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What causes a clicking sound in the neck?

By Expert HERWriter September 20, 2009 - 9:58pm
 
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Hi everyone,

I was having lunch today with a good friend of mine and she was telling me how she's been having this really weird clicking sound in her neck that she notices when she turns her head from side to side.

I asked her more about it and she said as far as she can tell she is the only one who can hear it, it came on suddenly, and she does not have pain or numbness or anything.

She spends a lot of time on the computer and I'm voting for poor posture contributing to a neck issue of some type. She said that lately when she kind of rolls her head around she can make her neck kind of do a popping thing. She said she's also under a lot of stress lately so she's wondering if that's part of it.

Does anyone else here have a clicking neck when you turn your head? If so, did it go away on its own or did you need to see a doctor and or a chiropractor? I want to try to help my friend if we can. Thanks everyone! Michelle

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EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I started to have the clicking noise and mild discomfort in my neck 2 weeks after starting a diabetes medication. The medication can cause increased body acidity which in turn may cause the body to leach calcium from the bones. Started taking calcium, magnesium and vitamin D and after 3 days my neck felt better with less clicking. I am a dietitian so I have the knowledge about proper mineral supplementation. I advise anyone who is having sxs of mineral loss to see an expert in nutrition (a professional).

February 6, 2011 - 9:07pm
Expert HERWriter Guide Blogger

So, is there anyone on this thread who has found an answer as to what caused their clicking noise? If so we'd love to hear from you and learn from you.
Thanks,
Pat

January 21, 2011 - 5:49pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I get clicking sound and it's on the left side of my neck just under and behind my ear and if tip my neck to the right i get the clicking i've never had it before till the last couple weeks would anybody know what it could be?? it's only on the left side i get the clicking. Thanks.

January 20, 2011 - 10:09pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

Hi just wondering how you went with your neck any luck with it subsiding? yours sounds the same as mine left sided only, let me know how you went with it I have started some chiropractic treatment and hope that will ease it for me

November 1, 2012 - 4:15pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I also have a clicking in my neck when I turn my head from left to right. Incidently, I had severe whiplash in September 2007, and have had a few epidurals to treat the pain which has subsided on the left side, but pain persists to this day on the right. Wonder if the comment about strong and weak muscles could on target?

December 28, 2010 - 12:00pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

Thank god I am not the only one here. It started like everyone did in this thread and now it's been quite few years. Now it's part of my life and I hardly get disturbed. And I also noticed, the sound and the feeling settles down to a level which is a bit ok.

Now what made me write this comment is a new story. Offlet I have been experiencing Vertigo (Dizziness). I am graphic designer, mostly spend time on computers. Could the clicking sound led to the dizziness is still a mystery. Anyone with these symptoms... please share. Thank you!

December 14, 2010 - 5:36am
(reply to Anonymous)

Hi, All, New here but I see that a lot of folks have questions about the neck clicking. I too, have that problem. I was dx with fibromyalgis about 14 years ago, have degenerative disc disease in lower back for the last 25 years and other than neck aches from sitting at a computer for too long, nothing major going on with my neck. Got in a relatively minor car accident about 4 months ago and dx was whiplash. About a month or so after the accident I began to notice the clicking - it's almost as though something is getting hung up in there for a split second, but like the others it doesn't hurt - just feels pretty weird. Anyway, been going to physical therapist for about 3 months and just started going to a chiropractor and I asked both of them and they both gave me the same answer - at least for me - they told me that each vertebra has four tiny joints and what's happening is, when I move my head, the joints are hitting each other (maybe not all 4 joints, but I'm thinking there are 2 on each side and 2 of them are hitting each other) or perhaps more precisely, they are sliding over one another without benefit of some of the joint fluid that should be there. Mine is getting worse. The fibromyalgia is slowing down the healing process of the whiplash for me and my physical therapist suggested just the other day that I just stop PT for about a month - give my neck time to heal without all the extra stretching and exercises I've been doing. Sounds good to me. I'm going to hold off on the chiropractor for that month too. Hadn't really done much with the chiropractor - he's a great dr. very concerned and based on everthing that's going on with me (herniated discs, too) he said he's not comfortable doing any neck or back cracking on me for now anyway. I have to admire him for that. Anyway - that's what these 2 professionals told me. They said it's not going to cause damage, per se, that it just feels weird and there's really not much I can do about it. Of course for most people any strengthening we can do of the muscles surrounding an injured area (with your doctor's approval first, of course) is going to provide the injured area with more support. Since the accident, I also noticed that if I look up I get dizzy. Well, like the old joke goes "don't look up" which I remember most of the time. But the other day, PT was doing some stretching of the muscles of neck/shoulders, and , as I was lying down on one of those tables, had me put my head over the side while he gently stretched the muscles. The dizziness hit me like a bolt of lightning - stayed with me all night - getting worse and worse, nausea and vomiting began a little bit later and the whole thing lasted about 15 hours or so, leaving me drained physically and emotionally all day today. Has that happened to anyone else here? It was so bad - I was miserable. couldn't stand up without holding on to something. Called my spine dr. today and was told it was probably nerve related from tilting my head back/chiropractor said it could be inner ear damage, stroke (it was not a stroke) or caused by my brain bouncing around in there during the car accident - but both said "take it easy" and "don't look up" be careful washing hair in the shower, avoid going to a beauty salon where they have you tip your head back into the sink, etc. Since we were on the subject and the neck clicking started for me the same time as all this other junk, I thought I'd just give you the full story in case there are other's out there who are experiencing similar things. Also - just because this is what my medical people told me for ME, does not mean this is what is happening with you. I'm only telling you all this - like everyone here - to give you one more take on what it COULD be. Hope you all feel better soon!!! Take care.

November 4, 2011 - 12:36am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to jqheaven)

If anyone is experiencing vertigo with the neck clicking it mat be helpful to check out something called 'Epley manoever'

October 21, 2012 - 5:09pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to jqheaven)

Hi Jqheaven,
What you've said is almost all the same as what happened to me, the accident, neck clicking, dizziness w/ head movement and back pain. As of now I am on a third therapist. The 1st one was w/ a chiro, they were nice but I think it was what made it bad for me. I came complaining w/ headaches then this young girl PT (following chiro's instruction) did the machine massager and on the whole of my back which left me sore and feeling so broken that night and the next day. I felt like all my bones were separating from each other. If not for my muscles and skin, it feels like its all going to fall all over the floor.I only got treated for a week. Ever since then my neck starts its clicking, my low back cracks and makes grinding sound whenever I move. it is very frustrating coz my activities now are so limited and I had to leave my job because my body can't do what i need to.

Anyways, 3rd therapist is making me stretch and strengthen my neck and back muscles. It was 2 exercise at a time and added more everytime I visit. but she's always reminding me that if symptoms worsen to stop until I see her again. It was a trial and error for me bec she has to make sure that the exercise she prescribed are not making things worse. so i don't know if this would help some, try ROM in all direction one at a time and see how it feels. if its ok try it repeatedly 5 at a time then increase. if something don't feel right or u feel weird, don't do that motion. just use the simple neck flexion, extension, left or right head rotation and observe. as what my therapist said, stop if it gets u feel bad or worse. it it maintain or gets better w/ repetition then keep doing it b ut take a rest in between. this is not for everybody but i hope it helps some...=)

November 16, 2011 - 9:49pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

Mine does the same thing and I'm only 17, when I rest my head forward and roll my head it clicks and pops, noone else can hear it but if they put there hand on the back of my neck they can really feel it, Im not under any stress and dont have an office job!

November 27, 2010 - 8:49am
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