When this happens, the low pressure in the joint space causes gases within the synovial fluid a natural lubricant in the joint to form a gas cavity, which comprises oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The noises this makes can be alarming, especially if your joints rarely make them, but they are seldom a sign that something is wrong. Historically, there has been lots of debate about how this air bubble causes the popping noise.
A study undertaken in was the first time anatomists attempted to understand it. They concluded that the bubbles were formed after a cracking noise was produced. But a subsequent study claimed that the noise actually resulted from the bubble bursting.
The scientific conflict produced much debate and was not resolved until a real-time medical imaging study of joint spaces proved that it is the formation of the bubble that creates the noise. It then takes a while for the gases to re-accumulate — which is why you cannot immediately crack your knees or knuckles again.
Those with joint hypermobility, the ability to extend joints outside the normal range of movement, often experience crepitus. This is because their joints can easily stretch further apart, allowing an air cavity to form. Stearns says. Many people notice that their joints seem to make more noise as they get older.
And joint sounds can come and go, depending on how you position your body when you sit and sleep, and how you use your body when you move, Dr. Cracking, popping joints are so common that Dr. Stearns says his patients ask him about them just about every day. There are a few reasons why your joints snap and crack. This sound usually indicates that a muscle is tight, and is rubbing and causing friction around the bone, Dr. Cracking a joint can provide a feeling of relief and give you greater motion in a joint.
A study showed that theories of why and how joints crack are still debated scientifically, but advanced imaging technology has helped clarify the process. Joint cracking may become more noticeable as you age, as some of your cartilage wears away. When cracking is accompanied by pain or swelling, or follows an injury, check with your doctor to see if there is an underlying medical condition. Joint cracking can have different causes. A traditional explanation is that pressure on a joint creates tiny bubbles in the synovial fluid, which pop when they form quickly.
Your synovial fluid contains oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide and cushions your bones from rubbing against each other. A study used real-time magnetic resonance imaging of joint cracking that showed the noise was related to cavity formation in the joint fluid, not collapse of a preexisting bubble.
A study , however, developed a mathematical model of bubble dynamics and sound that proved consistent with the bubble collapse explanation. In some cases, it could be a symptom of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Cracking or popping a joint is very common and usually not a symptom of disease.
If your bone cracking is excessive and you want to stop, there are remedies to try. Stretching and movement should prevent muscle tightness and keep your joints lubricated, thus preventing them from rubbing together. If you are experiencing joint popping, even if it seems excess, it is only a problem if you are feeling pain as a result. Painful joint popping can be a symptom of early stage arthritis, tendinitis, or bursitis.
Note that, again, this is not caused by knuckle cracking, and has nothing to do with the buildup of gas in the joint. However, the two in tandem can lead to pain and discomfort. Tendinitis is an inflammation of a tendon, which can cause the joint to move in awkward ways, thus causing the joint to pop.
Bursitis is the more likely case, though the pain it causes should be nearly ever present. Bursitis is caused by inflammation of the bursa, which helps to lubricate joints. When the bursitis is injured, joints are more likely to rub together, thus causing popping, creaking, cracking, and of course pain.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Careers at OA. Doctors Jeffery S.
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