Cracking joints during exercise | Joint cracking – How dangerous is that?

Cracking joints during exercise

Persons who are regularly engaged in sports may occasionally notice a cracking of the stressed joints, especially during the performance of heavy exercises. In most cases, this is a perfectly normal phenomenon that can be classified as harmless. However, pain should not occur during the cracking of the joints.

Particularly during exercise, cracking in the joints is often caused by ligaments and tendons that change their position during the course of movement. In addition, the cracking can emanate from the joint capsule, especially in small joints (such as the finger joints). If additional pain is felt in the affected joint during the cracking, this may be an indication of overstrain during exercise.People who are never at the beginning of an athletic training should therefore be slowly introduced to the joint load.

Both the joints themselves and the surrounding ligaments, tendons and muscles must get used to the increasing load over time. As the joint cartilage, ligaments and tendons grow much slower than the muscles, even during regular training, many athletes tend to increase their performance too quickly. Especially when it comes to lifting weights, however, it is important to give the joints enough time to get used to it.

Otherwise, the cracking of the joints can increase and the cartilaginous parts of the joints can wear out quickly. As a result, there is a risk of joint arthrosis. Joint cracking in a baby is in most cases completely harmless and should not cause concern.

Usually the joints of a baby are still quite soft and for this reason the individual parts of the joint rub against each other from time to time. This causes the cracking noticed by the parents. In most cases, the cracking of the baby’s joints disappears as soon as the child is grown and the joints have become more stable.

Another theory about the occurrence of cracking joints in babies is that tiny air bubbles within the synovial fluid (joint fluid) are responsible for these sounds. If the joints in question are moved, the air bubbles burst open and crackles occur. If the cracking of the joints in the baby continues for a long time, a pediatrician must still be consulted. In addition, parents of affected children should pay attention to whether pain can be provoked in the baby during movement. The cracking of joints in babies is only harmless as long as no pain is caused.