Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Crepitus IsCausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Crepitus Is
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Occasional neck crepitus isn’t normally something to worry about. But chronic, repetitive, or painful cracking could point to a more serious problem.
Verywell / Ellen Lindner
What Is Crepitus?
Crepitusis cracking, popping, and grinding sounds in your joints. You may hear and feel it when you move. These grinding sounds and sensations are often tied to stiff joints that havecartilagedamage.
The cartilage in joints helps your bones glide smoothly over each other. But cartilage can be damaged or worn away, especially as you get older. When this happens, bones grind against each other.
Cracking and popping sounds are often the result of air bubbles that form in the empty spots within the joints. This is calledcavitation. Scientists used to think the crackling sounds came from the bubbles popping, but research has suggested it may be from the bubbles forming.
When you suddenly force the joint to move a certain way, different parts of it will briefly come apart, and open up cavities where the bubbles can form.
Either way, you’ll hear a popping sound when you make quick movements. These sounds could be the cracking of your knuckles or the bending or twisting of your neck. Once you pop a joint, it won’t pop again until the pressure has time to build up (usually after about 20 minutes).
Causes of Neck Crepitus
When to Seek Medical CareExcessive neck cracking, popping, or grinding can be a sign of a more serious problem, including instability of your cervical spine. See a healthcare provider if any of these symptoms in addition to neck crepitus:Neck cracking with every movementNumbnessLightheadednessSignificantneck painand/or pain that radiates down your armA recent neck injury
When to Seek Medical Care
Excessive neck cracking, popping, or grinding can be a sign of a more serious problem, including instability of your cervical spine. See a healthcare provider if any of these symptoms in addition to neck crepitus:Neck cracking with every movementNumbnessLightheadednessSignificantneck painand/or pain that radiates down your armA recent neck injury
Excessive neck cracking, popping, or grinding can be a sign of a more serious problem, including instability of your cervical spine. See a healthcare provider if any of these symptoms in addition to neck crepitus:
Joint cavitations and cracking are more likely in joints that get more resistance in surrounding tissues, such as:
Poor posture can also cause neck stiffness and limit movement, which can lead to neck crepitus.
Your regular healthcare provider, an orthopedic doctor, aphysical therapist, or achiropractorcan usually figure out what’s causing you to have neck crepitus.
In general, neck crepitus can be diagnosed using:
During an exam, a healthcare provider will listen for neck crepitus when you do certain movements. If crepitus is chronic or causing pain, your provider may want to do imaging of your neck, likeX-raysormagnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Here’s what they’re looking for on the tests:
Neck Crepitus Treatment
If there is a specific underlying cause, like an injury that needs to heal or a chronic condition that needs to be managed, your provider can recommend a treatment targeted to that condition.
Some common treatment options to help with neck crepitus include:
Summary
Neck crepitus can be heard and felt if you have worn-away cartilage or gas bubbles inside the small cavities inside your joints. Poor posture, injury, or arthritis can also cause neck crepitus.
Your symptoms, a physical exam, and imaging of your neck can help a provider figure out why you have crepitus.
Treatments like heat,stretchingand strengthening, and improving posture can usually help with neck crepitus. For specific conditions that are more serious, surgery might be an option.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Library of Congress.What causes the noise when you crack a joint?Kawchuk GN, Fryer J, Jaremko JL, Zeng H, Rowe L, Thompson R.Real-time visualization of joint cavitation.PLoS One. 2015;10(4):e0119470. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0119470Cedars-Sinai.Ask a Doc: Is Knuckle Cracking Bad?American Academy of Orthapaedic Surgeons.Cervical Spondylosis (Arthritis of the Neck).Mahmoud NF, Hassan KA, Abdelmajeed SF, Moustafa IM, Silva AG.The relationship between forward head posture and neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2019;12(4):562-577. doi. 10.1007/s12178-019-09594-yJohns Hopkins Medicine.Spinal Arthritis (Arthritis in the Back or Neck).Additional ReadingKawchuk GN, Fryer J, Jaremko JL, Zeng H, Rowe L, Thompson R.Real-time visualization of joint cavitation.PLoS One. 2015 Apr 15;10(4):e0119470. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0119470
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Library of Congress.What causes the noise when you crack a joint?Kawchuk GN, Fryer J, Jaremko JL, Zeng H, Rowe L, Thompson R.Real-time visualization of joint cavitation.PLoS One. 2015;10(4):e0119470. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0119470Cedars-Sinai.Ask a Doc: Is Knuckle Cracking Bad?American Academy of Orthapaedic Surgeons.Cervical Spondylosis (Arthritis of the Neck).Mahmoud NF, Hassan KA, Abdelmajeed SF, Moustafa IM, Silva AG.The relationship between forward head posture and neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2019;12(4):562-577. doi. 10.1007/s12178-019-09594-yJohns Hopkins Medicine.Spinal Arthritis (Arthritis in the Back or Neck).Additional ReadingKawchuk GN, Fryer J, Jaremko JL, Zeng H, Rowe L, Thompson R.Real-time visualization of joint cavitation.PLoS One. 2015 Apr 15;10(4):e0119470. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0119470
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Library of Congress.What causes the noise when you crack a joint?Kawchuk GN, Fryer J, Jaremko JL, Zeng H, Rowe L, Thompson R.Real-time visualization of joint cavitation.PLoS One. 2015;10(4):e0119470. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0119470Cedars-Sinai.Ask a Doc: Is Knuckle Cracking Bad?American Academy of Orthapaedic Surgeons.Cervical Spondylosis (Arthritis of the Neck).Mahmoud NF, Hassan KA, Abdelmajeed SF, Moustafa IM, Silva AG.The relationship between forward head posture and neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2019;12(4):562-577. doi. 10.1007/s12178-019-09594-yJohns Hopkins Medicine.Spinal Arthritis (Arthritis in the Back or Neck).
Library of Congress.What causes the noise when you crack a joint?
Kawchuk GN, Fryer J, Jaremko JL, Zeng H, Rowe L, Thompson R.Real-time visualization of joint cavitation.PLoS One. 2015;10(4):e0119470. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0119470
Cedars-Sinai.Ask a Doc: Is Knuckle Cracking Bad?
American Academy of Orthapaedic Surgeons.Cervical Spondylosis (Arthritis of the Neck).
Mahmoud NF, Hassan KA, Abdelmajeed SF, Moustafa IM, Silva AG.The relationship between forward head posture and neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2019;12(4):562-577. doi. 10.1007/s12178-019-09594-y
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Spinal Arthritis (Arthritis in the Back or Neck).
Kawchuk GN, Fryer J, Jaremko JL, Zeng H, Rowe L, Thompson R.Real-time visualization of joint cavitation.PLoS One. 2015 Apr 15;10(4):e0119470. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0119470
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
