crackling noise in my neck/head area

[Karenkim]

Hello:  I am wondering if this is a very serious condition.  I have a rice crispy sound popping grinding like noise.  This is experienced when I turn my head from shoulder to shoulder or back and forth.  I get vertigo as well.  No headaches or pain, just a very weird sound coming from my neck or the back of my head.  Any clue?

Thank you,
Karen

[xxDavidxx]

The Cure is Tai Chi. Good Luck.

[Droschke]

Yes to all.i saw this on Dr Oz. I just got it when I got my new phone n I pad.sitting w wrong posture or standing w wrong posture .im going to read up n stretch n practice good posture . Shoulders back.

[boner1]

Yes, me too and sometimes I have to poop along with it.  Triangle poops.

[spell66]

In addition to the post of sunee of apr 29th 2013, I think she is right. I have been diagnosed with a worn out disc too and my symptoms have progressed since then. After a chiropractical correction i only had pain when retracting my head. Then came arm pain then tingling sensations. Chiro said it is probably an osteophyte, but I have never believed that.

In many cases it is a sign of cartilage degeneration called crepetus. In it itself it is annoying sound but not dangerous.

I have been a stomach sleeper from young age and have had forward head posture for years, which has straightened my cervical spine. It wore out my discs, and that causes your muscles to tighten to give support to the neck structure. That can lead to reffered pain, In my case a nerve that is being severely compressed. Sadly many people with degenerated discs go for surgery bbut in many cases it does not diminish the pain symptoms since the discs didn't cause the pain. Surgery often only works with spinal and nerve compression due to a herniated disc.

I visited a triggerpoint therapist and as I expected i have some big triggerpoints in my pectoral muscle, my serratus, my infraspinatus and trapezius. I am massaging them now and the pain is centering more in my arm, I just need to find the triggerpoint that causes that pain. My pain in the neck is now gone.

Lastly, when you get degenerated disc disease (it is not a disease though, stop what causes is and the degeneration diminishes), the cause is often forward head posture. In that case you can bet that your deep cervical flexors have become to weak and your neck extensors have become too tight. You have to strenghten them, that often helps relieving pain and.

They also say that degenerated cartilage can not be rebuild. I dont believe that, but you need to create the perfect conditions  for the body to have a fighting chance to start repairs. This means perfectly lenghtened muscles, perfect diet (high fat low carb, moderate protein, no processed foods etc), no triggerpoints, necessary supplements, lots of pure filtered water and the right training regimen and stretching.

Very difficult, but i am going to see if i can get there.

Everyone good luck with this annoying symptom

[Helpfulsecretary]

"THIS WILL HELP YOU"!!  My neck was popping all the time. The rice crispy sound everyone is talking about.  It was getting worse.  I really thought I would have to go to the doctor or a chiropractor.  I realized that I was looking down at my laptop computer a lot more than usual.  Plus, I texted on my phone while looking down.  I thought maybe looking down all the time was contributing to the popping of my neck.  I decided to set my laptop at an angle when working on it where I would not be looking down.  Also, when texting I raised my phone so that I wouldn't be looking down.  I know you might think this is crazy....but slowly but steadily my neck popped less and less.  Now, my neck NEVER pops.  It has been about 2 months since I remember it popping at all.  It might take a little bit of time, but keep at it.  Try not to look down but keep your head level when looking at your computer or phone.  Hope this helps!
  

[Robincon]

A lot of it has to do with your posture. Leaning too forward when using the computer or tablet causes your spine to bend and discs become uneven in thickness -- thinner on the front end and bulgy thick on the back end where it can press on your spinal cord. This causes pain and a muscular system that goes haywire (spasm), and muscle guarding to protect the cord (stiffneck) -The formula for degenerative disease.

Moving and turning that bent spine on uneven discs with unequally toned muscles will be pretty rough on the edges. Ahh, that cracking and grinding sound that feels good for a moment as the buldge momentarily unpinch the nerve, and then back again.

Watch your posture. Get your spine straight and those discs leveled. Stretch and exercise to build a balanced muscle strength that will hold that spine straight. Get a Chiro to mobilize and decompress that spine and do the recommended exercises for the muscles to relearn the renewed range of motion. Otherwise, they will revert back to the position where they have built their strength -- that forward bent posture even without the LED screen.