neck cracking

hi,
i get what sounds like a person cracking nuts when i turn my head...i do have multi level moderate to severe ddd but i didnt think it involved my neck....from the ddd i cant stand over 5 minutes my lower back will hurt really bad and my legs feel like there is a lot of pressure on them plus the pain....

i also get off balance a lot..(and no i dont drink..lol)...i lose my balance easy and cognitive issues to ...does it never end?....does anyone else have these issues....thanks ...deb

[primitivecool]

They are osteophytes and my description was walking in woods on graveled road with sandals and the crackling was no different than the intensity of the movement of my neck.  Yes, DDD is cervical 3-5 with curvature of spine worsening in two years with MRIs objective results then L5-S1 starting now to act out where no position is comfotable for sleep.  So sleep deprivation is like torture, no one to communicate with becaue you are not in any mental state to be coherent.  Sorry for my news but it is the TRUTH and no stretching or exercises help and analgesics help in the morning only then results go away but with 12 years chronic pain, the key issue now is physician refusal to prescribe medicine.  Problem intense here due to liability of practitioner when objective records exist [for 12 surgeries and broken bones, joints and Achilles tendon removed at calf and stretched, and spine curving with DDD every 3 months.  I don't know what to do with only Medicare and primary care excellent but she can only do so much with referrals then specialists find reason to put me off due to costs and do not want any one causing problems asking in good faith for medicine.  No habituation or dependency ever so it is a miserable quality of life.  God bless you and hopefully relief will come with fMRI studies not approved yet with MEDICARE that can help significantly.