Hi there everyone, sincerely hope that you are enjoying a sunny Sunday.

I have a question to which I hope that someone may be able to answer for me...On occasion I have always had the odd creak in the neck...which I know to be normal but over the last 5-6 months this creaking & popping has become very, very painful...lasts slightly longer & at the same time that the neck creaks, pops or whatever the description I get a numbness & tingling to the left side of my face, which lasts for a minute or two...this goes away once the pain from the neck creak goes away...I also have a creaking that sounds like a crackling whenever I turn my head from left to right & vice versa.

I can honestly say that there is no specific change in my lifestyle or whatever to have caused this problem to escalate.

I would appreciate any advice from someone out there who knows or may have suffered the same problem.

Thanks & take care

Beth

Hi and welcome
it is very possible that you have cervical vertebrae out of alignment. that can cause the pain, numbness an the sounds

this is something i have had periodically and a visit to my chiropractor always fixes it

i only use NUCCA trained chiros ( www. nucca.com )

hope that may be of help to you

Welcome to NT

I've not had that in particular to complain about. Had a lot of neck issues. You should be able to get an answer with a good caring doc, examination, and some testing and imaging.

Definitely sounds like your hinges need some oiling to me.

Have you tried yoga or some gentle stretching. May need proper instruction since you have issues.

There's lots of info here. Just ask if you need to know where to go find something.

I get tingling and numbness in my face and lips from damage to my neck/spine sustained in a car accident. The numbness is neurological: whatever is happening in your neck is putting pressure on your nerves. You could have something out of line or even spinal stenosis from natural degeneration.

To know what's happening you need to see a doctor: an x-ray would be a good start and perhaps an MRI.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Is the popping and creaking kind of like "Rice Krispies" sounds or a lot louder than that?

I had the Rice Krispies sounds when I had neck & shoulder muscle spasms.
I also had upper cervical {c1-c2} that were misaligned - probably for many many yrs. - horse fall as teenager & car accident where I hit my head on the steering wheel in my 20s.

The muscle spams were due to repetitive work injury and the c spine misalignments compounded the problems.

post #1 has links about upper cervical/c1-c2/atlas & axis adjustments
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread84-2.html

Chiropractic care info

here's one of the links-
http://www.upcspine.com/self.htm

Hello and welcome. Looks like you already got some great suggestions.
Have a look around there are some wonderful and supportive people here.

Hello Beth, and welcome to NT! This is such a great place with so many friendly, helpful, and caring people.

We're so very glad you found us!

Hi there everyone & many thanks for your replies...sorry have been offline for a short while...had to have a 3 hour & very painful biopsy last week...but good news on that at least.

With regards to my neck problem & facial numbness...I have spoken to my doctor & he thinks that it needs further investigation so he has written to my neurologist...the appointment has come through for 16th October 2009...yes folks for this year which is most unusual in the UK...

I was diagnosed with Osteoarthritis earlier this year, but the doctor is confident that this has not yet developed in my back...if at all that it might never do so...

But he did say that he thinks that I have a compressed nerve in the lower back because I have pain there & the ice pack feeling on my upper legs etc

He is not so sure what is going on with my neck because as I said it is like the normal creaking that we normally get, but much more painful & the numbness & tingling on the left side of my face is relieved when the pain from the neck creak subsides. If I was to try & describe it, I guess it feels more like a snap or pop...well kinda...There is also the fact that when I turn my head from side to side I get the sound which I guess sounds very much like rice crispies...

I thankfully have not had any kind of accident which would relate the problem to the above...

So in 19 days time I will come back & let you know what the Neurologist has decided & whether he would be authorrising any tests.

Take care to all

Hi Everyone...just thought that I would update you with recent events & my visit to the doctor...

On Monday 28th Sept my neck creaked as usual (quite painfully) & at the same time I had the numbness & tingling on the left side of the face...this (the pain & numbness) eventually subsided after a few minutes...but then later on my husband noticed a swelling on the back of my neck (the lower part) about the length & width of a medium chickens egg...

By Tuesday...the swelling had not subsided & yet again the neck greaked & the left side of the face went numb with tingling...so I phoned the doc for advice...he had me go & see him so that he can see for himself the swelling..

The result was that over the phone he thought it was a muscle problem, but on examination he has ruled out that possibility...he himself believes that it may be a trapped/compressed nerve in the neck & has ordered an MRI on my neck...which I have been told will take 4-6 weeks before the test is done...

Until then I can continue working at the school, I have been given no special instructions for taking care so I guess this can only mean if it was anything to be concerned about I would have received the appointment for the MRI within a few days...whilst the swelling is still present...which it is to date (1st October 2009)...

I am still to see the nuerologist on the 16th of October...

Well that is my update guys

Take care one & all

Beth

You have a swelling on your neck and no one immediately sent you to the hospital for an MRI?

That is a bit strange. Over here in the USA, that would IMMEDIATELY make my doctor say "I want this checked"

I've had the creaking FOR YEARS, whever i move my left from side to side. I have learned to move it slowly. I do much better in the hot hot hot weather than I do in any cold weather.

Do you find that you feel better in warmer rather than humid weather?

I had been diagnosed with degenerative joint disease YEARS ago. My doctor once told me 'melody, this is a degenerative disease, your body will get worse, your arthritis will get worse, you might even need your knees replaced".

I had wound up in the emergency room with two knees that didn't work. I had no idea I had any kind of degenerative joint disease (they told me it was also known as Osteoarthritis). I was only 40 years old at the time. Who thought one could get this at the age of 40.

But in my case it was the obesity and the strain on my joints.

So I lost all the weight, started exercising gently. Did some gentle yoga. I also saw a chiropractor YEARS ago (who did wonders for a frozen shoulder). They really do know what they are doing, but you have to find a good one.

But before you do ANY of this, you must have that MRI because only then can you bring the reports to any doctor you choose to see and they have a base to go on.

The swelling on the neck really concerns me. Does the swelling hurt? Aside from the creaking hurting?

Melody

P.S. Forgot to mention that I never did have any joints replaced and I don't intend to. I fully intend to be buried with all my parts (unless I have no choice that is). lol. I've learned to use Tiger Balm, Bio-Freeze, WHATEVER I HAVE IN THE HOUSE. And I keep my joints warm. for me, it works just fine.