Clicking sounds in the neck

[Phinella]

Hi All

I wondered if anyone has got any tips on how to deal with clicking sounds in the neck. I get these pretty much one or twice daily when I turn my head to the right or sometimes when I move my head downwards. Not painful or disturbing as such.

I have looked on the internet of course and the consensus seems to be that they are not harmful and that they are caused by gas bubbles and/or damage to the cartilage surrounding the vertebrae. Some standard physio type exercises are suggested on the lines of head rotation and turning.

I seem to recall a post somewhere possibly by Kris about these sounds. I also recall some suggestion that physio might help as long as the physio concerned was knowledgeable about NASAH after-effects and there might be an issue about muscular forshortening.

A year and four months on from my NASAH I would have thought all gas which got into my cerebro-spinal fluid with the blood would have dissipated but perhaps I am wrong. Any comments or ideas most gratefully received.

I thought I was going to depart from this forum for good but I do find it very interesting so I keep reverting. Also an element of displacement activity from the stress of having to choose and organise another care home for my 90 year old mother as I don't want her to peg out where she is but have zilch support to sort things out as she is self-funded and has no one in the whole wide world apart from me to help (which incidentally I think contributed to stress leading to the NASAH - families eh who'd have them?). Oh well, back to the care home madness after I've had a run.

Phinella

[Super Mario]

I think is is too easy to blame the SAH for every ensuing problem we get.

This clicking could be something totally unrelated. For instance, my neck clicks but it is because of age related spondylosis, nothing at all to do with my SAH.

If you are concerned please get medical advice as none of us here are medically qualified.

[kpaggett]

Was your bleed in the hind brain somewhere?

I get clicking sounds all the time in many joints or bone/bone contacts. For me, the muscles around the joints are weakened as they are no longer getting the tonic signal from the brain stem and they 'ride' lower...so I get clicking sounds as the bone travels over the connecting tissue closer and then snaps into place at the end of the movement. Sometimes just stretching my arms over head helps to pull my spine into alignment and then the clicking goes away. This sometimes helps with dull pain that comes into my hips as well.

Be careful of over stretching your neck. I've done this many times as I thought that just stretching would help. It doesn't all the time but I need activation of the neurons. Sometimes mild stretching (looking up/down or side/side with NO hands pulling your head) and sometimes a LIGHT touch helps too. My OT told me to only lift weights until the clicking in my shoulder and no higher...she didn't really want me to make it click over and over as it doesn't build anything at that point.

I agree with what penny said, but if you never had clicking before and now you get it all the time, it might be related as it is in my case. You can explore for yourself and see if anything helps. I've found that I am better at 'fixing' things than some people I've consulted as they tend to know very little about SAH in general let alone my specific type. If it does not seem to be life threatening...

~Kris

[Phinella]

Penny and Kris,

Thank you for your observations, Kris in particular, and apologies for the delay in acknowledging.

Penny, I appreciate your warning and wouldn't blindly follow anyone's advice whatever their quals or lack of them. And I would not dream of pinning responsibility for any aches and pains etc onto the NASAH. The only reason I asked the question about neck clicking was because I had never had any such issues before the NASAH but have noticed the clicking frequently and indeed now pretty much daily since. And members of this forum seem far more knowledgeable than anyone else around on the wonderful world of NASAHs, be they qualified in whatever way or not.

Kris, many thanks for your observations and I'm sorry you have so many clicking sounds in joints to put up with; I hope that as with everything else this gets better with time even if it is a fairly minor irritant. I just get the one sound when I turn my neck to the side or down; a sort of loud snap (audible to others). What you say bears out my surmise; something happened through my NASAH which has impeded the smooth operation of some muscular/nerve connections or has somehow caused gas to get trapped in my spine or thereabouts. I will try the type of exercises to which you refer in moderation. And probably see a physiotherapist and/or get some Alexander technique posture guidance - can't be bad in any case. As to where my bleed took place, it predominantly involved the basal cisterns, extending to the peri-medullary cistern and both sylvian fissures. I find the diagrams of the brain on the net a bit hard to follow and a bit yukky (never was keen on human physiology) but I think this is the mid-brain.

Best wishes,

Phinella

[Winb143]

Phinella,

I get clicking in neck also, the sound makes me wince but I thought it was where I had shunt in.

Mine is when I turn to left. Doesn't bother me just as I say makes me wince, unless Hubby says" all clear your side Win" when in car.

Mennnnnnn I dunno lol

Good luck

WinB143 xx

[amexdm]

Hello,

I get this clicking also. It is pretty common and seems to be when I'm not feeling well. I also had these clicking feelings a few weeks before SAH which may be related. But now, the back of my neck feels very weak and I'm sort of afraid to move it too much.

The back of my neck feels like mush and is bothersome. if I get a massage, they aint going near it.

I'm surprised more pople don't hear/have it.

David

[jess]

I have it too, but my dad as osteoporosis might be the start of that I don't know I sometimes have a bit of pain too but my brother also has something wrong with his neck on occasions and he cannot move his neck at all when his is bad. Honestly he has to turn his body because his neck is so stiff and it lasts anything between a few days to weeks. Jess.xxx

[Winb143]

How many of us have had a shunt fitted when neck goes click and how many have no shunt?

Wondered if it had something to do with shunt or spine ?

Hence the question.

Regards

WinB143 xx

[jess]

No shunt xxx

[Winb143]

Thanks Jess

Oh well another of my theories blown lol. good job I am not a researcher xx

[Phinella]

Hi All,

Interesting to hear others' experiences. I certainly had no shunt. I am not too worried but certainly hope the clicking reduces in frequency over time - if nothing else it is slightly embarrassing as others can hear it!

Best wishes with everything,

Phinella

[kpaggett]

Yeah my yoga teacher nearly jumped so high when she pressed on my back while I was in a twist to deepen it and I just cracked all over. I tried to tell her that I feel no pain, but it freaked her out and now she doesn't want to manipulate me at all. Too bad because it felt fine. My shoulders crack when I put on my shirt overhead too...and I still put on my shirt without any worries. Just another way people are afraid of me.

~Kris

[Phinella]

Oh well, something pretty common then. Had clicking when turned head again today once or twice when on a 20 mile walk on my own from Canterbury to Dover. Long walks alone always one of my pleasures but am leading a group on this route in a few weeks time.

The thought entered my mind - a SAH is a form of initiation. Then I reflected - too pretentious and fanciful and initiation into what? Some things you don't want to be initiated into - we can all think of other examples as well as the sequelae of which people in this forum are all too aware. Then I thought - better to describe a SAH as a hard teaching. I may elaborate later on if I can do so usefully. Or perhaps I picked this up from someone's post.

Best wishes,

Phinella