Why does the neck crack so much. My neck crackles when I turn my head, what should I do? Headache with circular movements and tilt, treatment at home. Instability of the cervical vertebrae

Many people have repeatedly heard the sound of a strong crunch when sharp turn or tilt your head. It can occur not only in patients with osteochondrosis, but also in absolutely healthy people. Some experts believe that such a crunch in the neck appears when the force on the joint exceeds the force of the reaction of the muscles that prevent unnecessary movements. articular surfaces.

In other words, if the muscles of the cervical region are in a too relaxed or constrained state, then a crunchy sound may occur during an ordinary turn of the head. However, the crunch may not always be unreasonable, sometimes its occurrence can serve as a kind of signal from the body about certain problems.

There are a number of reasons that can cause a crunch in the cervical spine. The following reasons are most often distinguished:

1. Strong mobility of the intervertebral joints in thin people. Doesn't have any negative consequences except for the psychological discomfort of the sound.
2. Muscle tension in athletes. The crunch disappears after the muscles are warmed up.
3. Accumulation of calcium salts in tendons and muscles in violation of calcium metabolism. The result of this is an overload of various segments of the spine and the development of a functional block, the removal of which occurs with sudden movements, which is accompanied by sound.
4. Cracking in the neck can be caused by various posture disorders that lead to a change in the relationship between muscles and bone structures.
5. The crunch is also caused by osteophytes (bone outgrowths that occur when bone formation is impaired).
6. Arising due to instability of the cervical spine, subluxations of small joints. The process calls dull pain and constant discomfort, especially with a long stay in one position.
7. Uncovertebral arthrosis is a disease of the intervertebral joints. Accompanied severe pain in the area of ​​the damaged vertebra after the movement.
8. Hypermobility in the joints of the spine in children. Occurs when there is a developmental delay connective tissue.
9. Spondylolisthesis is a disease during which the neck clicks when turning and tilting. This is due to the displacement of the vertebra forward. A crunch in the neck is due to a violation of the interconnections of the bone structures of the spine.

Treatment

Therapy of a crunch in the neck must begin with the identification of its cause. For healthy people, this phenomenon is not dangerous and does not require medical intervention, but for people with disabilities spinal column certain schemes have been created that represent both traditional and surgical methods.

The most simple and effective method is muscle control. They need to be constantly strengthened with special gymnastics. It is recommended to avoid painful tension, change posture when it appears, and perform stretching exercises. Do not forget that you can not load the spine continuous action when you are in a state of physical overwork.

It is important to remember that you can not do gymnastics with pain, violation of this rule can lead to aggravation of the condition!

If speak about medical intervention, then the most popular means to prevent a crunch in the neck are manual and osteopathic techniques, physiotherapy gives a good effect. For blocking pain syndrome anti-inflammatory drugs are used. With spinal hypermobility main goal is to achieve stability of anatomical relationships. To create such stability, a neck collar is used.

If following these tips does not bring the desired result and the crunching in the neck will still continue, you need to see a doctor. Only a specialist can help identify the disease on early stage and prevent its development.

This phenomenon is characterized by the appearance of certain specific sounds while turning the head or tilting it. The development of such a trait is in no way affected by gender or gender. age category which is why it is often seen in children. The reasons for the development of a crunch are quite extensive: in some cases it is associated exclusively with physiology, in others - with the course of the pathological process. It is usually divided into various groups and related symptoms.

natomy of the cervical region.

The most pronounced and often diagnosed signs are dizziness, pain and numbness. to install true reason crunch and differentiate accompanying symptoms, the patient needs to go through a series diagnostic measures. After the diagnosis is established, the doctor develops a therapeutic regimen.

A similar symptom is not always the result of a serious illness, and the problems described above do not necessarily join it. In some cases, crackling in the cervical region is associated with physiological features person. With this option, the factors provoking the appearance of such a sound are:

• Increased mobility articular joints between the vertebrae in people with body weight below normal. As a rule, there are no additional painful sensations, only psychological discomfort is possible.
• muscle strain back, observed in professional athletes. It is almost never necessary to see a doctor, since the phenomenon disappears after a warm-up.
• Deficiency of intra-articular fluid. Most often it is the basis for the appearance of a crunch, the phenomenon is most typical for infants.
• Innate increased flexibility articular connections. In this situation, crunching will be not only in the cervical region, but also in other areas of the musculoskeletal system - knees, pelvis, hands.
• Popping nitrogen bubbles located in the joint fluid.

Dr. Ivanov will tell in detail on the video and the crunch in the cervical region:

Interesting fact! Cracking in the neck, which is not a symptom of the disease, has been subjected to numerous studies. But the findings in medical literature as to what actually creates this noise have been ambiguous. In particular, a study published in 1971 showed that the phenomenon is caused by the rupture of a gas bubble in the synovial fluid of the joint.

If the crackling is permanent and is accompanied by pain, then it should be considered possible presence certain violations, namely:

• Violation of calcium metabolism, which is accompanied by the accumulation of salts. As a consequence, there is increased load on the spine, and a characteristic sound appears.
• Education intervertebral hernia. Pathology is accompanied by various clinical picture, the most pronounced is pain, stiffness, as well as characteristic clicks.
• Incomplete dislocation of the joint can also be a pretext. As a rule, subluxations are the result of trauma or are congenital in nature.
• Pathological processes associated with degenerative disorders.
• Violation in the development of connective tissue. Most often this is characteristic of children, they complain of a crunch and pain in the neck when trying to make a turn. Such a disorder does not require conservative or surgical intervention, but only regular monitoring by an orthopedist.
• cervical spondylosis. Degenerative-dystrophic disease of the spinal column. Includes a change in the intervertebral discs, characterized by growth bone tissue cervical vertebrae in the form of osteophytes. The symptomatology is very extensive, including the patient complains of characteristic sounds in the cervical region.

The appearance of such a sign requires competent consultation of a specialized specialist, regardless of the etiology of its occurrence.

When a physiological factor becomes the source, others Clinical signs are not observed. But, a completely different situation is when clicks in the cervical region are not an independent symptom, but act as a consequence of a certain disease.

In the video, people crunch and even enjoy it:

In the vast majority, crunching in patients does not cause anxiety or the need to see a doctor. It may appear intermittently or be present at permanent basis, for example, appear during a sharp turn of the head.

An important point the intensity of such a phenomenon remains - from slight crunching to pronounced crackling, which is accompanied by psychological discomfort for a person. Special attention should be paid to the nature of the pain syndrome, which may also be present:

• aching pain with elements of backache and pulsation;
• may be encircling or have a specific localization;
• often moves to the scapular region or thoracic region;
• pain can bother a short time or be permanent;
• increases during movement, provokes stiffness.

If clicks are the result of a disease of the spinal column, which is accompanied by compression of the nerve roots, then the clinical picture expands significantly:

• There is a tingling or burning sensation skin possibly a feeling of numbness.
• Decreased skin sensitivity.
• Violation of the patellar reflex.
• A change in the shade of the skin, pallor appears.
• Violation of the vasomotor reaction (accompanied by a rash, often similar to urticaria).
• Headaches, tinnitus, lack of coordination.

If you notice that the crunch is accompanied by the symptoms described above, you need to make an appointment with a specialist as soon as possible, go through diagnostic examination and get further advice.

What treatment is needed?

Before starting any type of therapy, it is necessary to establish the root cause of the appearance of such a symptom. When the phenomenon is physiological in nature, then, as a rule, special treatment not required. The doctor may recommend the following: if the work involves a long stay in a static position, then every hour you need to take a short break. This will unload the cervical region and minimize provoking factors.

The next important aspect is the strengthening of the neck muscles. For this purpose, numerous exercise therapy complexes have been developed, including therapeutic exercises.

Video of the gymnast's complex for the cervical region from Alexandra Bonina:

If crunching, clicking and other similar sounds are pathological character, then it is strongly not recommended to exclude treatment. A vertebrologist deals with diseases of the spinal column, but you can also contact a traumatologist or orthopedist.

The specialist will assess all parts of the spine, prescribe appropriate diagnostic procedures. For getting complete picture and productions accurate diagnosis MRI and X-ray examination in several projections will be required.

Currently, several methods of therapy are used - conservative and surgical. In the first case, a therapy scheme is developed using medications, physiotherapy, etc., in another - a radical solution to the problem is supposed.

Surgical intervention may involve laser reconstruction of intervertebral discs based on minimally invasive technologies, prosthetics, vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty. The type of surgery is selected on an individual basis, depending on the cause of the development of the sound phenomenon.

How to treat and how to get rid of such an unpleasant symptom? The tactics of the therapeutic effect depends on the cause that influenced the development of this symptom. The following treatments are often practiced:

• Medical therapy. Provides for taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and chondroprotectors. Additionally, an anesthetic may be prescribed. This tactic is acceptable in the case of diagnosing degenerative-dystrophic pathology.
• Physiotherapy procedures. Manipulations may include a course of electrophoresis, magnetotherapy, therapeutic baths and others.
• manual influence. It consists in manual impact on the anatomical structures of the body. Today you can meet such concepts as "manual medicine", "osteopathy", "applied kinesiotherapy", but in fact, they are one and the same.
• Physiotherapy. It is an integral part in the treatment of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. It allows you to strengthen the muscle corset, relieve overstrain, reduce the manifestation of the crunch.

The main group of drugs used in the practice of treating the spinal column.

Relatively medicines nonsteroidal group. Suppression of the symptoms of the inflammatory process in diseases of the spine is the main goal NSAIDs. Therefore, these drugs do not cure, but "only" facilitate the manifestation of pathology.

Important! Quite often, the sound phenomenon is combined with characteristic clicks under the shoulder blade. In most cases, this indicates inflammatory process synovial bag shoulder joint, but sometimes is a consequence of abnormal development of the bone scapular tissue.

Cracking sound when turning the head and tilting

According to statistics, the appearance of such sounds when turning or tilting the head is almost always the result of osteochondrosis. The disease is characterized by a complex of dystrophic disorders in various parts of the spinal column, develops at any age and is accompanied by lesions intervertebral discs. The causes of the pathological process are very extensive, but in the vast majority it is a violation of posture, the lack of adequate physical activity. As a result, cartilage changes its shape, elasticity, becomes thinner, and in fact, loses its shock-absorbing capabilities. As a result, a sound phenomenon resembling crackling develops. In addition, other signs join: headaches, stiffness, dizziness. Treatment is developed taking into account the stage of severity of the clinical picture and complications.

CT scan of the neck.

Note! The crunch is not a direct indicator cervical osteochondrosis, however, is considered one of the options and symptoms of pathology.

The next factor quite often is the presence of spondylolisthesis. The disease process is characterized by a displacement of the vertebra relative to the one located below, more often diagnosed in male patients, in almost 70% of cases. In the occipital region occurs less frequently, as a rule, the lumbar vertebrae suffer. In addition to crunching, the patient complains of pain, weakness in the limbs. In practice, always a strong pain syndrome extends to the area of ​​​​the shoulder and arm.

Anton Alekseev about cervical spondylolisthesis:

Spondylosis is another condition that causes clicks and other similar sounds when the head is rotated. The disease is a pathological process in which there is an increase in bone tissue - osteophytes. As the progression progresses, the cartilaginous tissue is deformed, the lumen of the spinal canal narrows. At the beginning of the development of the disease, one can notice the appearance of a crunch when turning the head, later headaches and neurological disorders join.

Cracking headaches

In most cases, with the development of such symptoms, patients suspect the presence of osteochondrosis. Indeed, in many situations it is he who is diagnosed, however, is not always the root cause.

The appearance of such a clinical picture is associated with already advanced forms of osteochondrosis, when nerve roots. But, the vertebral artery syndrome, which provokes a complex, often becomes the source of the problem. neurological disorders: dizziness, impaired sensitivity of the skin, etc.

At the very beginning of the process, migraine is periodic, therefore, often ignored. As a rule, an appeal to a doctor occurs at a stage when a strong pain reliever is ineffective, and in addition, the head begins to feel dizzy every day.

The following violations may also be the causes:

• injury to the spinal column, in particular, the cervical region;
• the presence of neoplasms (both atypical and benign);
• rheumatoid arthritis;
• ankylosing spondylitis.

When contacting a doctor in without fail diagnostics assigned:

• MRI scan;
• ultrasound procedure;
• CT scan;
• radiography in two projections.

Interesting fact! AT recent times, in the practice of traumatology, there is a tendency to detect two or more pathologies at once when a patient presents with headaches and a crunch in the neck.

Cracking accompanied by pain in the neck

The development of pain in the cervical region, accompanied by a crunch when turning the head, may indicate damage (or compression) of the spinal nerve endings. Also, the reasons for the appearance of this clinical picture can be:

1. Myositis. Characterized by inflammation skeletal muscles, accompanied by local painful sensations. The source of development can be various injuries, infections, hypothermia, osteochondrosis. If the tendons of the occipital zone are involved in the pathological process, then the main symptoms will be pain syndromes in this area, especially pronounced when turning the head.
2. Neurology of the occipital zone. Characterized by soreness chronic type, the localization of which is in the neck and neck. The main manifestation of the disease is neuralgia in the neck and shoulder blades, migraine, dizziness, tinnitus. Sometimes there is photophobia, nausea, numbness and tingling in the extremities.
3. spasm smooth muscle . Most often seen in patients who are sedentary image life. muscle spasm manifests itself as an extremely unpleasant clinical picture, the patient complains of discomfort and tingling.
4. Neck injury spine. The injury may be various etiologies, both sports and during an accident or impact. With more easy course the patient complains of a crunching sound and soreness, in severe cases after an injury, disability can occur.
5. Tumors(benign, oncological). Regardless of the etiology of origin, any neoplasm leads to compression of the nerve endings, as a result, this leads to pain and various neurological disorders.
6. Surge associated with mental or physical activity. Prolonged physical or mental stress often lead to spasm of the smooth muscles of the cervical region, resulting in compression of the nerve endings, followed by pain. There is also compression of the vertebral artery, which causes severe pain in the neck and neck area.

Particular attention should be paid to the treatment of children. If development similar sign not associated with serious pathological processes- can be completely dispensed with conservative therapy. In most cases, doctors avoid prescribing NSAIDs to children due to the prevalence of side effects. Therefore, the main drug effect includes taking biostimulants, riboxin, and vitamins. If necessary, a course of vasodilators is selected.

Also, in the treatment of pathology in a child, physiotherapy procedures are connected. With instability of the cervical vertebrae, UVI, SMT, electrophoresis are recommended in addition to Eufillin. Total such manipulations should be at least 10, but not more than 15.

Be sure to consult your doctor before treating diseases. This will help to take into account individual tolerance, confirm the diagnosis, make sure the treatment is correct and exclude negative interactions drugs. If you use prescriptions without consulting a doctor, then this is entirely at your own risk. All information on the site is presented for informational purposes and is not a medical aid. You are solely responsible for the application.

Headache, crunching in the cervical spine, as well as pulling, pressing and other discomfort in the back can be symptoms of osteochondrosis, osteoarthritis, intervertebral hernia and other diseases.
You should not self-medicate. After removing the pain attack, you should immediately consult a doctor for accurate diagnosis. Pathological changes in the spine are treated for a long time, the process requires careful observance of the doctor's instructions and careful monitoring of the general condition of the body.

Crunch and pain: what does it mean

Unpleasant but often painless crunching in the lumbar, cervical, or usually causes only mild discomfort. Often a slight crunch lumbar, temporary numbness and soreness in the back are noted by people employed in sedentary work. However similar symptoms may also be seen in athletes. Crunch is often noted by older patients. It can occur after hard work, in the morning, immediately after waking up, or after being in one position for a long time, for example, while working at a computer.

The next symptom may be pain in the cervical spine: pulling, pressing, dull or sharp. It is usually aggravated by tilting or a sharp turn of the head, but in calm state disappears. sometimes the pain radiates to the hand. Patients report dizziness, and sometimes loss of consciousness, flies fly before their eyes, nausea, vomiting, insomnia are observed, and sometimes vision and hearing deteriorate.

Pain in the thoracic region may resemble a heart attack.

A strong crunch in the spine becomes noticeable even to others. Pain in the thoracic region causes great anxiety about one's health. With these symptoms, even the most persistent patient goes to the doctor.

The problem is that the same symptoms can signal a completely various diseases. For example, pain in the cervical spine may indicate a herniated disc or osteoarthritis. Nagging pain in the lumbar spine often indicates scoliosis or osteochondrosis. The cause of the malaise may lie elsewhere: in an old injury, congenital pathology, cardiovascular diseases and even diabetes. To accurately determine the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes full examination: x-ray, blood test, MRI.

Osteochondrosis: features, causes and treatment

The most common diagnosis received by patients suffering from vertebral crunch and headache is osteochondrosis. This disease is characterized by changes in the connection of the vertebral discs. That is why on initial stage the neck crackles, and sometimes it is absolutely painless. Reducing the distance between the vertebrae gradually destroys the fiber rings, pinching nerve endings, which can contribute to the occurrence of a sharp pain that radiates to the thoracic spine, neck, head, arms. With continued degeneration, there may be intervertebral hernias, severe deformity of the spine, subsequent destruction of the joints. A severe degree of osteochondrosis is fraught with complete immobility and subsequent disability.

Many patients do the right thing and usually go to the doctor already with primary symptoms, which include an intensifying crunch in the spine (thoracic region, lower back or neck), one-time pains, slight numbness in the back. At this stage, osteochondrosis is successfully treated. During the period of exacerbation, rest is recommended, it is desirable bed rest. Drugs are prescribed to relieve pain, relieve spasms and inflammation.

Self-treatment is not worth it exact dosage a drug is prescribed by a doctor. Home remedies can help warm compresses with camphor oil, ointments based on camphor and menthol.

At-risk groups

Most often, problems with the spine are diagnosed in middle-aged and older people, but sometimes even young people complain of joint crunching and pain. Most often, problems of this kind occur in people who, due to their work or study, spend a lot of time in a static position and do not go in for sports. Athletes who experience major physical exercise in training.

The most common causes of osteochondrosis are the following:

• sedentary lifestyle;
• excess weight;
• neck, back injuries, thoracic spine;
• too intense sports training;
• congenital or acquired curvature of the spine;
• infectious diseases;
• congenital pathologies of the joints.

People who note the presence of 2-3 factors in themselves should pay attention Special attention on the . To achieve a successful result, you must follow the recommendations of doctors: refuse bad habits, go in for sports or physiotherapy exercises (according to indications), do massage, temper. Take care of your health, and the likelihood of falling into a risk group will noticeably decrease.

How to prevent the disease: diet and rejection of bad habits

If your lifestyle suggests the appearance of osteochondrosis, urgently take measures to prevent it. Doctors recommend eliminating the causes of the disease, for which you should:

• lead healthy lifestyle life;
• follow a diet;
• increase physical activity;
• do special exercises;
• observe the regime of work and rest.

A healthy lifestyle means giving up bad habits, especially smoking. The nicotine and tar in cigarettes damage the joints, causing tissue damage. The same applies to alcohol and large doses caffeine. It is recommended to limit yourself to 1-2 cups of natural coffee per day. Drink to quench your thirst green tea, canteen mineral water, fruit juices, compotes and homemade fruit drinks.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary to increase the dose of calcium in the diet too much and limit animal proteins. It is important to strike a reasonable balance, given the age and general state organism. It is worth abandoning fatty meats and processed foods in favor of fish, chicken and lean pork. It is important to observe moderation - excess weight has a very bad effect on the condition of the spine.

It is worth increasing the amount of fiber: whole grains, green vegetables, fibrous fruits. Useful low-fat dairy products. Can be taken multivitamin complexes but before that, it is advisable to consult with your doctor. For the prevention of joint problems, modern complex preparations with calcium, collagen and vitamin D.

It is recommended to limit the amount of salt: its excess not only negatively affects the joints, but also provokes an increase in pressure. If your head hurts often and for a long time, try to completely eliminate salt from your diet.

Physical activity and massage as part of preventive measures

An important point - physical activity. For those who experience discomfort in the cervical and other parts of the spine, exercise systems are recommended that include all kinds of stretches: callanetics, yoga, tai chi. Useful swimming, can help and nordic walking without putting too much pressure on the back. But cycling or high-impact aerobics should be abandoned.

Mandatory morning exercises with exercises in the supine position. Also master a variety of sips, shallow bends, backbends with a stick, exercises on a fitball and a gymnastic bench. For those who can't get out of bed without pain, it is recommended to do a few immediately after waking up simple exercises on the breath, and then massage the area of ​​the cervical vertebrae and shoulders.

One of the most effective exercises- clutching the hands in the lock on the back of the head and pressing them on the neck area while tilting the head back. This exercise should be done several times a day. It perfectly relieves tension from the cervical and thoracic spine.

Very helpful massotherapy cervical spine, which is usually carried out in courses. It not only relieves discomfort in the back, removes pain in the neck, crunch in the spine and helps to strengthen muscle corset providing a normal posture. A competent specialist will put in place cervical vertebrae without causing discomfort to the patient.

To prevent pain in the cervical spine, it is important to beware of colds. Hypothermia can provoke an attack of pain. Therefore, people prone to problems with the spine should be especially attentive to their health in the cold season.

It is recommended to avoid drafts, dress according to the weather, and do not neglect warm underwear in winter. important and general strengthening immunity, sparing hardening and other measures supporting the body, including the correct healthy eating and minimizing stress.

An unpleasant crunch in the neck when turning the head at least once in a lifetime was felt by every adult. This symptom may be a sign normal fatigue, as well as the manifestation serious illnesses. Without finding out the cause of the crunch, it will not be possible to get rid of it.

Causes of crunch in the cervical spine

The cervical spine consists of 7 vertebrae, interconnected by joints, elastic cartilaginous discs and ligaments. A person can make head movements only due to the high mobility of these joints. If you hear a crunch and clicking in the neck, then there are problems. This is not uncommon for the cervical spine, as it is forced to withstand heavy loads without massive support muscular frame that other parts of the spine have.

A crunch in the neck is not always a sign of pathology in the spinal column or in muscular system. This symptom can occur in a healthy person for several reasons:

• due to overwork, accompanied by a spasm of the neck muscles;
• due to the high mobility of the intervertebral joints, which is typical for young children and people with a genetic predisposition;
• after physical work or playing sports in an uncomfortable position, when the spinal column and muscles must withstand heavy loads;
• due to weakness of the muscular skeleton of the neck due to inactivity;
• after unnatural and sudden movements head;
• due to poor posture leading to overexertion individual groups muscles.

In these situations natural shock absorbers(intervertebral discs, synovial fluid, ligaments) do not cope with their function, so the neck crackles when the head is turned to the sides.

Diseases in which the neck crackles

If the crunch is heard constantly and is accompanied by pain, impaired sensitivity of the skin of the hands, “creeping goosebumps”, dizziness, it is worth looking for more serious reasons. These include a number of diseases of the spine.

A metabolic disorder can cause a crunch in the neck, leading to the deposition of calcium salts in the joints, tendons and soft tissues.

Is cracking your neck bad?

Harmful. The crunch provokes the appearance discomfort, affects the functions of the nervous and circulatory systems. A seemingly insignificant symptom can be a harbinger of more serious problems.

Passes in the spinal column spinal cord, and through the holes between the vertebrae to the tissues are sent nerve fibers. If a normal anatomy the spinal column is disturbed (which is observed in most of the diseases listed above), the nerve formations are under high risk pinching, which entails serious neurological disorders. And the fact that when you turn your head the neck crackles, hurts and shoots, already speaks of the compression of some nerve roots.

Through the holes in the lateral processes of the cervical vertebrae, two vertebral arteries pass, which provide blood most brain, and any violation of their functions can threaten oxygen starvation main organ of the central nervous system.

If a crunch occurs when the head is tilted to the side and is accompanied by dizziness, headaches periodically torment and “flies” fly before the eyes, you should not wait for everything to go away by itself, you must definitely be examined.

What to do if the neck crackles

It is impossible to independently determine why a crunch is heard in the neck, therefore, when this symptom appears, you need to consult a neurologist, a vertebrologist (a narrow specialist in diseases of the spinal column) or an orthopedist. An examination, including instrumental methods spine imaging:

• radiography of the neck in different projections;
• Magnetic resonance imaging;
• CT scan.

Based on the data obtained, the doctor will be able to determine the diagnosis and prescribe treatment. In most cases, you can get rid of the crunch using conservative methods.

In the absence of the effect of the above measures, it is carried out surgery- removal of an intervertebral hernia, elimination of bone growths in severe spondylosis or uncovertebral arthrosis. If organic lesions no spine neck crunch can be reduced:

• regular physical education, which is necessary to strengthen the muscles covering the cervical spine;
• maintaining correct posture;
• thorough warm-up and warm-up before sports training,
• complete rest after exercise.

Essential oils can be used as relaxing agents.

Many people are familiar with such a “sound phenomenon” as a strong crunch in the neck when turning or tilting the head. It can be in patients with spinal pathology, and in completely healthy people. The reasons for this phenomenon are still not fully understood. Moreover, it is observed even in children. Much has been written on the internet about various reasons similar crunch, even the most incredible type of destruction of nitrogen bubbles in the joints.

Previously, it was believed that a crunch in the neck and spine occurs only with. But osteochondrosis is only one of the diseases in which there is this symptom. To date, the list of reasons has grown considerably.

1. Hypermobility of the intervertebral joints in thin people, apart from psychological discomfort with sound, does not lead to any negative consequences;
2. When the muscles of antagonists (flexors and extensors) are dissociated, the neck often clicks in athletes, the crunch disappears after the muscles are warmed up and does not require any treatment;
3. Violation of calcium metabolism, in which there is an accumulation of calcium salts in the tendons and ligaments in the places of attachment of muscles, bones and articular surfaces, including in ligamentous apparatus of the spine. As a result, various segments of the spine experience loads that are unusual for them, and a functional block develops, which is removed independently during various non-linear movements. This is accompanied by a crunch.
4. A crunch when turning the neck is heard in various (lordosis and), since in these conditions the rational relationship between muscles, bone and joint structures is violated. On the biochemical level the same changes occur as in violation of calcium metabolism.
5. , formed during spondylosis (), can also be the cause of a crunch in the back of the neck. - these are bone outgrowths that are formed in violation of bone formation against the background of degenerative-dystrophic processes.
6. Subluxations of small joints of the facet processes that occur against the background of instability in the cervical spine. This pathology is accompanied by dull severe pain in the neck and crunching, constant discomfort, and at rest. The pain is aggravated after sitting in a monotonous position. When you change the position of the neck, the discomfort decreases for a while.
7. - a degenerative disease of small intervertebral joints, manifested in addition to a crunch by severe pain in the area of ​​the affected vertebra after turning, sharply tilting the head or lifting weights. The illness may be accompanied by pain in chest, increase blood pressure, dizziness and unsteady gait.
8. A crunch in the neck of a child occurs with hypermobility of the joints of the spine with some anomaly in the development of connective tissue. In this case, the process is systemic, and a crunch will be heard when moving in other joints of the body.
9. - This is another disease in which the neck clicks when turning. With this pathology, against the background of degenerative changes in the spine, one, less often several, vertebrae move forward. AT this case crunching during movement is due to a violation of the relationship between the bone structures of the spine.

Cracking of the neck when turning the head may be accompanied by severe pain radiating to upper limbs. This happens with or hernia intervertebral disc. In addition, numbness of the hands and "crawling crawl" may disturb, the sensitivity decreases.

Causes of a crunch in the shoulder blades

Since osteochondrosis is a common process, and the cervical spine is anatomically connected with the thoracic, a crunch in the shoulder blade during movement is also noted.

Crunch under the shoulder blade, felt when active movements, as well as accompanied by discomfort and moderate pain. The reason for this phenomenon is the inflammation of the subscapular bag, which develops when the congruence of the articular surfaces is disturbed after injury ().

In addition, a crunch in the shoulder blade may be the result of an anomaly in the development of the scapular bones - the presence of the so-called tubercles of Lushka. These are outgrowths located near top edge shoulder blades. Under them, additional joint bags are often formed, in which inflammation can develop.

Treatment

Treatment of a crunch in the neck begins with the establishment of the cause of this phenomenon. In healthy people, this condition does not require medical correction, and in case of pathology, special schemes have been developed, including both conservative and surgical methods.

The main point in this case is the strengthening of the muscles of the back of the neck. But with pain therapeutic gymnastics prescribed after the pain syndrome is stopped. Resistance movements accompanied by light self-massage are useful.

Apply soft manual and osteopathic techniques. good effect has physical therapy. Anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed to relieve pain. With all degenerative processes, the use of chondroprotectors is shown to help restore cartilage tissue and normalizing metabolic processes.

With hypermobility of the spine, it is important not only to strengthen the muscles, but also to achieve the stability of anatomical relationships. This is achieved by wearing a special ().

A constant crunch in the neck is a reason to see a doctor, because it is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it.

AT childhood problems of this kind can be solved with the help of special gymnastics.