Does Cracking Your Knuckles Cause Arthritis or Other Issues?

While the research is limited, the available clinical evidence shows that cracking your knuckles does not harm your joints. There’s also no indication that it makes your joints larger, weakens your grip or causes long-term cartilage deterioration.

What Happens When You Crack Your Knuckles?

When joints “crack,” they make popping or snapping noises. Joints that commonly crack include those in the fingers, knees, ankles, back and neck. There are several reasons that a cracking joint might make a noise, including:

Gas Bubbles in Synovial Fluid

Synovial fluid in joints cushions and lubricates the contact surfaces between your bones. This fluid contains dissolved oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Stretching the joint drops the internal pressure, which causes microscopic gas bubbles to form and rapidly collapse. 

The collapse of these bubbles produces the familiar popping noise. Dissolved gases require roughly 20 minutes to dissolve back into the fluid before the same knuckle can pop again.

Movement of Joints, Tendons and Ligaments

Our movements can shift tendons slightly out of their normal tracking paths. A snapping noise often occurs when an elongated tendon snaps back over a bony ridge. Tightening ligaments can also snap across the joint line during motion.

Rough Surfaces in the Joint

Cartilage loss from wear creates rough bone surfaces that rub together. This sensation and sound, known as crepitus, produces a distinct grinding or crunching noise rather than a clean pop.

Is Cracking Your Knuckles Bad for You?

Pain-free joint cracking is harmless. However, discomfort during joint manipulation can be a sign of underlying structural trauma, gout, tendinitis or degenerative changes. 
Talk with your physician if cracking your knuckles or the popping of other joints is accompanied by any of the following symptoms:

• Swelling
• Tenderness
• Joint pain
• Stiffness
• Limited motion
• Visible deformity
• Warm skin
• Redness
• Grinding sensations
• Numbness

Does Cracking Knuckles Cause Arthritis?

Research across multiple medical trials confirms that habitual knuckle crackers develop osteoarthritis at roughly identical rates to those who don’t crack their knuckles. One notable historical trial followed a physician who cracked the knuckles of only his left hand daily for 50 years. Subsequent examinations revealed no arthritis in either hand.

Protecting Your Joint Health

Knuckle cracking hasn’t been shown to be either harmful or beneficial. It doesn’t lead to arthritis or other issues, so if you feel like cracking your knuckles and it doesn’t cause pain, there is no reason not to do it. 

If you have concerns about the health of your joints, reach out to your primary care physician. They can diagnose your condition and connect you with the Baptist Health orthopedic care team if appropriate.