Very small gas bubbles can form within your synovial joints (joints, including facet joints, that have a lubricating lining and fluid). When the bubbles collapse, they are released, which creates cracking noises in your joints. In this case, these cracking sounds can happen during your neck's natural movements.
Those grinding noises are called “crepitus,” and they may be a sign that your joints need help. One of the most common places to develop crepitus is in the cervical spine, otherwise known as your neck. Your neck may pop, grate, or make a cracking sound when you turn it from side to side or tilt it up or down.
Treatments include heat, stretching and strengthening, and improving posture. Surgery may be needed in rare cases. If your neck crepitus isn't painful, it may be tempting to just ignore it. It's better to see your healthcare provider, though.
This sound is not your bones cracking, but instead a release of air that has accumulated between your joints and ligaments, which is very common. However, this release is temporary, and the need to roll your neck may be a sign you should seek further treatment for neck pain.
Neck crepitus is usually painless and typically does not represent anything serious. However, if crepitus occurs with other troubling symptoms such as pain or following trauma, it could indicate a more serious underlying medical condition is present.
Physical therapy is a great option for treating minor to moderate neck crepitus. A physical therapist can examine your shoulders, neck and head to determine the root cause of the crepitus. Then, they'll build you a personalized treatment plan designed to address that root cause.
Chiropractic care is unlike any other and is by far the best way to correct the problem of neck pain and/or crepitus-crackling.
Does crepitus go away? In most cases, crepitus will improve without the need for medical treatment. Applying ice to the area and taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, will usually be enough to alleviate your pain and inflammation.
The cracking you hear is not your bones shifting or crunching, but is caused by the formation and pop of gas bubbles. “Adjustments” (that is the technical term), work by quickly stimulating and mobilising the joints and muscles around the spine. These help to reduce pain, & increase the range of mobility and function.
Advanced cervical spondylosis can cause both neurological decline and severe pain, leading to significant disability and impairment of activities of daily living.
Neck Crepitus
This is the official label for the sounds and grinding you feel when you turn your head. It is usually painless and also occurs in other joints throughout the body. The synovial fluid located inside the facet joints of the neck provide lubrication.
In orthopedic medicine and sports medicine, crepitus describes a popping, clicking or crackling sound in a joint. Joint popping sounds – what some may call bone cracking – may mean that air is moving in the joint, which is usually harmless.
Although the associated noise is mostly harmless, deliberately clicking your neck by applying rapid forces in rotation of the neck can be harmful. In each side of your neck, your vertebral arteries run in between the joints, which are an incredibly important pair of arteries carrying oxygenated blood to the brain.
There is an abundance of blood vessels in your neck that can be damaged by continuous cracking. These vessels carry blood to, and away from your brain, so forceful and constant neck cracking can increase your risk of stroke by damaging these vessels.
A lot of times, that's just the buildup and pressure within that joint.” If your chiropractor uses low-force techniques or specific equipment, you may not hear cracking or popping. For example, your chiropractor may use an activator. This instrument allows them to scan your spine and slowly move the bones.
When you are just starting a new treatment plan, it's common to have adjustments multiple times a week. As your body begins to heal, that number could drop to just once a week. And if you are pain-free and simply want to maintain your lifestyle, you might only need to get an adjustment once or twice a month.
Treatment for crepitus will depend on the cause. Osteopathy can be extremely beneficial in the treatment of tight muscles and arthritis. It involves a combination of soft tissue massage, mobilisations, joint manipulations, muscle stretching, postural assessment, advice and exercise prescription.
Crepitus may indicate cartilage wear or an injured joint, and the grimace-inducing noise also may be heard when fractured bone fragments move against one another.
Dr. O'Connor emphasizes that neck crepitus or “cracking” is usually not something to worry about. However, the condition can also be associated with other more serious symptoms, such as: Neck pain.
Consuming healthy fats can increase joint health and lubrication. Foods high in healthy fats include salmon, trout, mackerel, avocados, olive oil, almonds, walnuts, and chia seeds. The omega-3 fatty acids in these foods will assist in joint lubrication.
Vitamins for cracking knees and popping joints may not seem like the top priority when it comes to effective treatment, but they can improve joint function and relieve pain. These nutrients include glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, bromelain, collagen, vitamin C, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Yes, anxiety can cause an increase in popping and cracking sounds in and around the joints. Stress causes the body's muscles to tighten, and tense muscles can put extra pressure on the body, including its joints.
Neck cracking and grinding is thought to occur when structures in the cervical spine rub together and make sounds. One suggested cause of neck crepitus is the formation and collapse of tiny gas bubbles, caused by pressure changes within the joint.
Though, in most cases, symptoms don't appear until months or years after the initial trauma. Your cervical spine — or, your neck — plays a key role in balance and coordination. So, when this area of your spine is inflamed, arthritic or injured, it can make you feel dizzy, lightheaded and unsteady.