It Is Not Bad to Crack Your Knee: What Happens When You Pop Your Joints

When you crack your joints, you may be wondering what the sound means and if the pops are a sign of a joint condition. But as long as you do not have pain or swelling, the sounds most likely are not signs of illness or injury. Learn more about the causes and effects of joint cracking.

What Causes Joint Cracking?

Joint cracking may happen because of bubbles between your joints. Scientists generally believe that joint cracking happens in these four phases:

1. At rest, before you pop your joint: No force is being applied between your bones. Your joint surfaces are touching each other.
2. Separation starts: When you begin applying force in the move that cracks your joint, your joint surfaces start moving away from each other.
3. Meeting the cracking threshold: During this time period, you create a bubble in your synovial fluid (the liquid between your joints) and your joints crack. Scientists hypothesize that this bubble forms because you lower the pressure in your joints when you move your bones away from each other.
4. Refractory period: After cracking your joints, you cannot crack your joints again for several minutes, even if you try. The refractory period for knuckle cracking is about 20 minutes.

However, scientists debate what exactly causes the cracking noise. One common theory is that the collapse of the bubbles creates a loud sound. Other researchers believe that the quick formation of a bubble is what makes the noise.

Does Joint Cracking Cause Arthritis?

Despite common belief, joint cracking is not a cause of arthritis. However, one study found that research participants with noisy joints tended to develop osteoarthritis in the future, even if they did not have other arthritis symptoms. Even though the action does not cause arthritis, cracking noises could be a sign you may develop it in the future.

Do You Need Treatment if Your Joint Cracking Isn’t Painful?

If your joint cracking isn't painful and is not linked to swelling, it likely is not a sign of a health condition. Your joints can just crack normally.

However, if you prefer to have fewer cracking and popping noises, talk to your healthcare provider about some stretches and exercises you can try. Stretching your hip, calves, and shins could be helpful. You can also try doing side steps with a resistance band, inner thigh squats, and squeezing a ball between your thighs.

What if Your Joint Cracking Is Painful?

If your joint cracking is painful, you may want to speak with a healthcare provider so they can help determine what the cause is.

Osteoarthritis

If popping your joints is painful, that can be a sign of osteoarthritis. This type of arthritis occurs when the cartilage cushion between your joints degenerates. This can damage the bones, fat, ligaments, and tissue around your joint as you start having more friction in that joint.

A common risk factor for osteoarthritis is age, but young people can also develop this condition. You may be at higher risk for this condition if you:

• Are older
• Have a family history of osteoarthritis
• Had a joint injury
• Had surgery on your joint
• Have clinical obesity
• Overuse your joints from repetitive movements
  

There is no treatment for osteoarthritis, but you can work with your healthcare provider to manage your symptoms. Common recommendations include:

• Pain medications
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS)
• Acupuncture
• Managing your weight (if you have clinical obesity)
• Using braces
• Physical therapy exercises

Tear in the Meniscus

Besides arthritis, pain when popping your joint could signal that you are tearing your meniscus. The meniscus is the disk of cartilage that sits in your knee joint. It absorbs the shock of impacts and helps to stabilize your knee.

If you have a meniscal tear, you will have pain and difficulty moving that joint. Follow up with your healthcare provider for an exam and scans of your knee, and to discuss a treatment plan. A mild tear may heal on its own with rest. However, if it keeps hurting, you might need surgery.

A Quick Review

Cracking your knuckles or other joints isn't known to cause arthritis or other bone conditions. However, knee cracking could be a sign that you'll develop osteoarthritis in the future. If you find yourself constantly cracking your joints and want to tamper it down, or the popping is painful, reach out to a healthcare provider.