Thanks for the reply. I've never had any sort of physical accident. I was under a lot of stress during that time, but there was no injury to account for all of this.

I can't remember how much my back cracked when I was 16 but I did have to visit a doctor for muscle pain (shoulder and neck). He referred me to a physical therapist who essentially told me I had bad posture and a weak upper body. I'll admit I didn't have the best posture, but I can't say I know many people that did. The therapy didn't help too much. I've been trying to improve my posture over the years, but I'm still having pain, so I am loosing faith in the "bad posture" diagnosis.

Hello everyone. I am joining this group for some feedback. My back and shoulders have been cracking for over ten years now. I wouldn't even say I crack them…they just sort of crack themselves. As with most people, it does feel good, but my joints generally feel a bit stiff. I often have mild pain. It's nothing debilitating, but it is enough to make me uncomfortable.

Over the past year it seems particularly bad. I move my neck and shoulders unconsciously to crack the joints and it's really annoying my co-workers. I went to the gym for a bit in the hopes that exercise would help, but it didn't. The only time I had any relief was after a Thai message. Recently I've even had troubles sleeping and taking an advil helped things a bit.

Now, I'm debating visiting a doctor. I'm a female, and my father has a mild form of lupus. I'm only 29, but I've had these cracky joints since I was about 16. I know lupus is more common in women and that it does effect the joints, but I am wondering if my concerns are legit or if I've just reached my breaking point as far as the discomfort goes? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.