Neck cracking caused 28-year-old man to suffer a stroke, doctor says

GUTHRIE, Okla. – A 28-year-old from Oklahoma had a stroke caused by popping his neck, according to KOCO.

Doctors said the act of popping his neck caused Josh Hader to tear his vertebral artery.

"The moment I heard the pop," said Hader said. "I got up and tried to get an ice pack from the fridge, and I remember I could not walk straight."

As bad as this all sounds, Hader's doctor said it could have been even worse.

"He could have had a life-ending stroke," Dr. Vance McCollom said. "He could have died."

Hader survived his stroke, but it did cause a lot of damage. Hader also had painful hiccups for a week-and-a-half.

But Hader said the hardest part of his life.

"I can not pick him up out of the crib, give him milk in the middle of the night … I can not do any of that."

According to McCollom, there is a right and wrong way to pop your neck.

"If you want to pop your neck, just do not twist it," McCollom said. "Whenever you twist it there's a risk of tearing that vessel."