# Cracking them bones

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cracking-them-bones/122411>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 5, 2002, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cracking-them-bones/122411 "2002-08-05T10:25:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Nishroch\_Order](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Nishroch\_Order](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nishroch_Order)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cracking-them-bones/122411/1 "2002-08-05T10:25:01Z")

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Is it ok to crack bone joints? I mean crack not as in literally cracking it but just bend in such a way that it produces the “CRACK” sound.  
I just can’t help it but crack my back bones few times a day and was wondering if its actually bad to do so.😕

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**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cracking-them-bones/122411/2 "2002-08-05T10:34:43Z")

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Technically, you’re not cracking anything. The spaces between the bones are filled with a fluid, and when you pull or stretch the joints, you lower the pressure in this fluid, creating a bubble. When this bubble collapses, it creates the popping or cracking sound that you hear.

As for whether or not it’s bad for you, I don’t know if there’s a medical consensus on that. Some say it damages the joints over time, while others say it’s not the popping itself, but the contortions one goes through to produce the sound, while still others say there’s no danger.

Hopefully, some of our more medically inclined Dopers will chime in with more information.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cracking-them-bones/122411/3 "2002-08-05T12:14:55Z")

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IIRC, sometimes the cracking is also caused by tendons snapping into place as a joint moves (but probably not in the case of the knuckles).

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cracking-them-bones/122411/4 "2002-08-05T12:40:44Z")

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[Cecil’s column](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_418.html)

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cracking-them-bones/122411/5 "2002-08-05T12:42:24Z")

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[Cecil’s more-appropriate column](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_305b.html)

:o