Should runners crack their joints?

Are you a joint cracker trying to break the old habit? There are been much debate on whether joint cracking is just a mildly annoying behaviour or if it could actually lead to severe consequences down the road. Those who say it’s bad will tell you it will lead to arthritis.

If you’re in the habit of cracking your joints, the good news is that you probably don’t have to stop. Save the self discipline for something else because that satisfying popping most likely does not cause arthritis.

What happens when I crack my joints?

When you crack a joint, the lubricating liquid called synovial fluid releases gas bubbles which pop. It then takes about 20 minutes for those gas bubbles to reform. This is different than when you stand up quickly or make a funny movement and hear a loud pop. When that happens, you’re likely hearing noisy tendons as they slide over a muscle or bone.

Has anyone studied this at length?

One person very curious about the whole joint cracking debate decided to do a 60-year self study. Donald Unger cracked knuckles in one hand but not in the other for six decades to find no difference in his hands by the end. Most sources support this idea.

Some will admit that it won’t cause arthritis but still say that the habit could lead to swelling. So if you’re used to cracking joints after a good run, keep that in mind but know that you’re likely not causing damage.