If you’ve ever popped or cracked your joints — by accident or on purpose — you’re not alone. There’s even a medical name for that crackling, clicking or popping sound your bones make: crepitus.

Joint sounds like cracking and popping are often harmless—but when paired with pain or stiffness, they may signal early arthritis. Experts say age isn’t the only factor—diet, inflammation, and ...

Joints often crack due to harmless gas bubbles in fluid or tendons moving over bones. While usually normal, persistent pain, swelling, or stiffness could signal arthritis or injury. Staying active, ...

I have a routine for when I get home from work: Crack each toe, then my ankles, both knees, pelvic bone (a particularly good one), twist-crack my lower back, both shoulders, my wrists, then each and ...

Whether you love it or hate it, cracking knuckles is a common habit we've likely all done at some point. It's one of life's simple pleasures for some people, who crave the satisfying "pop" and ...

Andrew Lavender does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond ...

Many believe cracking knuckles weakens grip. However, scientific studies show this habit does not reduce grip strength. Research also indicates no strong link to arthritis. A doctor even cracked one ...

Snap. Crackle. Pop. If your knees sound like a bowl of cereal every time you stand, you’re not alone. “Those cracking or popping sounds people hear are really common. We call it ‘crepitus’ in the ...

A favourite party trick of mine is to crack my hips dramatically. No, not crack, pop. I have really obnoxiously loud hips, probably because I had displaced hips as a baby or maybe because of the years ...

Your body has millions of parts working together every second of every day. In this series, Dr. Jen Caudle, a board-certified family medicine physician and an associate professor at Rowan University ...