Why Your Body Cracks and When You Should Actually Worry About It

You’ve had a hard day and your body is letting you know it. Maybe you had a tough workout at the gym, weeded your yard or put together a pesky piece of furniture - no matter the reason, your back is protesting any movement and your joints are creaking and cracking with every step. Of course, it might not have been a hard day at all. Even after a relaxed day of lounging, your body can still snap, crackle and pop with even the tiniest movement.

These seemingly random noises why one of the most common chiropractic questions involves these creaking and squeaking sounds. So what causes these sounds and when should you start worrying about the music your joints are playing?

Common Causes

The most common reason you hear a snapping sound is due to the release of a gas bubble that is caught between joints. This globule of air most often pops due to the movement or adjustment of a joint, such as stretching a leg or flexing an ankle, and rarely involves any discomfort.

This bubble doesn’t appear out of thin air. The places your bones meet are kept lubricated with a liquid called synovial fluid, contains the gases oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.

When you stretch the capsule around a joint, these gases are released, forming a bubble that then cracks, often to your satisfaction. To put it simply, it’s your body’s version of “settling,” much like a older house does.

Another reason you might be popping is due to your body shifting back into the proper order. When you wriggle about in your daily routine, tendons on your joints can change position and move slightly out of place.

When the ligaments or tendons snap back into the correct place, the result is a cracking sound that should not cause pain - but might sound like it should.

Common Solutions

If you don’t experience pain with your cracking joints, then the popping noises should not concern you. However, if there is any sort of pain in your movement, you need to seek medical attention.

If you visit a traditional doctor, however, you might be sent home with pain pills and a recommendation to take it easy. Instead, try visiting your chiropractor to not only get a thorough examination of your pain, but a quality diagnosis and a treatment plan that heals the issues rather than masking it with medication.