That Sweet Crack

Is cracking your knuckles really bad?

CRAAAAACK!

That sweet sound first thing in the morning when you wake up and stretch your back. It feels so good and the sound is unmistakable. Many people believe this is a sign of damage and should be avoided. Many believe this a harmless noise and it doesn’t matter. What is the truth?

In reality, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Cracking your joints can be benign, or it can be bad.

First off, what causes that crack?

In many cases a crack is causes by rapid movement of air out of a joint. When you are sleeping and not using your joints, air and fluid accumulates within the joint space. Synovial fluid is the lubricant of your joints. It is made of oxygen, nitrogen, and CO2. When you rapidly hyperextend those joints the pressure increases. This causes the air to quickly exit the joint and creates a sound. This is one of the causes for cracking joints throughout the body.