Strange "crackling" sounds/sensation at the base o

The cracking sound is produced by the sudden release of gases from the cushioning fluid between the cervical vertebrae as the vertebrae are being pulled away from one another (spinal decompression). I can make the same sound if I forcefully bend my neck in one direction or another. Some people are better at this than others. Chiropractic doctors do this to their patients all the time.

Thank you Hoseclamps, but the sound that I'm hearing is not a "cracking" sound - it is a "crackling" sound. It can be compared to the sound of "Pop Rocks" but at the base of my skull.

I have the same sensation. I have asked doctors for years what it is and they just smile and say "I don't know"?
I would love to find out what it is. sometimes my daughter can hear it if she is close to me.
It is the weirdest sensation. It only happens sometimes in my life. I don't think it's stress?
Any answers?

Hi rainbow,
I've asked my husband to put his ear up to the base of my skull to see if he also hears the sound...and he does.

I find it so disturbing because it worries me that it might be something more serious. I get a "heavy head" feeling - like my head is too heavy for my neck to support it. I also get a feeling of nausea on days when I have the sound/sensation all day long.

I have a feeling that it's related to anxiety/stress. Maybe it's worse on days when my upper back and neck muscles are tense due to stress etc...

I really wish that doctor's were more helpful.... :-(

I have had this noise in my neck since a whiplash injury 13 years ago. It feels and sounds like gravel, in fact the x-ray reports a spondylosis of the cervical spine. I attribute this to being rear-ended while 6 mos pregnant by a man who reported driving at least 45 mph. Off and on, I have numbness and tingling in my lower arms and a weakness. I used to worry about dropping my babies because of it. I was diagonsed with carpal tunnel, but I never believed that one. I knew the deal.

Today I watched 'mystery illness' and learned about a woman who was having bleeding in her cervical spine that simulated the same symptoms. I'm not a hypochondriac, but I if there is a surgery out there that can prevent stroke or paralysis in the long term, I should keep pushing my physicians to find a cause for my discomfort.

I pop way too many Advil for my age and have too many headaches to ignore what might be going on. People with chronic pain don't want to be seen as weak or complaining, plus we get used to it. Every day stuff that we ignore and move on. But there may be a bigger picture that we are denying.

I work in health care. Our physicians will pursue as hard as we are willing to pursue. If you think there is something wrong with you, that what you are experiencing is 'not normal' then push on... find a new doctor if you must, but find an explanation or treatment plan that makes sense for you. I know that I will.

I am having the exact same problem! It's driving me nuts! Sometimes I wonder if it has to do with the fact that my neck hurts pretty much daily and when I turn left, right, up or down, it crackles! And it does sound like pop rocks! I have yet to see a doctor about it. However, reading the replies, it doesn't seem worth it since most people are getting the same answer, nothing!

I've had this same problem for years. It happens for me when I am walking usually. Definitely reminds me of a Pop Rocks sensation (that is how I found this post as a matter of fact).

Frustrating that I can't find a definitive answer or two ;-). Maybe it's never been fully diagnosed?

I want to just direct you guys in the right direction and I hate doing this. Search Arnold Chiari Malformation. I've had the decompression surgery myself, and its something you need to check out. the cervical spine is going to look A-OK, its the back of the skull that is wrong and its internal. Get an MRI.
the spinal fluid is being blocked by the abnormal skull so every once in a while (more often in some people) the build up lets go and results in the pop rock feeling noise. Thats the spinal fluid bubbling out of your skull and into your spine, no joke.
PLEASE, look into Chiari. - My grandmother died from untreated Chiari - it causes ANEURYSMS because the build up in the skull of the spinal fluid.

I'm 22 and a chiropractic student and have had the same crackling noise (NOT cracking) for years and my cervical spine was x-rayed and I have hypolordosis of my neck ( straighter neck than normal), I have been in 2 RTAs and play rugby a lot (involving alot of neck traumas such as whiplash). However if the crakling sound does not produce pain or neurological symptoms I would not be too worried, also to prevent worry and not to mean to argue but arnold chiari is rare and mostly hereditary so most people would be aware if not already diagnosed with this!

My crackling occurs pretty much every day and i hear it inside my head coming from my neck, if that makes sense. I also have tingling and numb sensations in my arms bilaterally but this is due to my poor posture ( upper cross syndrome) and totally unrelated to the crackling noises. Majority of peoples neck pain is unassociated with cracking/crackling noise and poor posture has high incidence especially if you spend alot of time in front of computers on blogs! Deep neck flexor exercises and posture control (brugger relief postion) have shown to decrease neck tension and therefore pain.

For the guest who 'pops way to many advil' carpal tunnel can be a short term condition in pregnant women and the advils could belive it or not be a cause of your headaches (known as anlagesic rebound headaches). If this is the case does your headaches become increasingly unresponsive to advil? Or do the headaches get worse when advil is not taken or delayed? If they continue possibly MRI however preventative surgery for stroke/paralysis is unadviced and probably impossible to find a doctor to do so. For headaches Magnesium supplementation provides decrease in; platelet aggregation (thick blood), nitric oxide (vasoconstricting) ans substance P (pain producer), however dose must be appropiate as too much can have side effects of diarrhoea and if you have any GI problems magnesium is not suggested, chelated (slow releasing) magnesium suggested. Also Riboflavin (B2) is very good for headaches.

I hope this helps!

i am having the same kinda problem since two years. all dis started when i saw the 3 D film Avatar. it all started with a severe headache in my right part of brain. within 3-4 months time it reduced a little bit and changed its type. now my neck and skull keep popping all the time. i get a wierd feeling all around my neck head and even nose as  if somebody is applying pressure on them and i feel like popping. as soon as i move my head forward or backward it pops giving temporary relief and releasing a heating sensation. some times on a hectic day it all goes unbearable. even popping doesnt give relief. on such kinda day i also get a feeling of nausea. the popping sound are clearly audible. i feel like my neck will break one day or the others. doctors have not a satifactory answer yet. I M FED UP. please somebody help me out....

Hi! I am so happy to find this site. No one knew what I was talking about when I was searching for answers three years ago. My crackling was so bad I was so depressed I thought I'd be better off dead. But I DID find an answer. And I'd love to share it with you. Saved my life literally. It's the national upper cervical Chiropractic association. My noises diss appeared a day or two later as it takes a bit for the body to readjust. It's costly but its worth every penny. When my neck goes out ( which is not very often, I simply go back for a readjustment and I'm good again. I totally understand being fed up. I was. But I'm pro

try hot yoga or some form of martial arts. meditation and such will help.

I have also been experiencing a similar "crackling" sensation - in upper neck/base of skull - also crackling sensation in ears particularly when yawning/swallowing - but most alarming is that my teeth (concentrated in front lower bottom teeth) constantly feel as though there is an electricity current running through them - not actual pain. Also constant pressure feeling through jaw, cheeks, nose, eyes up into head - making it difficult to focus my mind on tasks at hand.
I guess I'm asking does anyone else have a problem with their teeth feeling wierd as well?? Thanks

I have the same problem of tingling in my neck.  It is right in the center of my neck. Below the skull and right above that bone that sticks out on your back.  This sensation is really delicate and sensitive, as something is boiling and under pressure but like something  still seeps out.   This maybe so that some kind of fluid can be coming out but I haven't asked my chiropractor.  When I visit him, he aligns my neck and cracks the spine that in my head which relies me of a lot of stress from homework and life.  This deep pain/sensation is also like giving my forehead spasms and tingly feelings.  It is so frustrating, I feel like a weight is on my neck, and it hurts when I move it around.  When I wake up I have to stretch my neck because It feels as if it compresses while I sleep.   When I bend my neck down I feel this warm feeling inside my neck.  I definitely need to see a specialist.  It's been going on for a few years, and anger and depression seem to make it worse.