a bit much.
Pssttt: I will say that it feels a lot more satisfying when a chiropractor does it!