With cervical spondylosis, these disks become compressed. When this happens, the cartilage that lines the vertebrae on each side of the disc, where they touch, can wear away. Once this protective cartilage is gone, spurs may develop on your vertebrae where they rub together.

Why are my back bones rubbing together?

Bone grinding.

Deteriorated cartilage surrounding a spinal joint can cause popping, cracking, or grinding. Cartilage may wear down from overuse and/or age, causing the bones of the joint to rub together and produce a grinding sensation and a sound similar to a crack or pop.

What happens when vertebrae rub together?

When the cartilage on your facet joints—every vertebra has two sets of facet joints that helpful facilitate movement—starts to wear down, the bones can start to rub together. In an effort to stop this painful movement, the bones may create osteophytes, which are also known as bone spurs.