Random PW thread!

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Oh, I went to the doctor today to see if something could be done about my neck (the bone is misaligned, so my neck frequently turns into a really, really loud cracking beast). The results?

Nothing can be done. Unless it hurts. Does it hurt? We can give you drugs.

I said, no, it doesn't really hurt. It's just loud and a bit uncomfortable. And those drugs interfere with my other prescription anyway.

And they said, oh, okay. Nothing can be done then. Have fun with that.

My neck said: crrrrrrrr-rrrrrrr-rrrrrrrk.
 
My mother broke her pelvis is a car accident in high school and it healed crooked, making one leg slightly shorter than the other. The only way to fix it is to rebreak it. She said she would deal with the crooked pelvis.
 
ok vs - youre gonna havta do something about this thread. because i cant follow shit for shit in this shit. metaphorically speaking, er, typing..

seriously, im going to have just post "yes -blah" or "no - blah"

cuz i have no idea what the hell else to post.
 
andcuriouser said:
Oh, I went to the doctor today to see if something could be done about my neck (the bone is misaligned, so my neck frequently turns into a really, really loud cracking beast). The results?

Nothing can be done. Unless it hurts. Does it hurt? We can give you drugs.

I said, no, it doesn't really hurt. It's just loud and a bit uncomfortable. And those drugs interfere with my other prescription anyway.

And they said, oh, okay. Nothing can be done then. Have fun with that.

My neck said: crrrrrrrr-rrrrrrr-rrrrrrrk.
Click to expand...

Neck Noises

Today's topic is about neck noises. I have received a number of inquiries about sounds emanating from the neck while turning the head from side to side. Most people want to know:
1. What is the noise from?
2. Do I need to be concerned about it?
3. Is there anything that can be done?
If you have a grinding or a sensation like there is sand in your neck, this is most often from changes in the cartilage which lines the joints (called facet joints). When the cartilage becomes soft it typically also becomes irregular. When you turn your head, the joints travel on a "bumpy road" instead of a smooth one. Hence, you may hear a grinding sound.
A cracking sound which occurs once as you turn your head but then is not reproducible for a period of time is usually from something called cavitation. I wrote an article on this which you can read on our website (Is The Crack In Your Neck Worth It?). When you twist and bend your neck, you stretch the joints. Inside each joint is a liquid called synovial fluid that contains gases like nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide. This liquid exerts a certain amount of pressure against the ligaments around the joint (called the joint capsule). The stretching causes the pressure inside the joint to drop. When the pressure drops, the ligament gets sucked into the joint and a bubble of carbon dioxide forms. The formation of the bubble creates a popping sound as it comes out of the synovial fluid (cavitation) and increases the volume of synovial fluid temporarily (by about 15%). The increase in volume pushes the ligament back into place creating another popping sound (these occur so fast you hear only one sound). You cannot repeat the snap, crackle, pop for about twenty minutes or until the bubble dissolves back into the synovial fluid.
The other reasons for a cracking sound, and these typically occur on a repeated basis, include changes in the shape of the joints and changes in the thickness of ligaments. If your joints have extra bone (which forms in response to a loss of intervertebral disc height), then as you move your head the extra bone can cause a "collision" - one part of the joint bumps into another part and creates a cracking sound. In some cases the ligaments which attach to the joints will become thicker (again due to changes in the disc height). Occasionally, as you move your head, the ligament will slip over the edge of the bone and you may hear a snap or a cracking sound.
In terms of what to do, your choices depend on why you have the sound. Generally, I recommend:
  1. Supplements to help rebuild the joint surfaces (read How To Use Supplements to Rebuild Your Joints).
  2. Aerobic exercise to improve the distribution of oxygen and transport of needed nutrients.
  3. Stop all stretching or self-cracking of the neck.
Fred Smith, CEO of Federal Express, once said, "A problem is something you can solve. Otherwise, it's a fact of life." Neck noise can be a problem you can solve. In many cases, you can alter the health of your spine and the noise will dissipate leaving you with much less discomfort and aggravation.
 
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