Why do your knuckles crack? The surprising science inside your joints

  • Publish date: since 6 days Reading time: 1 min read

Why do your knuckles crack? The surprising science inside your joints

1. Your Joints Contain Fluid

2. Pulling the Joint Creates Pressure Changes

3. A Cavity Forms inside the Fluid

4. That Cavity Is Linked to the Pop

5. Cannot Immediately Crack the Same Knuckle Again

6. The Sound Can Be Surprisingly Loud

7. It Is Not Bones Grinding Together

8. Has Not Been Shown to Cause Arthritis

9. It May Temporarily Change Joint Motion

10. Pain or Swelling Is a Different Matter

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For decades, scientists have wondered about that well-known pop that occurs when cracking knuckles. The sound is not made by bones rubbing together but by changes within the joints. It has been shown that the creation of a microscopic cavity of gas in the fluid of a joint is a key factor. It may be annoying to people around you, but there is no scientific proof that frequent cracking of the knuckles leads to arthritis.
 

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