Man ends up in the ER over neck-cracking habit

A man has taken to social media to reveal how his neck-cracking habit landed him in the emergency room.

There are many people out there - myself included - who attempt to ease any body discomfort or pain with a simple neck crack. Sure, we all know we probably shouldn't be doing it, but when you're a little stiff after a long day's work, a quick head twist is a fast way to find some short-term relief.

However, after hearing this man's story, you'll realize that cracking your neck is a lot more dangerous than it seems, and - hopefully - you'll stop for good.

Sharing his story to TikTok, Kaden Thaddeus, who goes by the handle @ur.boi on the social media platform, revealed that he ended up in the emergency room after cracking his neck - a habit he admits he does every single day.

Credit: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels

In Kaden's first video - which was accompanied with the sobering caption, "Don't crack your neck. Just don't" - the TikToker can be seen lying in a hospital bed.

Then, in a follow-up video, Kaden provided his 954,000 followers with an update on how his neck-cracking habit landed him in the ER.

Wearing a cervical collar, Kaden says in the video: "As I do every morning, I wake up and I crack everything. I crack my back, my knuckles, my neck, it's just natural for me.

"But this morning, I felt a crack so deep in my neck, I'm like, 'If I push my neck just a little bit farther, I'll get to that crack'."

Thaddeus continued: "So I pushed and it didn't come. So I pushed a little harder. And then I slipped a little bit..."

For those of you with a weak stomach, you may want to stop reading/watching here.

He continues: "Bro, my head was, like, sideways. I was like a Lego man ... And next thing I know, I can't turn my head to the right, it feels like someone's stabbing me in the neck and I'm in the emergency room."

Kaden later revealed he ended up with a condition called torticollis, which essentially means "twisted neck", and is caused by an extreme swelling of the neck muscles.

This 28-year-old man suffered a stroke after cracking his neck:

Per Healthline, "Cracking your neck can be harmful if you don’t do it correctly or if you do it too often."

The Healthline website adds: "Cracking your neck too forcefully can pinch the nerves in your neck.

"Pinching a nerve can be extremely painful and make it difficult or impossible to move your neck. Cracking your neck too hard can also strain the muscles around your joints and the joints themselves. When your muscles or joints become strained, moving your neck can feel like a chore."

And if that's not scary enough, Healthline adds: "Your neck is home to many important blood vessels. In some cases, cracking your neck too hard or too often can puncture one of these blood vessels. It can also cause blood clotting, which can be dangerous as it blocks blood flow to your brain."

So, there you have it. STOP CRACKING YOUR NECK.

Featured image credit: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels