Bones cracking when you move around

[elliot]

I'm in my 20s and my bones crack all the time. When I walk I hear a rubbing noise from my right knee. When I get up to stretch, pop. My bones aren't brittle but it does make me wonder sometimes what causes it. Anyone else experience this and is it 'normal'?

[cdn2wheeler]

The bones themselves aren't cracking. There's a certain amount of gas that's held in suspension in the fluid in a joint and when you stretch the joint the gas goes from a liquid state to a gaseous state and you'll hear a pop or crack.

It's not unlike opening a beer. You can't see the bubbles when the bottle is unopened because the pressure keeps the gas in suspension. But as soon as you open the bottle, the bubbles come out of suspension, make the foam dribble overtop of the bottle and ruin your coffee table.

[Lone Wolf]

Originally Posted by elliot

I'm in my 20s and my bones crack all the time.

A good article on that here

Why do body joints make popping sounds?"

[Joy]

Originally Posted by Lone Wolf

A good article on that here

Why do body joints make popping sounds?"

The article says, "Whether or not there is truth to the old wives tale, that cracking ones knuckles enlarges them, remains open to debate." I tend to think that it's more a matter of people who are likely to end up with larger knuckles are also likely to crack them... but that's just a theory.

My bones have always cracked, especially in my back/neck and feet/ankles, but since getting into a car accident in February this has been happening a lot more. I tend to blame the dozens of trigger points (muscle knots, in a way) I've developed all over my body. Having a lot of tight muscles puts more stress/tension on our tendons, which causes them to snap/crack as described in that link:

"On the other hand, the sound produced when we do deep-knee bends, is a snapping sound, produced when our tendons, which are merely the fibers that connect muscles and bones, elastically snap into new positions as our joints move under stress."

This is an interesting site which helps you figure out exactly where your trigger points are: NAMTPT - National Association Of Myofascial Trigger Point Therapists

[The David]

Whenever I hunch down, my knees crack extremely loudly. It's kind of awkward when there are people around, but really funny, too.

[SKiernan]

Originally Posted by The David

Whenever I hunch down, my knees crack extremely loudly. It's kind of awkward when there are people around, but really funny, too.

A friend has the exact same "condition"! He doesn't give it a second thought though. My fingers will crack all the time and I can feel when they need cracking! Is this usual?

[jbischke]

Might want to look into whether you are getting enough healthy fats in your diet. I was listening to something (Tony Robbins Living Health?) a while back and they were talking about thinking of healthy fats as motor oil for your body. Without them you're likely to some of the effects you are talking about.

[Jennihul]

The cracking noises are ligaments moving across bony protuberances. If you have extreme pain, weakness or stiffness or inability to support yourself on your joint, you can have a torn or ruptured ligament.

If you had a previous ligamentous injury that healed improperly, you can click or snap.

I injured my ankle ligament when I was 16 and never had it repaired. It still takes my breath away from time to time and clicks with every step I take.

My left knee sounds like one of those clickety beach chairs when I turn and step to the side.

Unless you have pain or weakness in the joint, it's nothing to worry about.

Jennifer

[rusty]

I hear cracking and popping noises in my ankles every time I go up and down stairs. I have wondered for a long time what was causing my ankles to do that.

[The David]

Originally Posted by SKiernan

A friend has the exact same "condition"! He doesn't give it a second thought though. My fingers will crack all the time and I can feel when they need cracking! Is this usual?

I have that, too, but it isn't as loud.