Cracking Joints - Is it harmful?

People are often fearful of when their joints make a noise. Many people associate joint noise with harm. Particularly with the old wive's tale:

Don't crack your knuckles, you'll get arthritis. Yes it is a wive's tale, and nothing more sinister than that! What causes your joints to crack? Your joints can make a variety of sounds:

popping, cracking, grinding, and snapping. The joints that crack are typically: the knuckles, knees, ankles, back, and neck. There are different reasons why these joints crack.

Escaping gases

Scientists explain that synovial fluid present in every joint in the body acts as a lubricant. The fluid contains the gases oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. When you pop or crack a joint, you stretch the joint capsule. Gas is rapidly released, which forms bubbles. In order to crack the same knuckle again, you have to wait until the gases return to the synovial fluid.

Movement of joints, tendons and ligaments

When a joint moves, the tendon’s position changes and moves slightly out of place. You may hear a snapping sound as the tendon returns to its original position. In addition, your ligaments may tighten as you move your joints. This commonly occurs in your knee or ankle, and can make a cracking sound. I often liken this to similar to a tight guitar string being plucked, that of course makes a sound. Your body's joints are no different.

Rough surfaces

Arthritic joints make sounds caused by the loss of smooth cartilage and the roughness of the joint surface moving against each other. The correct name for this is crepitus. I often liken this to a packet of crisps being scrunched up or rice krispies reacting with milk. In some instances, particularly in a severely arthritic knee, the noise can resemble a squeaky floorboard or squeaky door.

Is joint cracking harmful?

In short, no! If you are feeling pain when your joints snap, crackle and pop, then you should seek an assessment from Mike Stamp Physio & Pilates. In terms of knuckle cracking, many studies show that knuckle cracking does not cause harm. Other studies show that repetitive knuckle cracking can do some damage to the soft tissue of the joint, IE the ligaments, muscles and tendons, not the bone structure. It may also lead to a weak grip and a swelling hand. If you are concerned about some noises that you hear within your body and you're not sure what the reason for the noises are, and you want to be reassured, then contact Mike Stamp Physio & Pilates.