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Isn’t there something so satisfying when you crack your own back? It can even happen accidentally when you simply stand up. Or maybe it happens while dancing, or towel drying after a shower. It almost always feels good. Dr. Ferhan Asghar says, “Cracking your back is very common.” If this is you, then you’ve probably been popping your own back all this time without knowing what’s going on when you do it.

The process for cracking your back is simple, and you have several options for how to do it. These options are detailed below. But keep in mind that popping your back might not solve all of your issues, especially if you have persistent back, neck, or shoulder pain. If this is you, seek medical attention to treat your pain. It’s also worth repeating: these exercises are not recommended if you have disc problems.

You are looking for the crack to happen once. You’re not looking for repetitive cracks.

Exercises should bring relief. If they bring you pain, you need to stop doing them immediately.

Sometimes these exercises are best done midday or later, so you are working with loosened joints, as opposed to when you first awaken and are somewhat stiff. Alternatively, you can try these after a warm shower.

Cracking the back is basically realigning the spine. This can result in audible or non-audible cracks. You may or may not feel the pop. So if you attempt the following options for cracking your back and you don’t hear or feel it, it’s possible that it was still effective.

Select a proper chair – For this exercise, when you sit in the chair, your shoulder blades will fit over the back of the chair. Make sure the back of the chair is solid. It should not be flexible and bending back as you bend back. As an option, you can put a folded towel over the edge of the back of the chair, if that makes it more comfortable when bending backward over it. Sit in the chair like you normally would, and relax.

Take a nice inhale and exhale. Start so the back of the chair’s edge is about mid-level along your spine. That’s a good starting place. Again, make sure you’re relaxed because that’s key to achieving a successful pop in your back. If you’re tense, the crack won’t happen and it could just make things worse. One way to ensure you’re relaxed is to take a deep breath in before leaning back, and then exhale as you lean back.

Next, slide down in the chair a bit to get at higher levels of your spine.

Find a large enough area on the floor where it’s carpeted, on a rug, or a yoga mat or other thin, flat cushion. (Do not use a bed.)

Now take the upper hand (the hand on the same side of your body that you have the bent leg), and stretch it out across the floor, away from your body.

Turn your head to look at that hand (you’ll be looking at the hand and looking away from the rest of your body).

Then take the opposite hand and gently push down on the bent knee, pushing it toward the floor. (It’s best when you take a breath in and then, as you exhale, push down on the knee.)

To get a crack further up your spine, take the leg that you have out straight (the bottom leg) and bring it up a bit, bending it at the knee.

Lie down on your back and stretch your arms up and back on the floor above your head. Imagine you have someone pulling your arms in one direction and your feet in another as you elongate your spine.

Take a deep, slow, full inhale and then exhale. Simply releasing your breath can pop your back.

Then bring your arms to your sides and assume the Shavasana yoga position (aka “corpse pose”).

Take another deep inhale and exhale. Relax and let your body “settle into” the floor.

Lie on your back and bring both knees up to your chest.

Hold your knees to your belly for fifteen seconds to help gently stretch your spine and back muscles.

Raise your right leg to your chest while bending it at the knee. Then, with the left hand, push down on the outside of the right knee, pushing it towards the floor on your left side. This will create rotation in your lower back and hips.

If you have fairly good flexibility with your shoulders, then this is a good option for cracking your back when you don’t have a good chair handy. You need some range of motion with your arms to perform this stretch (hence the good flexibility with your shoulders) because you need to be able to place both hands on the center of your back behind you.

Standing, make one hand into a proper fist (thumb outside the fist), and place it behind you and on your spine.

Take the other hand and cup the fist while gently pushing the fist in an upward and diagonal motion toward your spine.

If everything is comfortable, move up the spine as far as you can go, and stop when it becomes uncomfortable due to stretching your arms too far behind you.

Sitting on the floor and gently rotating your spine can be a way to crack your back and stretch your spine. You might not hear an audible crack in your spine, but the exercise can still be beneficial due to its stretching of your back.

Foam rollers are pieces of exercise equipment that you can purchase or find in many gyms or fitness centers. They vary in size, firmness, and smoothness, but they should all work for this method.

Cracking your upper back using a foam roller is effective, but it can be a bit more intense than the methods described above. Be sure you’re relaxed while attempting this exercise. Using a foam roller that is six inches in diameter is popular. However, you can try a four-inch if that’s all you have.

Note: The National Academy of Sports Medicine does not recommend foam rolling on the lower back as that can hyperextend the back.

Bend your knees and plant the bottom of your feet on the floor. This prevents you from putting extra pressure on your spine.

Arms can be down to your sides, palms down. Or you can clasp your hands and put them behind your head. Your head shouldn’t go as far back as to touch the ground.

At this point, leaning back a bit over the foam roller might make your back pop right away, without any rolling motion needed.

However, you can roll on the foam roller for more intensity. Gently roll, so the foam roller is going up and down your back, from the midpoint to the top of your back.

Variation: You can also do this exercise by slightly angling the foam roller and repeating the above steps. (This means the foam roller isn’t exactly perpendicular to your back, it’s just slightly crooked.) First, angle it slightly one way, and then repeat, angling it slightly in the opposite direction.