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Grating neck joints - Crepitus
Sometimes, when I rotate my neck, it sounds like broken glass. What is this and how do I cure it?
The correct term for this grating or grinding of the joints is crepitus, which is caused, as we age, by wear and tear and a deterioration of the protective cartilage of the joints so that you end up with bone rubbing against bone to make this sound.
The cervical bones of the neck are part of the spinal column, and are arranged to give us a wide range of movement with the head (where most of our sensory organs are) so we can stay alert to our environment.
The two key bones that achieve this are the atlas bone and the axis bone. The atlas sits in a cradle arrangement on the axis to allow the head to rotate and it is likely this joint you can hear “crunching” when you rotate the neck. This is also common in people who have suffered any previous form of trauma, such as whiplash in a car accident, to this region.
Most people with age-related joint deterioration are suffering from the first stages of osteoarthritis - and while there is no simple cure or fix, you can take steps to keep the joints mobile and flexible.
Rotating the neck will help keep it flexible and you should make sure you do this every day. Hunch up your shoulders to form a protective “cradle”, drop your chin to your chest and slowly circle the neck in first a clockwise and then an anticlockwise direction.
If you can make the time for yoga, I suggest you investigate a less well-known form called viniyoga, which I like because it adopts a therapeutic approach, with the teacher devising a practice routine that takes into account the state of your body and all its imbalances. It is also taught on a one-to-one basis and recognises that stiffness and joint deterioration is an inevitable fact of life for most of us as we age. Your biography becomes your biology, and viniyoga works with, not against, this. To find a practitioner in your area, visit www.viniyoga.co.uk.