Is it Normal for Joints to Pop, Creak and Crack? from Dr. Mercola
Is it Normal for Joints to Pop, Creak and Crack?
January 20, 2018 • 21,750views
Story at-a-glance
Unless you are experiencing pain and swelling, rest assured that most joint sounds are normal, not harmful
To date there is insufficient evidence linking joint sounds and arthritis
Exercise can not only significantly improve your joint function, but also lessen any joint pain you may be experiencing
By Dr. Mercola
If the popping or cracking sounds of your joints have ever given you
cause for worry, you’ll be relieved to know that it is normal for your
joints to occasionally “talk to you.” It is common to hear occasional
joint sounds when you move in everyday ways, such as bending over to
retrieve a dropped item or walking up or down stairs. Dr. William Shiel,
chief editor and co-founder of the medical-information website
MedicineNet.com, says:1
“The symptom of joint cracking is described differently by
different people, while nevertheless representing the same condition.
Various descriptions for the same process include ‘popping,’
‘exploding,’ ‘noise,’ ‘snapping’ and ‘creaking’ of a joint.”
The most common and less serious joint popping that occurs most often is caused by knuckle cracking or a certain manner of bending or twisting the body to relieve pressure.
One cause for the sounds is the reality that your soft tissues, such
as ligaments and tendons, frequently contact your bones and other
tissues as you move. Pockets of nitrogen gas within your joint fluid,
which help with joint lubrication and nutrition, can also be responsible
for some of the sounds.
To date there is insufficient evidence linking joint sounds and arthritis.
Furthermore, cracking your joints does not cause them to swell up or
become arthritic. That said, unless you are experiencing pain and
swelling, rest assured that most joint sounds generally are normal, not
harmful.
What Are Your Joints Trying to Tell You?
Dr. Aman Dhawan, an orthopedic sports-medicine specialist at Penn
State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, says, “Joint sounds are
not really an indicator of health or lack of health.”2
In terms of cracking your joints, there is insufficient evidence to
support the belief that it causes cartilage to wear down or that it will
permanently loosen the joints. “It may be irritating to the listener,
but that’s a separate issue,” Dhawan notes. “There is really no evidence
that it causes any damage.”3As
you may imagine, noisy joints can be of concern if the sounds are
unusual or they are accompanied by acute pain and swelling. Some of the
more serious joint conditions that may be indicated by a single episode
of joint popping include a:4
broken bone, also known as a bone fracture
cartilage tear from a torn meniscus
joint dislocation
ligament strain or tear
tendon strain or tear, also known as a tendon rupture
If you suspect you may be dealing with any of the above conditions,
it’s time to see your doctor. Consistent pain or swelling, and even
heat, may be a sign that something is seriously wrong. “As long as it’s
not painful, joint noise is OK,” says Dr. Kim Stearns, a board-certified
orthopedic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic. “If there’s pain, you may
have an injury, then, that requires treatment.”5Fitness website GMB provides an excellent summary of what you need to remember when it comes to popping joints:6
Most joint noises that arise from normal movement are fine, but joint noises that accompany pain are a cause for concern
Never force your joints to “pop,” because even though it is unlikely
to cause arthritis, twisting your neck and back forcefully, for
example, is unwise and not recommended
You may find that starting an exercise or training program will
improve or worsen your joint sounds; pay attention to how your joints
feel and make any necessary changes to your program as you go along
Exercise: a Healthy Way to Make Your Joints Feel Great
If you regularly crack your joints as a means of gaining relief from
stiffness or temporary pain and discomfort, you might consider exercise
instead. Exercise can not only significantly improve your joint
function, but also lessen any joint pain you may be experiencing.
Be advised that there is no evidence to support the belief that
exercise is detrimental to your joints. The myth that you can “wear
down” your knees, for example, is just that, a myth. Your body is
designed to tolerate average levels of exercise and your normal
activities of daily living.
Even if you maintain a healthy weight, exercise can have a positive
impact on your joints. While low-impact cardio exercise such as
bicycling, swimming or using an elliptical machine can boost joint
health, taking a walk around the block is also beneficial, especially if
you are just starting or getting back to exercise.
According to the Mayo Clinic, exercise is especially crucial if you
have arthritis. Exercise not only increases flexibility and strength,
but also reduces joint pain and fatigue. Even moderate exercise can
soothe weary joints and give you a sense of control over your arthritis
pain and discomfort. Some of the benefits you’ll receive from exercise
include:7
Strengthening the muscles around your joints
Helping you control your weight
Maintaining bone strength
Enhancing your quality of life
Having more energy to get through the day
Improving your balance
Making it easier to get a good night's sleep
Though you may think exercise will aggravate your joint pain and
stiffness, that's typically not the case. In fact, the opposite is true:
Lack of exercise can make your joints even more painful and stiff.
That's because keeping your muscles and surrounding tissue strong is
crucial to maintaining support for your bones. The absence of exercise
weakens those supporting muscles, creating more stress on your joints.
A good way to avoid creaking joints is to get up and move as much as possible during the day, says Stearns:8“We
say motion is lotion — the more you move, the more your body lubricates
itself. When you’ve been sitting or lying around, fluid in the joints
doesn’t move. The more active you are, the more your joints lubricate
themselves.”
Setting a goal of taking 7,000 to 10,000 steps a day, which is just
over 3 to 5 miles, or 6 to 9 kilometers, keeps your focus on getting
more movement in your life. If possible, you should add this over and
above your existing fitness regimen. If it’s too overwhelming to think
of doing anything more than walking, start there. You can always add
more activity later.
In addition to easing joint pain, exercise can help improve your
mood, increase your energy levels and promote flexibility. In time, you
will notice positive changes that might cause you to wonder why you
didn’t take up exercise sooner.
Are There Special Considerations for Exercising With Joint Pain?
If you have joint pain, there are a few factors to consider with
respect to exercise. Particularly if your pain worsens with movement,
you want to take care to not strain a significantly unstable joint. Pain
during movement is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of
osteoarthritis.
If you've already developed knee osteoarthritis,
you'll most certainly want to incorporate exercises that strengthen the
quadriceps muscle at the front of your thigh. Instead of running or
other high-impact exercise, you will more likely enjoy and benefit from
non-weight-bearing exercises such as bicycling or swimming.
Should you experience pain for more than one hour after exercising,
you either need to slow down or choose a different form of exercise. As
needed, you may want to work with a physical therapist or qualified
personal trainer who can help develop a safe set of activities for you.
Whatever you choose, be sure your program includes a range of
activities. I recommend core training, high-intensity cardio, stretching
and weight training. My favorite exercise is peak fitness, and this program can be safely used by nearly everyone.
What Role Do Diet and Weight Loss Play in Your Joint Health?
Because diet accounts for about 80 percent of the health benefits you
reap from a healthy lifestyle, it makes sense to look to your diet with
respect to joint health. I’ve said it many times before — the best diet
is one that involves eating REAL FOOD.
I recommend replacing processed foods
with whole, organic foods as much as you can. It is especially
important to avoid processed vegetable oils and sugars. Personally, I
believe the oils are far more toxic, especially the types used to
prepare convenience and fast foods.
You simply must have a regular source of high-quality, unprocessed
fats if you hope to be healthy. Along those lines, you should carefully
monitor your omega-6 to omega-3 balance, making sure you intake enough healthy fish or a fish oil supplement for your omega-3s.
Notably, researchers found that 300 mg of krill oil per day
significantly reduced inflammation, pain, stiffness and functional
impairment after just seven days, and even more profoundly after 14
days.9 To help you get started, I suggest following my complimentary Optimized Nutrition Plan, which guides you step-by-step from the beginner stage to the advanced level.
If you are overweight, consider pairing exercise with a healthy diet
to bring some relief to your joints. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),10
arthritis rates are nearly double for obese people compared to those
who are normal weight. This is mainly due to the increased pressure
extra weight puts on your joints.
Notably, a JAMA study11
revealed that overweight and obese adults with knee osteoarthritis who
followed an intensive diet and exercise program experienced less pain
and better function than those who pursued just diet or exercise alone.
Dhawan agrees that any loss of weight will translate into tremendous
improvements in your joint pain and function:12
“There is good data to support getting rid of excess weight
because it does improve pain in the joints of the lower extremities, as
well as decreases your risk of getting arthritis, or of having it
progress. The joints carry the weight of our bodies, so the less stress
you put on them, the longer they will stay healthy.”
Remember, even the smallest of positive changes you make in your
eating habits will eventually yield results, if you stick with it. Set
small goals and keep at it. Soon you will be on your way to the
healthier, more active lifestyle that you want and need.
Cracking Your Knuckles Is Not Likely to Lead to Arthritis
As you may know, your joints, including those in your knuckles, are
surrounded by a membrane called the synovial membrane. It forms a
capsule around the ends of your bones and contains synovial fluid.
Synovial fluid acts as a lubricant and shock absorber so your bones
don’t grind together when you move.
If you have osteoarthritis,
the cartilage within your joints is progressively being damaged, and
the synovial fluid is typically reduced as well. The pain and joint
stiffness that you feel is a result of your bones starting to come in to
contact with each other as cartilage and synovial fluid diminishes.
It’s often thought that cracking your joints would be dangerous for
people with osteoarthritis, or perhaps could even lead to degenerative
conditions.
If you continually crack your knuckles, the synovial membrane and the surrounding ligaments willloosen,
making it easier and easier for your joints to crack. However, to date,
research has not shown a correlation between knuckle cracking and
osteoarthritis in your hands. In a study of more than 200 people, the
prevalence of osteoarthritis in any joint was similar among those who
cracked knuckles and those who did not.13 The authors stated:
“… [I]n these cohorts of persons aged 50 to 89 years, a
history of habitual KC [knuckle cracking] — including the total duration
and total cumulative exposure to KC — does not seem to be a risk factor
for hand OA [osteoarthritis].”
According to Stearns, despite what your mom said, you’re not going to
make your knuckles too big or develop arthritis by cracking them.14“The
belief that cracking your knuckles is bad for your joints is an old
wives’ tale. My mother used to tell me don’t crack your knuckles, but
sorry, Mom, there’s no science to say it’s bad for your joints.”
In many cases, cracking your knuckles becomes a habit that can be
difficult to break. One study even suggested that the movement offers a
sort of “therapeutic release.” Some chronic knuckle crackers may regard
the habit as a form of stress relief. Personally, however, I don’t think
it’s wise to crack your joints on a regular basis, mainly because
self-manipulation may lead to lax ligaments. Moreover, I believe you
should treat your body gently and lovingly.
For those reasons, as well as the reality that it can be annoying to
others, I recommend you choose a form of stress relief other than
knuckle cracking. So, the next time you hear that familiar knee pop when
you stand up, or gentle neck crack when you turn your head to one side,
remember that most joint sounds are normal and not a cause for concern.
Exercising regularly, as well as maintaining a healthy diet and weight,
will go a long way toward giving your joints all the care and support
they need.
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