Is cracking your neck harmful? What doctors have to say

(WKBN) - Many of us crack our necks to relieve some tension without thinking twice about it -- but is that actually harmful to us?

When you crack your neck, you're hearing ligaments or tendons "rolling over each other," negative pressure within a joint, or skin separating from soft connective tissue known as fascia, Cleveland Clinic chiropractor Andrew Bang, DC, previously explained.

A little bit of cracking is fine as long as you don't overdo it, Dr. Deborah Benzil, a neurosurgeon with the Cleveland Clinic, said last week.

“If your neck cracks once or twice throughout the day, that’s natural,” Bang said. “But if that cracking becomes repetitive — every hour or every few minutes — that’s when it’s time to reevaluate.”

Too much neck cracking can lead to joint instability, pinched nerves