Why knuckles make sound

Also, the habit tends to cause an increase in hand swelling and a decrease in the grip strength of the hand. Another source of popping and cracking sounds is the tendons and ligaments near the joint. Tendons must cross at least one joint in order to cause motion. But when a joint moves, the tendon's position with respect to the joint is forced to change.

It is not uncommon for a tendon to shift to a slightly different position, followed by a sudden snap as the tendon returns to its original location with respect to the joint. These noises are often heard in the knee and ankle joints when standing up from a seated position or when walking up or down the stairs. Sign up for our email newsletter.

Already a subscriber? Sign in. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Create your free account or Sign in to continue. See Subscription Options. Go Paperless with Digital. Raymond Brodeur in the Ergonomics Research Laboratory at Michigan State University responds: To understand what happens when you "crack" your knuckles, or any other joint, first you need a little background about the nature of the joints of the body.

Get smart. Sign Up. In my chiropractic practice, I find that young people who crack their knuckles, have early, mild arthritis. These same young people also usually have signs, obvious to a trained physician, of arthritis in their necks and other parts of their spines.

There is nothing inherently wrong with knuckle cracking. It simply must be recognized as a probable early warning sign of arthritis, and we need to get our story straight! Will cracking knuckles for a long period of time increase the size of the actual joint? An older figure shared with me that since she had cracked the knuckles on her hands for her whole life, her hands had very large joints.

I am 74 years young and I have cracked my knuckles since I first discovered they would crack…. I have more of a concern of me cracking up mentally!!!! Thanks for visiting. Don't miss your FREE gift. Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health , plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise , pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and more.

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Preventing preeclampsia may be as simple as taking an aspirin. Caring for an aging parent? Tips for enjoying holiday meals. A conversation about reducing the harms of social media. Menopause and memory: Know the facts. How to get your child to put away toys. A person might also find that the joint catches as they move. If the sound of a joint cracking occurs with any pain, this may indicate damage to the joint and possibly a tear in the cartilage that cushions it. Anyone experiencing this should consider contacting a healthcare professional.

While a person might be concerned that this causes arthritis, several studies have concluded that any association is unlikely. One physician researched his own knuckle cracking, in response to complaints from his family.

He cracked the knuckles of his left hand at least twice a day for 50 years, but not those of his right hand. The doctor did not develop arthritis in either hand, and he reported that there were no differences between the two hands. He concluded that knuckle cracking was not linked to arthritis.

Among this group, The researchers concluded that the risk of developing arthritis is roughly the same, whether or not a person cracks their knuckles. Joint manipulation stimulates a set of nerve endings, called the Golgi tendon organs, which are involved in the sense of motion. These sit where the tendons join the muscles, and they respond to changes in muscle load.

When a person cracks their joints and these nerve endings are stimulated, the person experiences a sense of release of pressure in the joints. This can also cause the muscles around the joint to feel more relaxed and the joint to feel more mobile.

Cracking or popping joints does not seem to be linked to any health issue — unless the person also has pain and swelling in the area. In this case, it may be a good idea to contact a healthcare professional. Because it stimulates nerve endings, cracking or popping joints may cause a feeling of released muscle tension and increased mobility. There is no evidence that manipulating the joints in this way causes any health issue, such as arthritis. However, if a joint pops, clicks, or cracks, and there is pain or swelling in the area, it may be a good idea to seek medical advice.

Crepitus of the knee is when the knee makes a cracking or popping sensation when the a person bends or extends it. Often, it is the harmless popping…. Chiropractic manipulation is the most common form of alternative, complementary medicine.