What many don’t realise is that prolonged sitting can affect much deeper structures—including your spinal discs, the small muscles that support your spine, and even the parts of your brain that help control and protect movement.

Your Discs Need Movement

The discs between the bones of your spine act as shock absorbers and help your back move smoothly.

Unlike many tissues in the body, spinal discs have a limited blood supply. They rely heavily on regular movement to help exchange fluids and nutrients.

Walking, bending, reaching and changing positions create a natural pumping action that helps keep discs healthy. When we spend long periods sitting with very little movement, this process is reduced.

One day of sitting won’t harm your spine, but years of prolonged inactivity can contribute to a spine that is less adaptable and less resilient.

The Deep Spine Muscles Can Switch Off

Most people are familiar with the larger muscles of the back and abdomen. However, there is also a group of smaller muscles located close to the spine.

These deep muscles act like the spine’s support team, making constant adjustments to help control and stabilise movement.

Research shows that prolonged inactivity, pain and reduced movement can cause these muscles to become smaller, weaker, or less active.

When this happens, larger muscles often try to compensate. This can contribute to feelings of stiffness, fatigue, tightness, and reduced confidence in movement.

Your Brain Is Always Monitoring Your Spine

Your brain receives a constant stream of information from the joints, muscles and ligaments throughout your spine.

It uses this information to create an internal map of where your body is and how it is moving.

When movement becomes limited for long periods, the quality of this information can decline. In response, the brain may increase protective muscle tension or restrict movement around the area.

This is one reason why many people feel stiff when they stand up after sitting for hours.

Often, the body isn’t damaged—it has simply become more protective.

Movement Is Medicine

The good news is that the spine responds remarkably well to movement.

Regular walking, exercise, stretching and changing positions throughout the day help stimulate the discs, activate deep stabilising muscles, and keep the communication between your spine and brain working efficiently.

One of the challenges with prolonged sitting is that changes can occur long before pain develops.

A healthier spine isn’t simply one that doesn’t hurt. It’s one that moves well, adapts well, and remains strong enough to cope with the demands of everyday life.

If your work involves long hours sitting, make movement a regular part of your day. Your spine will thank you for it.

If your job involves long hours sitting, regular assessments can help identify changes in spinal function before they become bigger problems. Contact our team if you’d like to have your spine checked.

So, what’s actually going on — and is it something to worry about?

What Causes the “Crack” Sound?

When a joint is moved or stretched quickly:

• The joint surfaces separate slightly
• This separation reduces pressure inside the joint capsule
• Dissolved gases (like nitrogen) in the fluid rapidly form a tiny bubble
• The formation of that bubble creates the cracking sound (called cavitation)

👉 The sound itself is coming from gas bubble dynamics, not the surfaces moving apart or “snapping.”

Does Cracking Joints Cause Damage?

For most people, no—it’s not dangerous.

Research has shown that habitual knuckle cracking does not lead to arthritis. In fact, one well-known long-term study even followed a doctor who cracked the knuckles on only one hand for decades—there was no difference between the two hands.

However, there are a few important nuances:

• Painful cracking is not normal and should be checked
• Repeated forceful cracking—especially if you feel like you “need” to do it       regularly — may point to an underlying issue

Why Do Some Joints Crack More Than Others?

Some people naturally experience more joint noise than others. Common reasons include:

• Greater joint flexibility or “looseness”, often next to a “tight” area
• Muscle imbalances or tension
• Previous injuries
• Areas of stiffness that suddenly release

What About Chiropractic Adjustments?

Chiropractic adjustments can also produce a “crack” or “pop,” and it’s the same basic mechanism—a rapid, controlled movement that changes joint pressure.

The key difference is:

• It’s specific and targeted
• It’s performed by a trained professional
• It’s aimed at improving joint function and movement

The sound itself isn’t the goal—the goal is better mobility and improved function.

When Should You Be Concerned?

It’s worth getting checked if joint cracking is:

• Frequent in a specific area
• Accompanied by pain or discomfort
• Associated with locking, catching, or instability
• Linked to a feeling that something just isn’t moving right

Your body is very good at giving feedback—pain and loss of function are the signals that matter most.

The Takeaway

Your joints should feel comfortable, stable, and capable—not restricted, painful, or unreliable.

If you’re noticing changes in how your joints feel or move, it’s worth having them assessed—not because of the noise, but because of what your body might be trying to tell you.

If you’d like help understanding what your joints are doing—or why they feel the way they do—we’re always here to help.

Regards,

Richard – Sure Start Chiropractic

At Sure Start Chiropractic we have access to a large array of assessment methods but the 3 we use the most, and the ones we think you should get to know, are:

1. Posture

Richard will typically record any ‘distortions’ by drawing them on a chart and grading each one by severity:

• 1 = Mild
• 2 = Moderate
• 3 = Severe

The chart that follows shows 5-6 postural distortions, ranging in severity from ‘mild’ to ‘moderate’.

Total score in this case is 1+2+1+2+2+2 = 10

The Ideal postural score is 0

This next posture chart example shows an infant with a moderate-severe left head-turn preference.

Total score: 2.5

2. Range of Motion

The six main movement direction of the spine – forward bend, backward bend, side-bend and rotation are noted on a chart like the one shown here.

This example shows a neck with good forward bend (tick = full range) and quite good backward bend (80 degrees, of an ideal 90), but limited turning and side-bend, especially to the right (65/85 and 15/50).

Key:

• An ‘ideal’ range is given in small font next to each box as a guide.
• Most movements are recorded in degrees, but sometimes as a %.
• C= Neck (cervical) spine
• T/L = Thoraco-lumbar (mid & lower) spine

3. Palpation

A healthy spine segment typically has a ‘soft’ and ‘comfortable’ end-range feel when palpated locally by your Chiropractor’s hand. In contrast, an inactive segment will commonly have a ‘harder’ and sometimes ‘tender’ end-range feel.

The adjacent palpation example shows:

• C1 (the 1st neck vertebra), to have a ‘hardness’ score of 2 (moderate) and a ‘pain/tenderness’ sore of 1 (mild).
• L5 (5 lumbar vertebra) to have ‘hardness’ score of 2 (moderate) and tenderness score of 2 (moderate).

Total score in this case = 2+1+2+2 = 7

Ideal palpation score is = 0

Questions?

If you have any questions about your exam findings or wish to learn more about the additional ways to assess your spine health, like those shown below, don’t hesitate to ask your Chiropractor on your next visit. If you are curious, other spine health measurements include:

• Neurological assessment
• Orthopaedic tests
• Functional Movement & Daily Performance
• Imaging (X-rays, MRI, CT scans)
• Muscle Strength & Stability

“Your ideal pillow depends on numerous factors including your neck and shoulder health, your body and sleep position. The best way to get it right is with personalised guidance from a spine health professional – like us! The article below is designed to help you get started, and if you’d like tailored advice, just ask me on your next visit.” – Dr Richard Mathers

Most people choose a pillow based on how it feels in the store.

Soft. Fluffy. Comfortable… for 30 seconds.

But a pillow isn’t just about comfort—it’s about what your neck and spine are doing for 6–8 hours every night. And the wrong pillow can quietly contribute to poor sleep, neck tension, headaches, and ongoing discomfort.

So how do you choose the right one?

Start With the Real Goal

The goal of a pillow is simple:

To keep your neck and spine in a neutral, supported position while you sleep

That means:

• Your head isn’t dropping too low
• Your neck isn’t pushed too far forward
• Your spine stays aligned with the rest of your body

When this happens, your muscles can properly relax and recover overnight.

When it doesn’t, your body often pays for it the next day.

Step 1: Consider Your Sleep Position

Your ideal pillow depends heavily on how you sleep.

Side Sleepers

You generally need a higher, firmer pillow to fill the space between your shoulder and head.

• Too low → your head drops sideways
• Result → strain through the neck and upper back

Back Sleepers

A low to medium height pillow that supports the natural curve of your neck works best.

• Too high → pushes your head forward
• Too low → reduces support under the neck

Stomach Sleepers

This position is more challenging for the neck.

• A very low pillow or no pillow is usually best
• High pillows can significantly strain the neck due to rotation

Step 2: Get the Height Right (This Is Critical)

Pillow height (or thickness) is one of the most important—and most overlooked—factors.

A simple way to think about it:

• Your pillow should fill the space between your head and the mattress
• Your neck should feel supported—not bent or tilted

If your pillow is:

• Too high → your neck is pushed out of alignment
• Too low → your head drops and muscles stay active all night

Step 3: Look for Support, Not Just Softness

A pillow can feel soft and still provide poor support.

What matters is whether it:

• Holds its shape through the night
• Supports the natural curve of your neck
• Doesn’t collapse under the weight of your head

If your pillow goes flat when you lie on it, it’s likely not doing its job.

Step 4: Choose a Material & Type That Works for You

There’s no single “best” material—only what works best for your needs.

Memory Foam

• Moulds to your shape
• Provides consistent support
• Can feel warm for some people

Latex

• Supportive and responsive
• Holds its shape well
• Often a good balance of comfort and support

Feather/Down

• Soft and adjustable
• Often lacks consistent support
• May need frequent fluffing

Polyester

• Affordable
• Tends to lose shape more quickly

👉 The key is not the material itself, but whether it maintains support over time.

Step 5: Contour shape or Regular?

Contour pillows are designed with a shaped surface to support the natural curve of your neck, often featuring a higher and lower edge.

Pros

• Can provide more targeted neck support
• Can reduce the need to constantly adjust your pillow
• Often made from materials that hold their shape well

Cons

• Can feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable at first
• The fixed shape may not suit all body types or shoulder widths
• Choosing the wrong height and size can still lead to poor support

Step 6: Make Sure It Matches You

This is where many people go wrong.

The “best pillow” isn’t universal—it depends on:

• Your body shape and shoulder width
• Your preferred sleep position
• The firmness of your mattress
• Your individual comfort preferences

That’s why a pillow that works perfectly for one person may not work for another.

Step 7: Know When to Replace Your Pillow

Even a good pillow won’t last forever.

Signs it may need replacing:

• It’s lost its shape or feels lumpy
• It doesn’t spring back after use
• You wake up with new or increasing stiffness
• You sleep better on a different pillow (e.g. when travelling)

Most pillows need replacing more often than people think.

A Simple Self-Check

Ask yourself:

• Do I wake up feeling refreshed—or stiff and tight?
• Do I need to constantly adjust my pillow during the night?
• Does my pillow feel supportive, or does it collapse?

Get a family member to check your head-neck-body alignment with you in a typicall sleeping postition.

If something doesn’t feel right, it’s worth paying attention.

The Bigger Picture

Your pillow is just one part of your overall spinal health—but it’s a part that can affect you every single night.

Small changes here can make a meaningful difference to:

• Sleep quality
• Neck and shoulder comfort
• How your body feels during the day

Need Help Choosing the Right Pillow?

If you’re unsure what’s right for you, we’re always happy to help.

At Sure Start Health, we can guide you based on your spine health, spine shape, sleep habits, and individual needs—so you can make a choice with confidence.

Better sleep doesn’t come from guessing, it comes from getting the support right.

If the answer is no, they assume everything is fine. If the answer is yes, they look for relief.

But this way of thinking can be misleading and it can lead people to stop care too early, or not seek care at all.

Let’s explore why.

Pain Is a Poor Measure of Spine Health

Pain is important, but it’s actually a late signal, not an early warning system.

Your spine and nervous system may have to lose a large amount of health before pain appears. In fact, many people walk around with reduced spine health for years without any symptoms at all.

Think of it like your teeth:

• You can have early decay without pain
• Pain usually shows up when the problem is more advanced

Your spine works in a very similar way.

Spine Health Exists on a Spectrum

Instead of being “good” or “bad,” your spine health sits on a continuum.

Observe the scale below. By the time you have persisting pain, there is a good chance that part of your spine is in the ‘orange‘ or ‘red‘ zone.

Why Symptoms Can Disappear Before You’re “Healthy”

Let’s say your spine health in one area has dropped to 40%.

At that point, you might start to experience some stiffness or muscle tension.

Time passes, and your spine health drops further to 30%.

You start to feel recurring pain or discomfort.

With care, your spine improves to 50% and your symptoms go away.

That’s great progress. But it doesn’t mean your spine is back to full function.

You’re now symptom-free, but not yet at your best.

This is where many people make a critical decision:

• Stop care because the pain is gone
• Or continue improving toward a stronger, more resilient spine

The “20% Improvement” Concept

In many cases, a relatively small improvement in spine function—sometimes around 20–30%—is enough to relieve symptoms.

That’s encouraging. It means your body can respond quickly.

But it also explains why:

• Problems can return
• Minor stresses can trigger flare-ups
• The same issue keeps coming back over time

Because the your spine health in the affected area remains close to its pain / no-pain threshold. *Minimal buffer*

Two Different Health Goals

When it comes to spine care, there are generally two different goals:

1. Symptom Relief Care

• Focus: Reduce pain and discomfort
• Outcome: Feel better
• Timeline: Often short-term

2. Health Restoration / Optimisation

• Focus: Improve function, mobility, and resilience
• Outcome: Stronger, more adaptable spine (distancing yourself further from pain)
• Timeline: Longer-term, more proactive

Neither is “right” or “wrong”—but they are very different choices.

Making an Informed Decision

The most important thing is that you understand your options.

Ask yourself:

• Do I just want to feel better right now?
• Or do I want to improve how well my spine functions long-term?

Because if you believe “pain-free = healthy,” you may stop care before reaching your full potential.

But if you understand that:

• Pain is only part of the picture
• Health exists on a spectrum
• Symptoms often improve before full recovery

…then you can make a more informed decision about what level of health you want to achieve.

A Better Way to Think About Your Spine

Instead of asking:

“Does it hurt?”

Try asking:

“How well is my spine actually functioning?”

That shift in thinking can change:

• When you seek care
• How long you continue care
• The results you achieve over time

Final Thought

Feeling better is a great milestone—but it’s not the finish line.

Understanding the difference between relief and true spine health gives you the power to choose the level of health that’s right for you.

And that’s what informed healthcare decisions are all about.

How to Claim and Pay for Chiropractic Care Online

We offer fast and secure online claiming and payments through Tyro Health. This allows you to easily process your private health insurance claim and pay any gap fee online, before or after your appointment.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Check if Your Health Fund Is Supported

Tyro Health supports most major Australian health funds. You can check if your fund is supported by visiting:
www.tyro.com/health-funds

2. Receive Your Payment Link

You will receive a secure Tyro Health link via SMS or email from our clinic.

The message will include:

• A summary of your appointment
• The amount covered by your health fund (if applicable)
• The remaining gap to be paid

3. Claim and Pay Online

Click the secure link and follow the prompts:

• Step 1: Enter your private health fund member number
• Step 2: Tyro Health will process your health fund claim in real time
• Step 3: Pay any remaining balance (gap) using your credit or debit card

4. Confirmation

Once complete, you’ll receive a receipt via email.  Your claim is processed instantly and your payment is confirmed securely.

Need Help?

If you have any questions about your Tyro Health link, or if you’d prefer to pay in-clinic, please contact us directly.

Looking for effective ways to help yourself?

We sell a wide range of back and neck pain relief tools for you to use at home or in the office. We understand all our products well so we can give you advice on which will best suit you and how to use them. 

With the right tools and a little know how, there is a great deal that an individual can do themselves to feel great.

Contact us by phone on 8272 2862 or write to us here.  

Knowing, and caring for, your spine should be a lifelong process for all people, not just those in pain. There is a great deal YOU can do each week to help achieve and maintain a strong, confident and upright spine. It takes some time, attention and practice but the skills you gain can really boost how you feel, how you look and what you can do. Be sure to ask your Chiropractor for help with specifics.

1. Correct your Posture

Actively correct any of your postural distortions every day. Hold for 10 seconds – 30 minutes. Good times to do this are when you are semi-idle e.g. standing in a queue, watching kids sport, walking, waiting at traffic light or brushing your teeth.

2. Activate your Weakest areas

Use your Chiropractor-prescribed exercises.  Daily for beginners, 5 x per week for continued change, 3 x per week to maintain.

You cannot have joint fitness without regular usage.

3. Identify periods of Inactivity

Which times of the week are you most inactive, most often, particularly when under tension or in awkward positions?  For most of us, this occurs when we are sitting (PC, driving, sofa), reading in bed, using phones / tablets or using tools on the Job site.  

Prolonged inactivity is the enemy of spine fitness.

If you would like your Chiropractor to give you tailored advice about this, get a friend to take a photo (using your phone) of you in a ‘typical’ sitting or work posture. Where possible, have the photo taken from side-on, mid-body height and include your whole body. Show your Chiropractor on your next visit.

4. Be Ambidextrous

Look for activities where you can swap sides of your body where possible and safe (10 seconds – 30 minutes): computer mouse, telephone, carrying bags, tools, wiping surfaces, vacuuming / sweeping, washing car, holding baby.  Pick one or two to start, be patient, gradually work up from there. 

Pillows & Mattresses

Ask your Chiropractor for more specific advice about this.

Stay Current

Your Self-Care needs will change over time. Periodic formal reviews (a longer assessment-focused visit) every 1-3 years will help you access relevant and up to date advice.

Who do you know that could do with this kind of advice? Share this article with them today


Looking to ‘refresh’ your existing self-care routine? Inform your Chiropractor today