At some point, most of us have felt or heard our neck crack, pop or grind upon moving. In general, this does not indicate a problem. These sounds, also called crepitus, are usually painless and typically do not represent anything serious. Crepitus can occur in any moveable joint in the body, and there are many moveable joints in the neck. The neck joints are bathed in an oily-like substance call synovial fluid, which allows motion to freely occur in between the bones.
When neck cracking should be a concern:
1. Cracking is accompanied by pain or swelling. Neck crepitus with pain could indicate a type of inflammatory process, like osteoarthritis, in the joints of the neck.
2. Cracking that begins following an injury, accident or recent surgery. If the neck is making new cracking or grinding noises after trauma, like a fall or car accident, that could indicate a structural change that needs to be addressed by a qualified health professional. New neck sounds that develop after surgery of the cervical spine should be mentioned to your surgeon.
3. Cracking that is frequent or constant. If the sound can be reproduced every time the joint is moved in a certain way, then that could signal a problem in joint function, especially when accompanied by pain.
Chiropractors are trained in evaluating and treating neck pain symptoms. Give our practice a call and learn how chiropractic can help you.