# Joints popping days after workout?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joints-popping-days-after-workout/348124>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 13, 2006, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joints-popping-days-after-workout/348124 "2006-03-13T02:50:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2006, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joints-popping-days-after-workout/348124/1 "2006-03-13T02:50:26Z")

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So, a few days ago, I went to the student rec center on campus and swam until my arms felt like falling off (so, like, 10 minutes). For me, this is a rather strenuous workout.

Anyhow, a couple days later, and for a day or two after that, I noticed that every once in a while, when I moved my arms after sitting still for a while (for instance, donating blood plasma, an activity which does not lend one towards performing jumping jacks), I would feel my shoulder tighten up at some point within its normal range of motion, then a sharp (but not painful) pop as the tension released.

Any idea what causes this? It doesn’t bother me a lot, but I’m curious.

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**Author:** ![Fridgemagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@Fridgemagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fridgemagnet)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2006, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joints-popping-days-after-workout/348124/2 "2006-03-13T14:23:03Z")

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[Cecil speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_305b.html). Your shoulder joints are probably pulled a little out of position by tight post-exercise muscles, and flexing them back into a default position causes a popping noise from bubble cavitation of dissolved gases in the synovial fluid.

Relax the muscles with post-exercise massage, and you won’t get so many problems.

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**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2006, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joints-popping-days-after-workout/348124/3 "2006-03-14T06:21:22Z")

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Oh, so you’re saying I have to get a massage now? Oh, how I am forced to suffer to get in shape 😃