<s>[INST] When I turn my head side to side or front to back, I hear an gritty sound. The sound comes from the base of my skull. This does not happen all the time but more and more frequently. I am a 59 yr old female in good shape. I do have a fair amount of headaches which seem to originate at the base of my skull. [/INST] Hello,Grinding noise at the base of the skull is either the bones rubbing together or lack of cartllage or the ligaments are too weak.It should be evaluated by an xray of the neck.Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.Regards,Dr. Dorina Gurabardhi, General & Family Physician </s>