What Exactly is Happening When my Joints Crack?

I'm 11 and my bones randomly crack. I'm a dancer and I was wondering if that has something to do with it. Sometimes my knee just gives out when I walk. If I do a leap. it hurts my knee and I can't walk on it. Should I go to the doctor?

@Post 114: People came on here to get a rational answer, not be told to stop touching themselves and start praying.

@Munib98: Firstly, seminal ejaculation does not cause the cracking of joints. If it did, every man would suffer from it really badly and no women would suffer at all.

Just because you say you have a few qualifications does not give you the right to tell people what they can and can't do.

I can drive a car, but I wouldn't go around telling other people what car they should drive, or even if they should drive at all.

Here is my problem. I have recently started cracking my own neck. When I crack my neck to the left, my right arm, all the way down to the hand jerks or shakes. It reminds of my the doctor checking your reflexes in your knees. I wonder why this is happening. But if I don't crack my neck to relieve the pressure, I am in so much pain.

Does anyone know what this could be? This has never happened before, like I said it just started. And the popping sound is so loud.

I've seen a few people suggest Ehlers-Danlos (EDS) Type III. I've been diagnosed with this condition and trust me, it's a lot more than a few cracky joints.

Hypermobility may be more of a possibility, but EDS is unlikely as it is genetic and despite its difficulty to diagnose, you would know if you had it. So if your are sat there worrying if you have it, you probably don't.

Don't get me wrong, still get it checked out by a professional for pain relief or whatever.

Possible problems might be food allergies, like gluten, milk, eggs, nightshade, nuts (these are the most common), or it might be meats. Everybody can try stopping one or all foods for three weeks and reintroducing them after to see if it is the problem. Also, be aware that wheat, sugar and white rice take minerals from the bones and ligaments, which may also be the problem.

I'm 13 and Ive recently have been getting pains in my knees and ankles. I do soccer outside of school and in school P.E. Every time I bend my knee to kick the ball, my knee cracks and when I run, my leg slips from underneath me and I collapse. Also, when I'm sitting down, I have to constantly twist my foot around because my ankles lock and I have to move them. Is that normal or do I have to get it checked out?

My snaps, crackles and pops could wake up the wife until I built up my fish oil to 2 grams twice a day. Apparently, I greased 'em -- cheap and easy.

Is it really bad to crack your knuckles? I started earlier this year, and I knew that it was bad for me. I'm 14 and I have now given up that habit, but my younger brother who is 11 is still doing it.

I have tried telling him about arthritis later on in life but he continues to crack his knuckles. I am now a little worried for him. What can I do to help him?

I have had this problem for years and was told that it is because I have hyper mobility in my joints and is a common problem for people with this condition. If you have extreme flexibility in your joints such as hips, elbows or knees, you could have hypermobility.

Cavitation, which is the release of air bubbles in your joints, could also be an explanation. It is very common in younger people due to the body growing and there are some larger gaps between joints as they develop. This problem may start to disappear as you get older but the best thing to do is not to force your joints to crack and if you can, go see a medical professional.

If you do gymnastics or dance or any other sport that requires extreme flexibility, stress and pressure on your joints cracking can be normal so don't panic about arthritis. Most likely it will only develop once you get older, but the best thing to do is keep mobile and ensure you have a decent regular intake of vitamins and minerals, supplements such as glucosamine sulphate and fish oils help with joint mobility.

Many people experience problems of the joints, and it is something that can be cured. Doctors may disagree that masturbation makes the joints become weak, but this is why the problems occur during the teenage years.

Masturbation is very commonly practised and some people may be affected more than others. Refrain from it permanently and get married. Sexual intercourse with your wife is completely different from masturbation. when you masturbate. Lots of trace minerals are lost and it causes hormone imbalances. Exercise regularly and properly, and build the abs and legs. This will increase testosterone and strength and remain sexually patient. After about a couple of months, your joints should feel much better.

This can help to an extent, but as I have seen, Islam completely cures a person spiritually, physically and mentally. From the prayers we Muslims pray, abundant blessings are received. For the third prayer of the day, blessings for health are received. I read a post on this site in which someone said the pain of aching joints was so bad that he wants to commit suicide but he is not brave enough to do so. In response to do this, committing suicide is the worst thing you can do, and it is a very cowardly thing to do.

I just turned 16 and I seem to be having the same problem as most of you. I thought only a few people had this problem, but it seems to be affecting a large amount of people. I don't remember when exactly this started, probably two years ago. I blamed it on riding a bike (bmx) because I would jump it and my wrists would take a lot of impact, but I stopped riding like a year ago and the problem persists. I started becoming pretty inactive around the time I stopped riding, mostly sitting around focusing on studies or video games.

I recently noticed that after extended periods of time using the keyboard and mouse, that my wrists will be stiff, and so maybe this was the cause, and not riding? Also, my lower back seems to have too much curve, like my stomach is pulling my spine forwards. I'm not overweight, but my arms are thin, and my legs (in my own opinion) seem to be a little to long and thick compared to the rest of me. Now, whenever I walk down the stairs my ankles and feet seem to make a clicking noise, all the way down. It's very annoying, and other people notice it.

I have learned that sitting in a hot tub for like 15 minutes (I'm sure sitting in a bath would help too) and stretching in the water really helps the pain/stiffness/clicking and popping to go away, at least for a while.

I know I have been rambling on and on, but it's like really all I can think about lately. The most noticeable area of popping are my wrists. If I rotate them in circles, and angle them a certain way the make a very loud, click, then a disturbing pop. I feel tendons sliding on top of my hand, and the actual wrist feels like its grinding and catching on the other bone, and then breaking free. I try to keep myself from popping anything excessively, but some pops just happen when I'm doing regular movements. I don't really think I'll get any answers from posting this, but I don't like to complain to much to my parents and friends, so they'll have to do.

I have joint cracking problem almost in every joint. I usually crack finger joints. Is it dangerous or unhealthy? Should I consult my doctor or not? Please reply about what I should do.

For some reason, for the past week, my thumb joint below the fingernail is getting stiff every minute or so (the time varies) and when I move it, it cracks. I was wondering if it had anything to do with when I broke the bottom thumb joint and I had a pin put in it? Can someone please help?

Since I was 17, my back used to click from where I would sit at a PC chair all day and forget about exercise. Then it slowly started to spread to my shoulders, wrist, knee, elbow, toes, ankles, jaw. neck, basically every joint clicks, but for the last three years, it's been really painful.

I am now 24 and the pain is so bad, I often feel like taking my own life to escape it, but I'm too cowardly to do it, but my future worries me. I don't want to be disabled, and I've been to a lot of different doctors and specialists and they tell me I'm fine.

I wish they could feel my pain. I'm scared because when I was young. I never felt this pain.

I haven't read all the comments but has anyone suggested hypermobility or Ehler Danlos Syndrome Type 3? Clicking joints is all part and parcel of this syndrome. It's hereditary and issues can occur from childhood. If you can do party tricks such as bending your joints excessively the wrong way (e.g., elbows, fingers, knees) then you've probably got it.

I didn't get diagnosed till I was in my 20s and went through years of unexplained injuries. It affects a lot more than joints too. When I read up on it, so many things were connected it was like putting a jigsaw together.

@munib98: About masturbation causing this. How do you explain that my partner ejaculates several times a day and his joints hardly ever crack, while I, a female incapable of producing semen, has lots of joints cracking (lower limbs more so if I go running on tarmac)? (I am 24 by the way). Your post just sounds like it is from somebody deeply religious who believes masturbation is a sin and has concocted a "scientific" reason for joints cracking, which by the way, if you are correct and ejaculation is the cause, then sexual intercourse will cause the same problems as masturbation.

You cannot conclude masturbating from age 16 is a causal link to joint cracking from age 16. Maybe it is the hormones that made you masturbate that also made your joints crack. This is just another conclusion derived from two (maybe unrelated?) events. (You want credentials? Mine are medical MSc (distinction) MPhys (top of the class))

I started going to the gym eight years back, then I gave up the gym after a few months and now I've started it again.

I had this arm cracking eight years back and I have it now, too. I've notice that when I start at the gym the cracking problem starts and I get hurt sometimes while doing reps with heavy weights.

Last night I couldn't sleep because of the pain from the cracking from my arm joints so I got a little worried and started searching for a solution from the internet.

What I have found is that joints have synovial fluid for lubrication and there is a compound called hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid (also called hyaluronan) is an important GAG component of ground substance, synovial fluid (the fluid that lubricates the joints) and the vitreous humor of the eye.

Now the reason I have found is that in males when semen is released, it also has hyaluronic acid in it and it releases every time semen is released. So, masturbation or increased sexual activity may increase the release of this acid from body. If a person masturbates from an early age or has frequent nocturnal emissions, he may suffer from this problem. I have noticed it from since I was age 16. I had frequent nocturnal emissions and then these side effects started, first in my wrists. They started to crack, and then elbows, then my shoulders, then my hip joints and then my neck, but I had no pain which this was happening.

I'm a biotechnologist now M Phil biotechnology, and studied biology, etc. in detail in my masters program and I have concluded with that research that the more one is involved in sexual activities at an early age, and the more he releases semen, the more one will start to have joints cracking at early ages, and if he continues in these activities, the cracking would start from wrists and elbows in sequence in all joints because the levels of hyaluronic acid start to decrease in joints sequentially, like the level of a battery, like the first cell drops, then the second drops and the third drops. The same is the case is here. So, what you people should do is you should quit masturbating too much. Do it just few times a month. Proper sex is better then masturbation. Eat carbohydrates containing hyaluronic acid and glucosamine or discuss with your doctor about the hyaluronic acid level test in the body. I'm 1,000 percent sure that your hyaluronic acid level in joints has dropped to low levels. Refill it by consulting with your doctor. I'm a biologist, biotechnologist and zoologist too, and I'm also suffering from this. All who read this, please check yourselves. Do you have a history of frequent masturbation or sexual activities? I think the answer would be yes. That's reason I have found through my experience and even doctors aren't aware of it. They are saying that's a gas problem. A lot of people – the majority of them – crack a little, but this condition of the whole body cracking is not the case for everyone, as it would be if it were a gas problem. Wish you the best.

Every morning when I wake up and I get out of my bed, my collar bone feels so tight and if I like, jump up and down, my collar bone eventually pops and feels better.

Last year I was doing sit ups, trying to just stay active and in shape. A day after, I started to play basketball with friends and I got the basketball and start running around while I jumped up to shoot and when I came down, my back started to have like a pinching type feeling but painful and the more I moved, the worse it got. So I lay on the gym floor for a couple of minutes and then I tried to stand up and I couldn't. As soon as I was getting on my feet, it felt like something was going into my top right side hip and it was hurting very bad and I couldn't do anything but wait until it got better.

Then later on, I went home and it took two or three days for the swelling to go down. I touched my hip and it hurt. I've been doing pull ups, and every time I pull up, both elbows pops and also when I'm doing sit-ups, as soon as I go down and up my back pops but it doesn't hurt but the next day it will. What is it? I used to love running and playing basketball and now there are days when I wake up and don't want to get up or work. I just lie down because my body hurts and I'm only 21. I don't have insurance or a full-time job.

Thanks for the article. I am a 12 year old gymnast and since I work out four to five times a week, my ankles and wrists and one of my elbows crack when I move them. You just have to get used to it.

My joints have been like this for a year or so it's not annoying anymore and it isn't painful. It's just a clicking sound.

I'm am 14 years old, turning 15 next year in January. I weigh 88 KG and am about 1.79 tall, and I started going to the gym with a friend. We work arms, legs, chest, etc.., except squashes.

And one day I was sweeping the house with a broom, quite a big area, and went to the gym to work my arms afterward. As I was warming up, my left elbow was popping a lot, so i just kept on warming up slowly and then it stopped. It never

had done the popping before, and I've been working out for a month or two. The next day my elbow was so sore I didn't even want to move it and I stopped exercising it for a while waiting for it to heal! But it has been about a week or two now, and my elbow is OK but as soon as I move it in a certain way it pops and aches for a while, then it's OK! And then that constantly happens. I'm getting tired of this now and don't know what to do.

I do water polo and also had to stop with that because as soon as I get out of the swimming pool my elbow is hurting. Someone please help!

Just one thing for all you people under 20: it's normal to have joint cracking at that age. Your body is constantly growing and that's just a "side effect" of that growing. If it makes you feel better, everyone has those cracking at that age. Some people just don't pay atention to it.

I just wanted to ask if you pop and crack your arms, legs and shoulders and upper back almost every 40 minutes or hour, and that if you don't pop your arms and legs out and crack upper back shoulders it will become cramped and aching. I've been dealing with this since I was a teen and now I've reached the age of an adult, I just want to know if this is a very dangerous thing to keep doing and if I should see a doctor for check up or maybe even a CT scan. Thank you.

Okay, almost every time I move, my back cracks. It's been like this for like a month, and I don't know what to do. It cracks so much that it gets warred out sometimes and hurts, same thing happens to my ankles and knees occasionally. It doesn't sound good, and I'm afraid if I don't crack it a different way something might go wrong some day? I'm only 14 so some explanations would be nice, thank you. By the way, when these bones crack, it's always doing the same motions or bending the same way.

I'm 19 now, but when i was younger, my knees cracked all the time, then my right knee dislocated from weakening it. i have had to have an operation to stop this at the age of 17 and it worked. now it rarely clicks although i have got pins and screws in it.

now my knees are sorted, i fell off my bike and bent my elbow the wrong way and now it clicks and it is really painful. i think that this is the reason that my elbows click, not arthritis or anything else. it's because i am hypermobile and all my joints bend a lot the wrong way.

if you are doing something that your body cannot cope with then you are weakening the joint even if you are trying to strengthen the muscles around it.

take care of your bodies. you will miss what you have when it deteriorates.

I'm 13 and i broke my arm. i had operation and I'm now home but when i move my arm i feel something inside my arm move but the arm doesn't move.

I am 28 and thought I was young to have knees that crack. But most of you all are even younger than me! Maybe you guys need more omega 3 and glucosamine? That's what I am trying I started taking it but haven't taken it for long enough to see if it works yet. It's supposed to take four to six weeks. I am hoping it does. I can't believe you guys are so young and your joints creak.

I'm only 11 and I dance. is it normal that my back cracks when I do a body roll?

I'm 15 and every time I roll my wrists they crack -- quite loudly. Also most of the time when I stretch my back it cracks to. I don't think its normal and I don't know if I should see my doctor or if I'm just being stupid.

I'm a 12 year old girl and well, i have arthritis yep JIA! and i crack all the time. my doctors won't tell me anything about it since I'm on all these injections they only care about pain but every single joint cracks. so does exercise help? well I'm very fit. So could i get some advice because every time i move i crack and frankly it's embarrassing! Help!

my knuckle in my right thumb cracks every time i extend and then flex that joint. it's really starting to hurt now. any ideas?

Every little movement i do now like since two months ago, my joints crack. is this normal?

I am 14 and every time I move my bones click. My wrists and back hurt when i click them, but most of the others just make me feel uncomfortable. My ribs, hips, shoulders, neck, jaw, knees, ankles, toes and fingers all click. I am not sure if this is bad?

I'm 17 and I suffered a very severe high ankle sprain when I was in the 8th grade. I find relief in rotating my ankle every morning because it is very stiff and usually pops on its own. Any little tweak to my ankle will cause me a lot of pain, and I wear a brace when I participate in sports.

Well, today I noticed it a lot; every time I take a step my ankle pops very loudly and it's been doing it more and more everyday. I've gotten used to the pain but that doesn't mean it still doesn't hurt. A couple of days ago I re-rolled my ankle during softball practice and it's been stiff and sore ever since. This will eventually wear off over the course of these next couple of days.

I've read up on a lot of reasons why my ankle pops, and my question is what can I do to try to reduce the popping of all my bones. (I crack my knuckles, I pop my wrists, toes, and my elbows usually pop whenever I stretch my arms out, and my back) What can I do to strengthen my joints and what can I do to ease the cracking, and how would I know if I have arthritis in my ankle? I know I am still very young, but as much as I have hurt my ankle, I wouldn't be surprised if that's what's wrong with it.

I'm 17 and regularly crack my neck, back, wrists, all knuckles, toes, ankles, and sometimes (when necessary) my knees. The neck cracking started when i got something like wry neck from keeping it in the same position for most of the day, when i eventually moved i couldn't move my neck so i grabbed my head and twisted, loud pop, small amount of pain, but then relief. i had to do it again the other way or it hurt a lot. this was when i was nine.

i now have to crack my neck multiple times a day. my back started when i was around 14, when i really started growing, and again i have to do it multiple times a day, generally around 1.5 hours after getting up, and whenever i have been sitting still for too long - i believe this is due to my spine compressing, the knuckles i have been cracking forever, the wrists, ankles and everything else that hasn't been mentioned has begun in the last three years and i have had this strange click in my right ankle, not like the one where i crack my ankle. it's like a ligament skipping over something, and can be repeated over and over.

I'm 14 and don't do any extra sports except p.e. at school and my knees, ankles and wrists keep clicking when i bend down or bend my knee. I'm really worried. Is there anything i could do as sometimes they really hurt?

For all of you who have questions about why you hurt and why it feels better for a little bit after you pop or crack yourself, you really do need to visit a chiropractor.

I'm a doctor of chiropractic myself and have helped many people with all the problems that you have explained. The reason it feels better is because your body releases endorphins that eases the pain, but the stiffness comes back in a short while because the joints that you are cracking are not what the problem is. There are joints in your spine that are stuck and not moving the way they should, and the surrounding joints end up moving too much.

Those are the ones you're getting noise from, but only a chiropractor can get the stuck ones moving again. No matter where you are, I can guarantee that there is a chiropractor near you willing to give you a free consultation.

I'm 11 and my thumbs click every time I don't move them for about two minutes. I broke my left wrist and both wrists keep clicking,and my elbows have been clicking since I was seven. what can I do?

I've been to my doctor but he is quiet stupid and said it is just the way I am but they stared to hurt now. What can I do to prevent this from happening?

I can walk around normally and my toes make a cracking noise. My hips, back, shoulders, elbow, wrists, knees and mostly my toes crack with general movements. Sometimes when they do crack they are quite painful. I am only 17.

I'm 13 and whenever i rotate my ankle it cracks. is it a bad thing?

I'm 14 and i went to school today and i walked normally and my knees and ankles kept popping. Help?

The reason most of you feel good after cracking joints is kind of hard to explain, the gas bubbles or whatever as said earlier are what makes it feel good. They're what bring the pleasure.

I'm 16 years old and every day I feel the need to crack my toes, ankles, knees, shoulders, neck, back, elbows, wrists, fingers, knuckles, if i don't crack them i get a really bad pain there and get some relief when i do crack them. And sometimes at night i get muscle spasms in my calves. Does anyone know why this happens and what i can do to stop it? thank you so much.

I am 16 years old and i broke my arm when i was 5. Now i can crack it many times in a row. Is that bad?

my husband keeps cracking his neck and it's worrying me now as he has to do it every day. What can i do to help him stop?

I wanted to know why my joints make that sound after cracking my knuckles, and my mom just told me that i'ts my bones rubbing together. is this true?

I am 25 years old. have been cracking my joints since i can remember. i can crack all my fingers in 3 different places. i can also crack the joints connecting to my wrist, my back all up and down, my neck, my arms, my hips, ankles, knees and when i mean crack, i mean i can do it right this second and recrack the same joint in about 2 minutes. No pain, just feeling tight if i don't do it.

I have read numerous articles by doctors and scientist saying that there is no link between cracking your joints and arthritis. has anyone spoken to a doctor and has a better explanation other than the usual it's bad for you and not tell you why. please and thank you for your time. --zone

I'm 15 and i get back ache from dance, gym and my boobs are too big for my body, so my friend taught my this way to click my back. i do it and it feels great but about half hour the pain comes back. is this bad?

I often crack my neck, back, toes, and knuckles when they feel sore. I've been doing this for a while now. But there have been many times where my elbows and knees pop by themselves. My parents say it's because I'm still growing. Is this true?

I'm 14 and every time i bend down my knees click. i do a lot of dancing but it mostly doesn't cause me any pain, but sometimes it does and there is a shooting pain going up my knee. I've had this for about a year now. does anybody know what this is caused by.

Wow, this is crazy how many people deal with this. I'm the weirdo of my family with all my popping and cracking and snapping. it used to be just my knees, but now it is everything, even places that aren't joints (shin and the inside of my foot) and a few days ago, i found that i make my lower back pop, like a liquid crunch, when i bend down and pull on my legs.

I'm trying not to but when i don't it starts feeling like I've never bent down in my life and it aches. i don't think it'd be good for the back, i mean, you curve inward there, right?

I've been diagnosed with scoliosis like four times now, and I'm 17. I'm really worried because as the scoliosis moves my spine, so will my joints to compensate. but i went a day only without popping once, and i just felt like a bunch of bones stacked up with nothing in between. are there any ways to maybe loosen the joints or stretch them or strengthen them?

It's become a habit to pop my bones and it's really distracting. I'll have a chiropractor do his thing eventually, but i want to do whatever i can.

I'm 16 years old now and started cracking them at 12 years, and first was my legs and my arms. as time went on, I began to crack most of them and began to make the whole body, even the ear, crack. I crack my whole body and it makes a sound crack crack. hands, fingers, feet, neck, shoulders, ankles, jaw --my whole body.

And I have a problem with sweaty hands. What can i do to stop them cracking and sometimes when i walk my feet hurt, and sometimes i feel in some muscles something popping out.

it's a psychological problem or something else.

I'm 15 and my joints crack like nobody's business. I play a lot of soccer, i swim and work out constantly. One day i decided to count how many times it happened. It was roughly 150 no lie. is that bad?

I am 16 an I have a constant habit of cracking everything, like my fingers all the time my neck, my back, my toes, including my thighs. I'm really worried that is going to catch up with me when I get older. Should I stop?

I'm 13 years old and every time I lie down and I raise my arm my elbow pops it also happens when I do push ups. And from time to time my ankles when I move them, they crack. I have read the article above and I was very relieved to hear it's just gas bubbles but how do I know it's really true for me. Is there a certain way I would know if it's really just bubbles.

My jaw has cracked since I can remember but now it's very sore. Should this worry me?

I'm in my early 40 and my ankle and knee keep cracking every day. it is embarrassing for me. others just laugh and i want to know if this is a serious condition.

I'm 12 and my knees, toes and thumbs crack all the time. I'm really worried about arthritis. what should i do?

I'm 26 and every joint in my body cracks constantly! I feel like I need to be greased at times. My wrists when I turn them in a circular motion as well as my ankles. I don't even have to wait a second before whatever cracks, cracks again. Even my collar bone! I'm scared its a joint condition because it affects every joint in my body.

every bone in my body clicks. what should i do because I'm scared of getting arthritis.

Anon71914 that's probably a pinched nerve.

I'm 11 and whenever I move my wrist in a circle, it cracks. what's this?

I can crack my chest bone! Among others. But it is so loud and violent and it feels awesome. i can also crack every part of my body and I love it. It feels great. it just looks and sounds funny to others but for me, it keeps me feeling loose and strong. It's like my body is getting tighter every minute but cracking allows me feel free and young. I am 33 years old.

Always cracked my joints, since very young. My right elbow locks up from time to time. Now my right shoulder blade is hurting going on now for a month. Should I go to the doctor?

Most of you posting seem to have symptoms of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). See a mental health professional. This has nothing to do with cracking joints at all.

my knees and ankles crack. every time i bend them, it makes a loud popping sound. It doesn't hurt, but i still don't know why it does that!

Last night, I cracked a joint. I think it is possible, I can't believe how amazing it felt. I was stiff all day. Now I am concerned that I am harming my health for the future, since I'm only 18 years old. Any suggestions?

I have been cracking my knuckles since i was four years old, obsessively. Over the years it's expanded to constant cracking of toes, feet, ankles, knees, hips, back, neck, arms, wrists, elbows, even my nose.

I get immediate pleasure out of doing this, and am always urged to crack other peoples'. I do it without thinking, and i couldn't even tell you how many times a day. Also if i see anybody else having a sneaky crack, i have to do the exact same but obviously on a much larger scale.

I am now 17 and I'm writing this message as my boyfriend who was previously understanding has now gone AWOL and told me I need to stop. However, i argued my point of not being able to, after god knows how many tries. But can't is not a word. So, will somebody find it in the kindness of their hearts to tell me how to stop Medication recommended preferably. Many thanks.

I'm 11 and when i move my foot side to side it makes a very deep crack, like two bones jacking each other. I don't feel pain but sometimes i do. I have been telling myself that "Maybe it will pass when i am older, like a teenager. This cracking began when i was toddler

I started when i was only 8 years old and i am now turning 13! i crack my neck, back, shoulders, knees, ankles, elbows, wrists -- almost everything except for my knuckles. I can't stop! i crack at least one every 5 or 10 seconds. i feel relief but it doesn't last long then i feel stiff and have to do it again! i crack at night! help.

i am 10 years old. i can crack my big toe at least 50 times a minute. all i do is hold the top of my toe and i just try to move it up and down. and i can crack both of my knees in the same spot multiple times. am i weird?

I'm 15 years of age and every time I move my leg from side to side and diagonally my hip bone cracks, also my shoulder cracks frequently. Both of these cause embarrassment as i can't stop them. please help!

There is no correlation between cracking joints and arthritis.

There are a couple articles in Scientific American

"Crack Research: Good news about knuckle cracking"

that do some explaining.

If you look up those, they explain. ~ N.

I have recently developed a crunching noise in my left SI joint when i twist my torso from side to side. What causes this?

My freaking boyfriend cracks his freaking bones every freaking second. fifty times in one hour. What the hell is his problem?

I would like to know why my bones crack in my lower legs all the time I walk?

I am 12 and my back can crack even when I keep my back straight or stiff for a minute or two, and I hear various cracks and sounds. Any help please? (I have a good LA teacher if you're wondering why my grammar isn't all incorrect.)

If I go about my day without cracking my lower back, I start getting "electric" type shocks in my lumbar area. Shocks enough to make me jump out of my chair. What is happening? I can't afford a doctor seriously.

I am the click master. i can click all my toes in two different places, ankle, knees, hip,shoulders wrists, fingers in three places, elbows and sternum. My chest even clicks and my neck and back.

I am a 56 year old woman all of a sudden my joints crack all the time. Can you tell me what's happening?

I am 24 years old and when i work out my ankles tend to crack a lot but there is no pain. what can this be? when i squat or something like that is when they normally tend to crack. if anyone can help me i would appreciate it. thanks.

Twice now my husband has given me a back rub at night. When I woke up in the morning my back, neck, and shoulders sounded like the snap crackle pop of Rice Krispies. Then I had some pain in my back for the morning. The back rub was even gentle.

Can you tell me why this would happen. I sleep better after a back rub but don't look forward to the pain the next day. --Maggie

I'm 12. and my knees crack so much and i need help. can anyone tell me what's wrong?

I'm 12 and this is happening to me. I'm double jointed and i can't get my fingers straight or my neck, fingers, knee, wrist. i went to the doctor and they said my bones are flexible but i have to stop cracking my fingers. i have a really bad habit. i recommend you stop. I'm trying to stop this because it could lead to arthritis.

I am eighteen and my wrist cracks every time I circle it and my knees crack when I stretch and bend them. My knuckles and wrist hurt occasionally too. What's this?

I can't help it; just by bending my knees or elbows, they crack. A lot. Same with my ankles. I don't do it voluntarily and even my parents tell me that the cracking of my joints is worse than my grandparents, so what could it possibly be?

i'm only 11 and my wrist cracks when i circle it and my knees crack when i stretch them then bend! what is this?

I can crack most of the joints unwillingly in my body when I stretch. Is this normal?

I crack my knuckles all time, especially when I'm nervous or scared and i have a really bad habit of cracking them and if i don't crack them it bothers me. I'm only 11 and i am double jointed, which is how i found this website because i was just curious about it.

I crack my knuckles all the time! And people tell me not to! I'm only 14, should I be concerned?

i have a girlfriend and she cracks her bones very often and is very annoying and disgusting and i really want her to stop but she says she can't and as i'm e-mailing you this. she is cracking her bones. can you please help me?

I crack my elbows and knees, and recently my right wrist. i do this because after a while of not doing it, it feels very uncomfortable, and it feels like i just have to crack them. Sometimes i can't go 10 seconds without cracking them, sometimes two minutes. I think i really need help because it is starting to hurt in my wrist and elbow. Any info that would help would be appreciated.

Can a high sediment level in the blood (due to severe inflammation (from lower back misalignment) lead to tendinitis or sudden joint pains in *old* injuries?

I have been taking anti-inflammatories for several months, and the sediment level is down in my blood.

I am getting a lot of cracking in the joints that were affected. Is this a good sign? Please help me out.

This is a great article. I've been wanting to know why my joints crack so much!

I've heard yoga helps. I don't know why exactly, other than maybe the fact that yoga increases blood oxygen and blood flow. Haven't been going long enough to tell yet.

I injured my wrist a while ago and that made it pop even louder and painfully. I found some stretches through Boing Boing that I did a few times a day like when it hurt or on the train home from work. I can use my wrist again! It still pops, but not nearly as much.

It's always a good idea to examine your diet and see if there's something you could add for whatever the problem. Hyaluronic acid is in the fluid between your joints and acts as a cushion for your joints. A good quality organic chicken broth or homemade broth using the skin, gristle, and chicken bones is an easy source of hyaluronic acid.

Good Luck everybody! Culinary Faerie

just about every joint i own cracks on a regular basis, sometimes involuntarily and sometimes i crack them when they start feeling like there is air in them. this happens with my hip, wrist, back, as i said just about everywhere. i started getting worried when i realized my ankles were cracking when going down the stairs.. And i am only 16. -- reborn.

Whenever I do push ups my shoulder and by my elbow cracks. what is the cause?

how to melt my swelling ligaments..because of cracking fingers i'm only 15 years old.. help me please.

My joints crack a lot (elbows and knees) sounding very hard, what kind of medicine is good for this? this is nasty...even some people look at me when they hear da crack, I feel ashamed and i don't do this on purpose...recommend me something..

Carlos Jose Valles.

Goldsboro, NC

2/27/09.

i have the same crackling. i thought it was just old age because i'm 56 years old. thank you misfit

For about a few years my joints seem to crack a lot. It is very annoying. Can someone tell me what could be wrong, because i experience no pain when this happens. I'm only 28, is it something i should be concerned about??

how do we stop this habit or the treatment?

1. is there any negative effect for this action??

2. is there any correlation between cracking the joints and arthritis??

3. How to stop this habit or the treatment?

Thank you very much.