Would neck arthritis cause "cracking" sounds when flexing?

[tpup]

I had posted a week and 1/2 ago about my horse's lameness (with videos). He is getting shod tomorrow at the advice of our vet and vet did find sore neck between C2 and C3 on right side. He is older - (19) - has known (xrayed) hock arthritis. We started Previcox a week ago, and have been doing our carrot stretches daily.

When he does his carrot stretch I swear I am hearing creaky "cracking" sounds coming from his neck when he reaches far back for the carrot (toward hip). Vet recommended 3 stretches on each side - one to shoulder, one to belly/ribcage and one reaching to stifle/hip if he can. Vet wants to re-check in a month and he is riding pretty well in our fields and today we tried some ring work and he was better than a week ago. I try to ride him almost daily even if it's a field walk to keep him moving and to ward off stiffness.

Has anyone heard a neck crack before?? Can a chiro help with spine/neck issues that are up that high?

Vet mentioned possibly injecting that area if he's worse or not improved. The muscle on that side still feels hard. BTW, he is a play maniac in his field - doing the whole "neck biting" thing - moves his neck around like a giraffe playing and doesn't seem to be in pain or stiff out there, that's for sure!

[EqTrainer]

If the muscle is actually *hard* I would suspect he has had a fairly serious injury there and possibly now has some adhesions and/or arthritis. The noises that you hear when he stretches.. are they quick and snappy? or like - BANG! The first type is usually soft tissue, the second, bones.

If he has an arthritic neck, chiro is counterindicated (at least IMO). I would treat it w/heat, MSM and gentle stretching. Topical Surpass would probably tell you a lot about what it is.. but so would a neck xray. Handy things, those xrays.

Re: carrot stretches.. don't stretch him until he tilts his head. Honestly... it's much better for your horse for you to learn to do correct standing flexions so that he realigns the bones in his neck himself and builds the correct muscles to keep them there. I do a lot of PT on horses and I do not do the infamous carrot stretching thing ever. I don't want them twisting their head and neck like that! My personal horse has never had that done and I think it is interesting that he never tilts his head U/S or does any crazy evasive things w/his neck. I think carrot stretches stretch the wrong things. Horses will do anything for treats, whether it is good for them or not...

[tpup]

Very interesting. They are quick and snappy. Definitely not "bang". I guess it sounds like a person quietly cracking knuckles or popping those small bubbles on packing plastic? Quick and fast. If it continues we will probably Xray. The vet had pointed out how that muscle felt hard. He made me feel my horse's hip/hind muscle (not back near tail but on his hip, between tail dock and stifle I guess.) He pointed out how it felt soft while he was just standing there vs. this are of his neck feels harder.

[Simkie]

I have not heard cracking from Blush's arthritic neck.

I have found acupuncture quite useful in treating her, though.

[ImJumpin]

Totally depends. Arthritic joints can make creaky noises or normal joints can make noises as well. Two interesting reads about joint "noise"

http://www.hopkins-arthritis.org/arthritis-news/2007/knuckle-cracking-and-arthritis.html
http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/joint.html

So no, a noise would not automatically indicate arthritis.

[mvp]

it sounds like arthritis to me, and also that you know your horse well and are doing a good job.

I have a similar one. My horse benefitted from a massage from a professional "horse rubber" (that's what they are called in my state for legal reasons). She said the best we could do was try to maintain flexibility.

During carrot stretches, you have probably noticed that your horse reaches better/farther/longer to one side rather than the other. I'm not sophisticated or consistent about these (very bad), but they have been recommended to me. My horse's stiffness is low in his neck so I don't know what effect his twisting his neck along its axis has for all this.

The horse rubber also helped me learn what was a normal degree of muscle tone for this horse. I spent some time with her and an anatomy book to learn my horse's musculature and her technique for working on the stiff ones. Now I keep track of his muscle tone myself, and work on him in my ammy way when the one side doesn't feel quite rubbery enough.

The better job I do with stretches, massage and correct riding each day, the better he feels.

So you are doing the right thing by managing your "old man" (no offense!) on a daily basis. I suppose you could spring for x-rays, but any boney changes that show up there can't be changed. It seems to me that you have enough symptoms now to recommend an effort to just try and maintain flexibility.

I also don't know about injecting the joint spaces between the cervical vertebrae. But you do want to keep all the flexibility you have, so that he can still reach around to get flies off when he is very old. Along these lines, I also _let_ my horse reach around to scratch itches or swat at flies with his nose. He does a far better job of stretching when he has a reason to, and I'm happy to see him participating in his own form of physical therapy.

Let us know if your vet comes up with an even better treatment!

[Simkie]

I also don't know about injecting the joint spaces between the cervical vertebrae.

You do not inject the joint spaces between the cervical vertebrae. You inject the facet joints of the cervical vertebrae. Sorry to nitpick, but it's a rather huge difference ;)

Horses are not put together like people. Their vertebrae actually have joints with hyaline cartilage. Ours do not.

[deltawave]

Arthritis is diagnosed by X-ray. Cracking is not related to arthrtitis, generally speaking. All 3 of my horses' necks crack from time to time, at random. Never seems to trouble them.

[kcmel]

Well, mine with neck arthritis is very crackly, and mine without is not. So there is an n of 2 :). I don't do carrot stretches, either, I do "pretty neck" and "fly bite" stretches (at the recommendation of his chiro). PT me if you want to more info.

[grayarabpony]

The neck cracking may have to do with stiffness of some sort, not necessarily arthritis at all.

[sublimequine]

My mare's only 11 (almost 12! :) ), and when I do stretches with her, her neck often cracks. It's usually worse in the middle of winter, where she's bundled up with a blanket and stands around outside not doing much. When it's nice out, and she's naked and more active, hardly ever any cracks when we stretch. :)

So no, neck cracking doesn't automatically mean arthritis!

[LMH]

I agree with EqT on the neck stretches.

[wishnwell]

Well, mine with neck arthritis is very crackly, and mine without is not. So there is an n of 2 :). I don't do carrot stretches, either, I do "pretty neck" and "fly bite" stretches (at the recommendation of his chiro). PT me if you want to more info.

What are "fly bite" and "pretty neck" streches? We do streches in our 8 yr. old recommended by our Chiro. but don't have names like that so I'm curious to see if what we are doing is the same? We do occasionally hear pops and not alarmed by them. You may benefit from massage therapy on the hard muscle and overall body for him anyway.

[florida foxhunter]

Interesting thread. I just called a Chiorpractor regarding a six year old I have with a stiff neck. He can't do the carrot stretches either and I have seen him tilt, sigh and reach hard to get the carrot when I hold it near the girth.....
I also hear a cracking......only to the left...and yes, it sounds like a person cracking nuckles.
He has a long, beautiful 'swan like"neck............but doesn't want to bend it like most of my other horses will easily.
I 've been concerned about this, but when a professional got on him at a clinic last weekend, he also noticed the stiffness and suggested the chiorpractor.
Do I need the Chiorpractor, or a set of xrays first????

[Lieslot]

I had the chiro out yesterday, she again said my 15 yr old WB's neck is soooo sore, scar tissue from previous injury most likely. He can do the fly bite (or what is it called again) only to one side.
She said I should consider X-rays to confirm & Adequan or Legend to follow.

So to answer 'florida foxhunter', I'd say get confirmation via X-rays first, then you know what you are dealing with and then get a chiro to help. I may have to proceed down that route too now.

[Rubs Not Pats]

I agree with X rays first.