Health Events Country 2026-02-03T16:38:15+00:00

Woman suffers stroke after habitual neck crack

The story of American Kailin Felteger, who lost her vision and suffered a stroke after a habitual neck crack. Doctors explain the link between simple movements and serious health consequences.


Woman suffers stroke after habitual neck crack

Her condition worsened only after five days. Later, while Kailin Felteger was sitting in her kitchen applying makeup, a bright light suddenly flashed before her right eye, causing temporary vision loss. Kailin Felteger was driving home from Walmart when she felt a headache beginning to loom. She unconsciously stretched her neck to the right in an attempt to relieve the tension. After informing the medical staff about the pain she felt after extending her neck in the car a few days prior, she was told that the neck cracking had caused a tear in an artery, leading to a blood clot traveling to the brain and causing a stroke. Felteger was used to cracking her neck after a long day's work, but this time was different; as soon as she heard the crack, she felt a sharp pain in her neck. The pain was not normal, and its persistence for several days was concerning, but she contented herself with taking over-the-counter painkillers instead of seeing a doctor. She describes what happened, saying: 'I felt a bright light snatching the sight from my right eye, then I lost my vision completely, as if I could only see that light and nothing else from the right side.' Shortly after, she felt numbness on the right side of her body followed by paralysis, but she did not realize the severity of her situation until she began to lose her ability to speak clearly, as she started to utter incomprehensible words instead of coherent sentences, which prompted her husband to rush her to the hospital. Upon arrival, doctors performed a CT scan, which revealed she had suffered a stroke. Fortunately, the clot dissolved quickly, and no surgical intervention was needed, according to the 'Audity' website. Kailin Felteger later made a full recovery, but she confirms that this experience changed her perspective on her body and showed her how quickly health can deteriorate due to actions that seem trivial. The neck is one of the most sensitive areas of the body, and even simple or sudden movements, such as violently or quickly turning the head, can rarely lead to a stroke. Frequent blinking did not help, but her vision returned after about 15 minutes, leading her to believe it was just a transient symptom.