• Question: Why do joints click?

    Asked by 09jhodge to Daphne, Darren, Jon, Katherine on 21 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Daphne Ng

      Daphne Ng answered on 21 Mar 2012:

      The most widely accepted reason is because stretching your joints causes the gas bubble dissolved in the fluid around the joints to collapse, creating the clicking sound.

      Some people also crack their joints to relieve tension. I can crack my finger and toe joints at will!

    • Photo: Katherine Haxton

      Katherine Haxton answered on 21 Mar 2012:

      The scientific name for the noise joints make is crepitus. Other reasons for the noise might be rapidly stretching the ligaments around the joint or separating bits of the joint that were a bit stuck together.

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