Understanding the Chiropractic “Pop” – Part 1: The Anatomy Behind the Sound.

One of the most common questions I’m asked in practice is:
“What makes the click during an adjustment—and is it bad to click myself?”

Many people notice this sensation when getting out of bed, stretching, or during exercise. These everyday experiences give me the perfect opportunity to explain that joint clicking doesn’t only happen during a chiropractic adjustment. It can happen any time the spinal facet joints are moved a certain way.

But what causes that click?

Understanding the Anatomy Behind the Pop

To grasp what’s going on, it's helpful to visualise the anatomy involved.
Here’s what’s happening inside your spine:

• Each vertebra connects to the one above and below it through facet joints, which are like small bony hinges.

• These joints are covered in cartilage and surrounded by a capsule—a sock-like structure that holds everything together.

• Inside this capsule is synovial fluid (shown in grey in the animation), which lubricates the joint and allows smooth movement.

• The capsule itself is rich with nerve endings, making it a powerful communicator with your brain and spinal cord.

• The angle of these joints varies throughout the spine, allowing for different types of movement. For example, your neck can rotate more than your lower back, which helps support visual tracking and head movement.

This entire setup is known as the facet joint complex, and it’s exactly where the pop occurs.