Is it bad to crack your joints?!

Is it bad to crack your joints?

I love cracking my joints because it feels like it relieves stress/pain. i twist my neck to the side to crack it, twist my back, crack my fingers, toes, occasionally knees even! i have heard that cracking your back and neck is especially bad for you. also during the track season i was (and still am 2 or 3 monts later) experiencing pain in my second toe on my left foot and the top of my foot when i walked, ran, or bent it. to crack my big and second toes i often squeeze them together and bend. (without using my hands at all) is it possible it is an overextended ligament due to cracking my toes? thanks in advance

If you often crack or pop your neck yourself, it probably means that the joints are hypermobile. The ligaments are a bit lax so the joints move a little more than they should. In response, the muscles tighten up to stabilize the joints. This makes your neck feel tight and makes you want to crack it. When you do that, the muscles are momentarily stretched, they relax somewhat, and you feel better for a while. But when you crack your neck you also stretch the loose ligaments further which makes the muscles tighten up again. It’s a vicious cycle.