Neckcrepitusrefers to clicking, cracking, popping, and crunching sounds in your neck when moving your head.
Occasional neck crepitus or having the sounds without other symptoms isn’t usually something to worry about.
For example, tendons and ligaments change tension and position when moving your neck.
Verywell / Ellen Lindner
Popping or snapping sounds may occur when they return to their original position.
Arthritis
Cervical spondylosisis neck arthritis brought on by age-related degeneration.
This condition may affect the discs, causing them to lose moisture and strength.
As the discs gradually collapse, they stop cushioning the vertebrae.
Cervical spondylosis also causes degeneration of the cartilage in the joint, which is classicosteoarthritis.
As you age, the cartilage wears down, allowing bone to grind against bone and causing crepitus.
you’ve got the option to also developrheumatoid arthritis(RA) in the neck’s facet joints.
Then, the bubbles cause a popping sound when you move.
These sounds could be the cracking of your knuckles or the bending or twisting of your neck.
Any of these changes may cause cause neck crepitus.
Poor posture
Poor posturestrains the muscles and ligaments supporting your neck.
Poor posture, an injury, or degenerative changes can also cause neck crepitus.
Treatments like heat,stretchingand strengthening, and improving posture usually improve neck crepitus.
Library of Congress.What causes the noise when you crack a joint?
American Academy of Orthapaedic Surgeons.Cervical Spondylosis (Arthritis of the Neck).
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Spinal Arthritis (Arthritis in the Back or Neck).
2015;10(4):e0119470.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0119470
Cedars-Sinai.Ask a Doc: Is Knuckle Cracking Bad?
2019;12(4):562-577. doi.
10.1007/s12178-019-09594-y
Northwell Health.Is a cracking neck a cause for concern?
Spine-Health.com.When neck cracking needs medical attention.
2015 Apr 15;10(4):e0119470.
