Question
hello Doctor,

i am a 22 year male with a clicking sound in my neck. it has been going on for nearly a month now and is very annoying. i dont feel any pain from it, but ever since it started happening, my muscles around my neck and shoulders feel tired. it only clicks when i turn from left to right, and it gets much louder if i tilt my head backwards and turn my head left to right. i have no history on back or neck problems, though i do have sub-acromial and sub-scapular bursitis, and tendonisis in my biceps tendon, which requires athroscopy. what is this clicking from? how can i heal it? is there any possibility it is something serious? thank you very much

Answer
Dear Milad,

The popping noise you have described is called crepitus and can be from cartilage damage or myofascial adhesions (like scar tissue).  Bottom line on this one is that you should have it checked out.   I say this because of the other issue you have mentioned.  You are too young to have multiple areas of bursitis and tendonosis.  Were you involved in a trauma, are you a baseball pitcher?  Bursitis and tendonosis are overuse injuries but happen in trauma as well.

The fact that you already have these issues tells me that the mechanics of the neck and shoulder are not correct.  This can be due to improper postures, throwing sports, or injury, but the bottom line is that they need to be addressed.

I would suggest that you seek out the care of a chiropractic physician to look at the neck structure and function.  preferable a sports injury trained chiropractor.  I would further suggest that you find a chiropractor who will x-ray the neck to look at the structure and one who will perform a comprehensive orthopedic examination of the neck and shoulders.  This is the most appropriate way to reach a diagnostic opinion on the cause of the crepitus and what to do to correct it.

Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net