Hi i am Dr Ahmed Aly thanks for using HealthcareMagic site , I had gone through your question and understand your concerns .. In my opinion i think you may have a kind of severe muscular spasm or tendinitis that may cause such popping sound . You may avoid further heavy lifting , overweight , vigorous movement and bad sitting or sleeping postures . In mild cases physiotherapy sessions with a chiropractor , hot massages and spinal straightening exercises will give best results even without any medications . For my patients i recommend painkillers like advil tab when needed , hot gentle massaging with topical anti-inflammatory gels , muscle relaxants , B12 supplements will be effective for most of cases ,in more severe cases steroid tabs or injections may be needed . If your pain persists i recommend MRI to exclude any disc herniation or spinal deformity and follow it up with your neurosurgeon for proper evaluation and management . Please click and consider a 5 star rating with some positive feedback if the information was helpful. Wish you good health, Any further clarifications feel free to ask.