My neck started clicking/popping about 5 months ago. It occurred spontaneously while I was sitting on the sofa, resting on my elbows. I remember tilting my neck backwards and shifting it to the right. I then heard a distinct cracking sound coming from the base of my skull. I got up and noticed that the clicking/popping sound persisted every time I turned my head to the right (2 clicks), whenever I tilted my head to the left (1 click), and sometimes during flexion & extension. The sounds were never accompanied by symptoms involving pain, numbness, compression, dizziness, etc. and did not account for the particular body posture adopted (standing/sitting). The clicking/popping sounds were typically very loud and, as such, they could easily be heard by people around me.
Shortly after the triggering event, I did:
- take a standard MRI scan (no abnormalities detected);
- see 12 doctors who rushed into forwarding all types of diagnoses (ligament laxity vs. C1-C2 subluxation vs. facet joint hypermobility, etc.) and remedies (complete rest & wearing a soft cervical collar vs. little exercising vs. lots of exercising);
- take a full blood test (all normal);
- start taking muscle relaxers & anti-inflammatories for 10 days’ time (no changes);
- start taking Calcium & Magnesium supplements;
- use different creams aimed at treating muscle-related problems (no improvements);
- go to several massage therapists (no results over 5 sessions);
- see 2 chiropractors (3 visits, no results);
- start walking for at least an hour’s time every day;
- try different stretching techniques independently (clicking/popping became louder after each attempt). Furthermore, I noticed that the clicking/popping sounds occurred even when I was moving my arms alongside my body (e.g. drawing circles or semicircles) while maintaining a neutral posture (looking straight).
The very fact that I couldn’t make the clicking/popping go away affected me tremendously. I had trouble accommodating a normal diet into my daily schedule. I experienced serious weight loss due to poor appetite. Nevertheless, I had trouble maintaining an emotional equilibrium. I felt scared and I felt distressed. I refused seeing a psychologist because I wasn’t looking at ways to accommodate change. Simply put: I was determined to treat the cause, not the effect(s). The clicking/popping was highly disconcerting and I knew for sure that if I could make it go away, I would be able to put my life back on the right track.
I wanted to address the underlying cause & acknowledged the fact that it would be a difficult task. While doctors failed to agree upon a common denominator (different potential diagnoses were passed on), I possessed little anatomy-related knowledge to decide whose opinion to value and who was off the track. As such, I decided to work on it myself and take it from scratch. Browsing through different health forums, anatomy course books & medical journals helped me put together a solid bunch of sensible information. Having reached a better understanding of the head-neck-back mechanism, I then moved to decrypting radiological patterns aimed at diagnosing spinal malfunctions. On the one hand, this helped me interpret my MRI; on the other hand, it taught me about the pitfalls of a standard MRI scan - in the sense that it provides limited information. I knew a CT scan would help validate/invalidate atlantoaxial subluxation-related scenarios (anterior/posterior/rotatory displacements), but I decided to keep this as a final option. Instead, I chose to go for an Upright MRI scan covering the alar ligaments, dens axis & atlas, neutral position, lateral rotations & bendings.
I ‘felt' that my problem was actually driven by a muscular imbalance rather than a dysfunction involving the cervical vertebrae/ligaments/facet joints. However, I couldn’t rely on my intuition or on somebody else’s speculations. I needed scientific evidence to stress the actual issue.
The main inconvenience consisted of the fact that I had to wait for 2 weeks in order to complete the scan, so I thought I’d do carry on with my research in the meanwhile. I came across several articles discussing muscular imbalances, including underlying causes & treatment options. I learned that ‘muscle knots’ cannot always be released through self-manipulation exercises (e.g. workouts in the gym), through massages or through muscle relaxants. I read about the Trigger Point Therapy & how this can help restore full muscle functionality. I also came across several health forums depicting the results of something called the 'Bowen technique' and the wide span of issues which it claims to address. I have to say I was very skeptical about the lack of proof documenting the use of the technique, but I thought I would still give it a go. I felt safe because I still had acupuncture & Trigger Point Therapy to try next, should Bowen therapy had failed me.
I scheduled an appointment with a Bowen therapist & I have to admit I didn’t feel much improvement once the session was over. The only notable change comprised of the fact that I felt my body lighter than usual. The therapist explained that the adjustments she made were designed to work towards resetting my nervous system - which was ultimately expected to generate new input to help support my body’s healing ability. She also explained that I might need several such sessions to reach some tangible results. I experienced no additional changes that day, nor over the next few days. So I called it quits. To a certain extent, I admit that my decision was somewhat unreasonable, but I wasn’t mentally prepared to wait for a long time (Bowen therapy sessions are usually performed once a week/once every 2 weeks) in order to experience another ‘failure'.
6 days later, I was taking a walk near the lake with my mom & her friend. When I left the car, the clicking/popping sound was so loud that I started crying. I was feeling sad and helpless. On the way back, I remember I turned my head right to look at the swans. My neck didn’t click. I repeated the motion 5 times in a row and that is when I realised that the nightmare was over for good. My neck clicking/popping suddenly stopped. I couldn’t stand up straight because I knew that God made it go away. We were all stunned at what happened there. The neck clicking/popping disappeared spontaneously and hasn’t come back since :)
I decided to post this in an attempt to support those of you who are struggling with this condition. Most importantly, I did it to emphasise the idea that there is HOPE, irrespective of what doctors/therapists might tell you. Don’t let them get away with their ‘good to go’ diagnoses - ask them to substantiate their findings through evidence. Ultimately, do not let them mix hypotheses/speculations with facts. Focus on identifying the inconsistencies & address the gaps accordingly.
Sorry for taking the liberty of being over-descriptive. I tried my best to incapsulate my end-to-end experience, hoping it would be of good help to others. I’ll never know what exactly happened with my neck, but considering the outcome, I believe it had to do with a muscular imbalance involving either of the sternocleidomastoid/trapezius/suboccipital muscle(s). However, facts are facts: I’ll never know for sure.
Lastly, I’d like to express my gratitude to KittyKat82 - who took the time & patience to share her experience & answer my questions. Thank you!
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Dear All,
My neck started clicking/popping about 5 months ago. It occurred spontaneously while I was sitting on the sofa, resting on my elbows. I remember tilting my neck backwards and shifting it to the right. I then heard a distinct cracking sound coming from the base of my skull. I got up and noticed that the clicking/popping sound persisted every time I turned my head to the right (2 clicks), whenever I tilted my head to the left (1 click), and sometimes during flexion & extension. The sounds were never accompanied by symptoms involving pain, numbness, compression, dizziness, etc. and did not account for the particular body posture adopted (standing/sitting). The clicking/popping sounds were typically very loud and, as such, they could easily be heard by people around me.
Shortly after the triggering event, I did:
- take a standard MRI scan (no abnormalities detected);
- see 12 doctors who rushed into forwarding all types of diagnoses (ligament laxity vs. C1-C2 subluxation vs. facet joint hypermobility, etc.) and remedies (complete rest & wearing a soft cervical collar vs. little exercising vs. lots of exercising);
- take a full blood test (all normal);
- start taking muscle relaxers & anti-inflammatories for 10 days’ time (no changes);
- start taking Calcium & Magnesium supplements;
- use different creams aimed at treating muscle-related problems (no improvements);
- go to several massage therapists (no results over 5 sessions);
- see 2 chiropractors (3 visits, no results);
- start walking for at least an hour’s time every day;
- try different stretching techniques independently (clicking/popping became louder after each attempt). Furthermore, I noticed that the clicking/popping sounds occurred even when I was moving my arms alongside my body (e.g. drawing circles or semicircles) while maintaining a neutral posture (looking straight).
The very fact that I couldn’t make the clicking/popping go away affected me tremendously. I had trouble accommodating a normal diet into my daily schedule. I experienced serious weight loss due to poor appetite. Nevertheless, I had trouble maintaining an emotional equilibrium. I felt scared and I felt distressed. I refused seeing a psychologist because I wasn’t looking at ways to accommodate change. Simply put: I was determined to treat the cause, not the effect(s). The clicking/popping was highly disconcerting and I knew for sure that if I could make it go away, I would be able to put my life back on the right track.
I wanted to address the underlying cause & acknowledged the fact that it would be a difficult task. While doctors failed to agree upon a common denominator (different potential diagnoses were passed on), I possessed little anatomy-related knowledge to decide whose opinion to value and who was off the track. As such, I decided to work on it myself and take it from scratch. Browsing through different health forums, anatomy course books & medical journals helped me put together a solid bunch of sensible information. Having reached a better understanding of the head-neck-back mechanism, I then moved to decrypting radiological patterns aimed at diagnosing spinal malfunctions. On the one hand, this helped me interpret my MRI; on the other hand, it taught me about the pitfalls of a standard MRI scan - in the sense that it provides limited information. I knew a CT scan would help validate/invalidate atlantoaxial subluxation-related scenarios (anterior/posterior/rotatory displacements), but I decided to keep this as a final option. Instead, I chose to go for an Upright MRI scan covering the alar ligaments, dens axis & atlas, neutral position, lateral rotations & bendings.
I ‘felt' that my problem was actually driven by a muscular imbalance rather than a dysfunction involving the cervical vertebrae/ligaments/facet joints. However, I couldn’t rely on my intuition or on somebody else’s speculations. I needed scientific evidence to stress the actual issue.
The main inconvenience consisted of the fact that I had to wait for 2 weeks in order to complete the scan, so I thought I’d do carry on with my research in the meanwhile. I came across several articles discussing muscular imbalances, including underlying causes & treatment options. I learned that ‘muscle knots’ cannot always be released through self-manipulation exercises (e.g. workouts in the gym), through massages or through muscle relaxants. I read about the Trigger Point Therapy & how this can help restore full muscle functionality. I also came across several health forums depicting the results of something called the 'Bowen technique' and the wide span of issues which it claims to address. I have to say I was very skeptical about the lack of proof documenting the use of the technique, but I thought I would still give it a go. I felt safe because I still had acupuncture & Trigger Point Therapy to try next, should Bowen therapy had failed me.
I scheduled an appointment with a Bowen therapist & I have to admit I didn’t feel much improvement once the session was over. The only notable change comprised of the fact that I felt my body lighter than usual. The therapist explained that the adjustments she made were designed to work towards resetting my nervous system - which was ultimately expected to generate new input to help support my body’s healing ability. She also explained that I might need several such sessions to reach some tangible results. I experienced no additional changes that day, nor over the next few days. So I called it quits. To a certain extent, I admit that my decision was somewhat unreasonable, but I wasn’t mentally prepared to wait for a long time (Bowen therapy sessions are usually performed once a week/once every 2 weeks) in order to experience another ‘failure'.
6 days later, I was taking a walk near the lake with my mom & her friend. When I left the car, the clicking/popping sound was so loud that I started crying. I was feeling sad and helpless. On the way back, I remember I turned my head right to look at the swans. My neck didn’t click. I repeated the motion 5 times in a row and that is when I realised that the nightmare was over for good. My neck clicking/popping suddenly stopped. I couldn’t stand up straight because I knew that God made it go away. We were all stunned at what happened there. The neck clicking/popping disappeared spontaneously and hasn’t come back since :)
I decided to post this in an attempt to support those of you who are struggling with this condition. Most importantly, I did it to emphasise the idea that there is HOPE, irrespective of what doctors/therapists might tell you. Don’t let them get away with their ‘good to go’ diagnoses - ask them to substantiate their findings through evidence. Ultimately, do not let them mix hypotheses/speculations with facts. Focus on identifying the inconsistencies & address the gaps accordingly.
Sorry for taking the liberty of being over-descriptive. I tried my best to incapsulate my end-to-end experience, hoping it would be of good help to others. I’ll never know what exactly happened with my neck, but considering the outcome, I believe it had to do with a muscular imbalance involving either of the sternocleidomastoid/trapezius/suboccipital muscle(s). However, facts are facts: I’ll never know for sure.
Lastly, I’d like to express my gratitude to KittyKat82 - who took the time & patience to share her experience & answer my questions. Thank you!
September 29, 2015 - 9:42amThis Comment
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