I'm not crazy: Greater Occipital Nerve Entrapment

[warrior1]

Described as: Turning your head suddenly, like to look as something to your right and then feeling bubble pop in my head followed by instant pain and warm sensation down the back of head to my neck. Tenderness in the area could last a day or so. It takes your breath away. I've had them through out my life, as well as my sister. My brother hasn't experience this.

Not everyone has this or has it happened to them.

This is the closest I've been able to track down what the heck is happening.

[OriginalGeek]

1. I didn;t know it was a thing

but yep, I've had that on occasion throughout my life. I thought I was just using my neck wrong. Which, I guess, I may still be but at least now I know what to call it when I wince and my wife asks what wrong.

[LumosMaxima]

2. That happens to me, too.

When I was younger, it was just an occasional thing that would happen if I turned my head too quickly. The last few years, it's been happening a lot. Thanks for posting.

[warrior1]

3. I think it could get worst over time

if the area where the muscle and nerve pass through an opening at the base of the skull gets smaller.

May be a cause to see a doctor then.

[Arugula Latte]

4. HATE that!

I used to have it happen to me more when I was younger. Haven't had that in a long time.

One time I had a really bad one and my neck didn't have full mobility for a couple hours.

[hobbit709]

5. When I turn my head too fast it sounds like someone snapped a pencil inside my skull.

Got bone spurs.

[warrior1]

6. ouch

just thinking about it makes my head hurt.

[marzipanni]

7. Last week I recalled how something like that used to happen when I was a kid.

I'd turn my head and it would feel like a sharp, painful "twang" at the base of my skull between my ear and my spine, accompanied by a jangly nerve sensation radiating up the back of my head. The pain would go away within a couple of minutes, though.
I asked my husband if he ever had that happen and he hadn't.
Maybe it was an aftereffect of being held up on a rope swing, let go, and swinging head first into the tree trunk!

I used to work for chiropractors, and still go to one occasionally, and have had quite a few good adjustments to my cervical spine.
My only neck problem now is that my neck gets achey if I look up for any extended time.