Expert: Dr. Man Tran, Ph.D., D.C., L.Ac. - 5/7/2007

Question
when I turn my neck to the left and then straighten it back out my neck pops everytime, it has been doing this for several weeks, i did not injury my neck in anyway.  Could this be serious?

Answer
Dear Heather,

It may not be serious if you don't have symptoms involving nerve such as pain, weakness of the muscle of the hand or sensation of the hand.

However, the "popping" may be due to the laxity or looseness of the neck joints.  This can develop into arthritis of the joint in the long run.  My suggestion is to avoid the movement that cause the popping for a while and see a chiropractor if you are concern.