You may hear or feel clicking or grating as you move your head. This is called neck crepitus and can be caused by air bubbles popping, or tissues and bones moving over each other, in the joint. Other joints often do this too, but noises from your neck usually seem louder because they’re happening closer to your ears. Crepitus is usually painless and typically doesn’t represent anything serious. However, if it occurs with other troubling symptoms such as pain or following a trauma, it could indicate a more serious underlying condition and you should consult a doctor.
If you hear it during massage, it’s most likely adhesions or knots. You know that hard, white stuff in a cheap cut of steak? Grizzle? Think of your crunchy muscles in that way. The crunchiness comes from many knots (adhesions) in one area of the muscle.