A common enough question.
The mystery over joints that crack and what causes the sounds that often annoy partners and family is easy enough explained. A separation of the join tissues can change the pressure within the joint lubricating fluid called synovial fluid: this can result from a negative pressure pulling nitrogen gas temporarily into the joint. This process is called 'cavitation'.
The distinctive sounds are often heard in the hands with knuckles 'cracking' or 'popping', but if there is no pain associated with the cracking, then this is not harmful and does not cause arthritis. If the cracking is accompanied by pain however it is worth checking with your physio as there could be underlying abnormalities of the structures of the joint such as the cartilage or ligaments. Health professionals can assess for inflammation of joints (usually painful) and irregular, swollen tissues.
A study by Raymond Brodeur published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics with a study population of 300 revealed no visible correlation involving joint cracking and arthritis. However some of those who demonstrated consistent cavitation sounds or 'knuckle cracking' did show signs of other form of soft tissue changes to the joint capsule and a diminish in clasp potency: possibly an upshot of the speedy, continual ligament stretching bordering the joint.
You may also hear a form of "cracking" sound across the front of the hip, and this is often experienced when tendons glide over one another generating a form of 'snap' between the tissues. This is often referred to as snapping hip syndrome or coxa saltans in medical terms. Sometimes this can occur with ageing as muscle mass and action change.
So if you are sore when your joints 'crack' then make sure you speak to your physio, but in our experience, your only worry might be how much it irritates your nearest & dearest!
The mystery over joints that crack and what causes the sounds that often annoy partners and family is easy enough explained. A separation of the join tissues can change the pressure within the joint lubricating fluid called synovial fluid: this can result from a negative pressure pulling nitrogen gas temporarily into the joint. This process is called 'cavitation'.
The distinctive sounds are often heard in the hands with knuckles 'cracking' or 'popping', but if there is no pain associated with the cracking, then this is not harmful and does not cause arthritis. If the cracking is accompanied by pain however it is worth checking with your physio as there could be underlying abnormalities of the structures of the joint such as the cartilage or ligaments. Health professionals can assess for inflammation of joints (usually painful) and irregular, swollen tissues.
A study by Raymond Brodeur published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics with a study population of 300 revealed no visible correlation involving joint cracking and arthritis. However some of those who demonstrated consistent cavitation sounds or 'knuckle cracking' did show signs of other form of soft tissue changes to the joint capsule and a diminish in clasp potency: possibly an upshot of the speedy, continual ligament stretching bordering the joint.You may also hear a form of "cracking" sound across the front of the hip, and this is often experienced when tendons glide over one another generating a form of 'snap' between the tissues. This is often referred to as snapping hip syndrome or coxa saltans in medical terms. Sometimes this can occur with ageing as muscle mass and action change.
So if you are sore when your joints 'crack' then make sure you speak to your physio, but in our experience, your only worry might be how much it irritates your nearest & dearest!
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