Why do joints crack?

1 min read
Picture of Dr. Pasquale X. Montesano
Dr. Pasquale X. Montesano

Principal Orthopedic Spine surgeon at Montesano Spine & Sport.

Office worker presses his lower back while turning away from a laptop and desk

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Have you ever thought about why joints crack? It’s actually an interesting process. The cartilage that covers the ends of your bones rubs against each other and creates a vacuum. You will probably want to crack your bones at this point. Some people say it helps to relieve pain, but that has not been proven. 

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