You have heard your joints “pop” or “crack” at some point. You can stretch your finger to pop the knuckle. You can twist the palm of your hand upward or downward and your wrist may pop . These movements cause the bones of the joint to pull apart and it stretches the connective tissue capsule surrounding the joint. All joints are surrounded by a fluid called synovial fluid. This fluid is normally thick and clear and contains oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide gasses. When you stretch your joints, this decreases the pressure of the fluid and the gasses form bubbles. If the joint is stretched far enough, the decreased pressure causes these bubbles to burst and this is what makes the popping sound.
You can not re-“pop” a joint immediately because it takes about thirty minutes for the gas to redissolve into the synovial fluid.
Arthritis and joint cracking
There is no evidence found that says cracking your knuckles or other joints leads to arthritis. There may be some signs of damage, such as a decrease in grip strength or soft tissue damage to the joint capsule. Repeated stretching of the surrounding tissue and ligaments is most likely the cause of the damage. Swimmers, tennis players, runners and baseball pitchers are likely to suffer from damage caused by repeated stretching of the joints. When I say this, I am not referring to the stretching the muscles before a run or a swim. This muscle stretching is beneficial and should always be performed. I am referring to repetitive motion, like a baseball pitcher throwing the ball repeatedly during a game.
There is, however, a positive effect of joint popping. There is some evidence of increased mobility immediately after popping. There is stimulation of tendons and the muscles around the joint relax. This is why you may feel more relaxed after you pop your neck or have your back adjusted at the chiropractor. All of our joints react the same. This includes your back, neck, fingers, hips, and other joints.
Other causes of joint noise may be the ligaments or tendons sliding across bumps on the bones. This is often the cause of the sound you hear when you crack your neck. If you joint feels like it “locks up” and you hear a noise, it may because something is caught between the joint surfaces. This is common with torn cartilage or a small piece of bone or cartilage that is loose in the joint. Arthritis also causes joint sounds, such as grinding when the joint is moved. The arthritis causes the joint surface to become rough and so grinding occurs when the arthritic joint is mobilized.
If you are having joint pain, especially with associated popping, please come by to see us for your free consultation. Just go to our website, http://www.balkmanclinic.com, and click on “Ready to get started with an appointment?”
