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It is not unusual to feel stiffness, pain, and discomfort in your neck. According to experts, it can either be due to wrong sleeping posture, muscle pull, or even some injury. While you may crave the feeling of relief that comes from a quick crack of the neck, experts advise against it.
Also known as manipulation of the neck, cracking is a high-speed twisting or turning movement that often causes a popping or clicking sound in the area that helps treat the pain. However, while it can be performed at home or clinically by a massage therapist, a chiropractor, or an osteopath, doing it yourself can be dangerous.
Also, neck cracking can cause stroke due to a condition called cervical artery dissection, more commonly called vertebral artery dissection.
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Why does neck cracking cause stroke?
According to experts, if you can crack your neck by merely turning your head occasionally, you may not be causing any damage. However, if you force your neck to pop or crack suddenly, it can have deadly repercussions.
A stroke happens rarely during a neck crack when an artery in the area tears, and when it happens, it begins to leak into the wall of the torn blood vessel, between the thin layers that make up the blood vessel wall. As blood leaks, the space inside the blood vessel through which blood normally flows becomes narrow or even completely blocked, eventually forming a blood clot from the torn artery.
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Doctors say it blocks the artery – reducing or cutting off blood flow to an area of your brain, which is normally supplied by blood and oxygen, resulting in a stroke. A stroke due to vertebral artery dissection from neck manipulation can cause paralysis, neck pain, or a severe headache.
Also, according to experts, another reason for the cracking sound can be due to the tearing of ligaments and tendons that move over the joints or one another. Ligaments connect bone to bone, and tendons connect muscle to bone. Sometimes, if the ligaments, muscles, or tendons supporting your neck are too tight or too loose, they will make this cracking noise when you force the tendons, muscles, or ligaments to rub against your bones.
Who is likely to get a stroke from a neck cracking?
Doctors say the risk of spontaneous vertebral artery dissection and stroke without spinal manipulation may be higher in people who have:
- High blood pressure
- Atherosclerosis or buildup of plaque inside the arteries that causes a narrowing of the arteries
- Fibromuscular dysplasia or a condition that causes growths inside the artery walls
- Genetic conditions that affect connective tissue
- Migraine pain
- Infections
Ways to find relief from neck pain
According to doctors, if you have been suffering from a sore or stiff neck, you may consider the following self-care options:
Stretches
Experts suggest doing some gentle stretches that help ease pain and discomfort in your neck
Cold and heat therapy
Applying ice or cold compress on the affected area helps reduce pain and inflammation. Similarly, using a heating pad is also effective, as it boosts the circulation of blood
Massage
A gentle massage on the affected area helps relieve pain and tension in your neck
Pain relievers
Your doctor can prescribe an over-the-counter analgesic pain reliever which helps reduce inflammation as well.