Cracking your joints?

Question

Is cracking your joints unhealthy? Just recently my joints started to crack. What causes them to crack?

Answer 1

There's a difference between your joints cracking normally, and you cracking them yourself. However, neither causes any harm, but indicate that you have some tension in that area. Try doing some more stretching, but it is normal for joints to being cracking a bit more when you go through puberty (guess what, you're not a baby anymore!)
PS: Regarding an above answer, your neck cracking a bit with normal stretching is normal, but I definitely don't recommend doing it yourself with your hands - go to a professional if your neck is that stiff.

Answer 2

No, the sound of cracking joints is actually fluid rushing over your joints. Harmless and does not cause arthritis. But sounds yucky.

Answer 3

I have heard that joints cracking is due to a lack of minerals.

Answer 4

Like popping your knuckles and neck? No, it's harmless regardless of what myths say.

But cracking joints? That doesn't sound normal.

Answer 5

Chiropractors do it to people all the time so I dont think its unhealthy.
The cause: Escaping of gases or simply the movement of tendons and ligaments within the joint......I guess you could say they are just farting.......lol

Answer 6

if you crack them, like force them to then its bad. But if they crack on there own, its not really to bad unless they like crack continually. this kind of stuff just starts to happen as you get old tho.

Answer 7

gas forms in the joints and the pop is the escaping gases, the feel good is less pressure.

Answer 8

it's from a build up of cartilage. once you pop you can stop, it's like pringles. the arthritis thing is an old wives tale.

Answer 9

its ok to do, but like everything else,too much is bad.
Its the air around the cartilage moving

Answer 10

my big right toe cracks all the time...it annoys my mum so i do it all the more! haha