So, I've probably been cracking certain joints for at least a few years now, and I just can't stop! It's not because I'm addicted to it or anything, well, I guess I am, but not in the sense that I do it because it 'just feels good'. I do it because if I don't, I'm in actual physical pain that decreases mobility.

My toes are worst for the pain. I guess what you would call the equivalent of my 'ring finger' toes bothers me most when in bed, trying to fall asleep. The pain becomes so unbearable that I must use my fingers to actually bend the toes back to stop the pain, only for it to return seconds-to-minutes later. My neck also can be quite painful, but not as bad as it is quite easier to crack, most of the time. My fingers are pretty much the only other things that require daily cracking.

I'm going crazy trying to stop, hoping that by doing so, the pain would go away, but it just won't! I have no idea what to do to stop it. I can't even begin to imagine what the cause is. Although, I have thought about it, and more and more I'm starting to convince myself that this all started at about the same time I switched from regular to diet soda. As soon as I finish the soda I've got, I'm going to stop buying it in hopes that the pain will stop, but my hopes aren't too high.

My reason for posting here is simply because I don't know where else to go. Nothing I've found on the internet thus far has been even remotely helpful. I'm hoping at least one nice poster here at this great board can help me out and give me a little insight to the whole situation. It's also, in a weird way, a good sense to know that I'm not the only one out there suffering.