What makes joints pop

Have you had a recent injury? Broken bones, sprains, and tendon injuries can all contribute. Even an old injury may sneak up to give symptoms. If so, then it is important to see an orthopedic specialist who can examine the condition and prescribe an appropriate treatment plan.

Occasionally joint cracking can be caused by a more chronic condition, such as arthritis. It is common for this to occur in the knee joint. You might hear the joints cracking as the cartilage wears down and bone grinds against bone. When it comes to "popping" or "snapping", another commonly affected part of the body is the shoulder. Shoulder joints have an incredible range of motion, so can be the noisiest joints in the body. If accompanied by pain or reduced movement, it is important to be evaluated by an orthopedic specialist to rule out injury.

Athletes can hear joint cracking when they participate in strenuous activities such as running and plyometrics—the sound results from tight muscles that are causing friction against bones. Those with joint hypermobility, the ability to extend joints outside the normal range of movement, often experience crepitus. This is because their joints can easily stretch further apart, allowing an air cavity to form.

Hypermobility is hereditary, which is why clicking joints may run in families. You will probably have heard in childhood that if you crack your joints, you will give yourself arthritis.

Several studies have shown that this is not true. One researcher was so dedicated to seeing if joint popping caused arthritis that he cracked his knuckles on one hand for 60 years. Subsequent imaging demonstrated that neither hand showed any sign of joint disease.

Sometimes, there is an anatomical cause for the noise. This happens when tendons tissue structures that connect muscles to bone are moved over bony protrusions, and then quickly snap back into place. This noise is commonly heard in the knee when moving from a seated to a standing position, or when climbing the stairs as the tendons that cross the knee move over the joint.

It is normal, and these joint sounds may also increase with age. If you hear a popping sound in your joint and experience pain and swelling, you may have an injury that requires treatment. Request an appointment: phone Andrew John Cosgarea, M.

Rajwinder Singh Deu, M. Geoffrey Martin Dreher, D. Creaking and snapping joints might be annoying, but they usually are nothing to worry about, says orthopedic surgeon Kim L. Stearns, MD. But if the constant cracking is coupled with consistent pain or swelling, that can be a sign that something is wrong. Stearns says. Many people notice that their joints seem to make more noise as they get older.

And joint sounds can come and go, depending on how you position your body when you sit and sleep, and how you use your body when you move, Dr. Cracking, popping joints are so common that Dr.