Why do I have a painless crepitus in my right neck?

Question

Hello doctor,

On the back of my right neck where the bottom of the skull is, I feel a lot of crepitus. This has been going on for a year and a half after my face and cheeks became thick (and hard), fat, and bloated (unevenly) for some reason (only my cheeks, everywhere else, I was as thin as before) for some time (now it is back to normal since about a year).

The crepitus is painless, but it feels like my neck vertebrae and skull are grinding with every movement. And whenever it is at its peak, I feel very congested and frustrated. Also, a lot of times when I look up at the ceiling, my neck in the skull base area audibly cracks (I can feel something snap), which has not happened before this. I am not sure what the problem is, kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your concern. In my opinion, you should get a proper investigation of your upper cervical area. Crepitus could be due to any bone on bone rubbing due to improper positioning of your vertebra (improper alignment) caused due to bad posture. Do not worry if you could be sure if there are no other complicated issues associated with an MRI neck, you can do stabilization exercises and get back regularly. Kindly get an MRI neck and revert. Keep icing your neck frequently and stretch your neck muscles gently. I hope this is helpful for you for now.