Popping and cracking of muscle/joints
 

Stiff joints that pop/crack a bunch, which aren't painful or anything, but are annoying. How does the NPF suggest dealing with them? Just stretch more? Or is there some other trick to it?

I mean, I'm not inflexible because of this, I can put my legs behind my head, bend my arm backwards, and other crazy contortions, but the cracking is really annoying/slightly worrisome.

Amputation.

Have you tried exercising? Like, putting on some muscle? I know some of my buddies have had bum shoulders all their lives and those are starting to mend a bit due to some really basic weight lifting.

Muscle has nothing to do with it.


I've had a similar thing for as long as I can remember. I just accept that my joints crack. It's nothing to be worried about. It's just bubbles in your joint fluid popping due to decreased pressure. The gases are then reabsorbed into the joint fluid.

Here: http://health.howstuffworks.com/huma...uestion437.htm

Don't avoid it; use it as a weapon to frighten people. Begin screaming after a partciularly large crack, act like a bone snapped. Claim you have a rare disease.

From the brief research I just did, flexibility actually contributes to joint popping. When you flex a joint slightly beyond its normal range of motion it's more likely to fill with the gas that escapes when it cracks.

I'm also a very bendy person and my joints pop and crack a lot- like Blues, I've just come to accept it.

However, you might want to watch which joints crack a lot, especially if you have stiffness- if it's your neck or spine, you might want to consider some strengthening exercises. Although the joint is what's making the sound, the ligaments around it may be working harder to support your greater range mobility. Link: http://www.spinegroup.com/Advice/NkCrk.html

That aside, arthritis can also cause cracking due to the cartilage around the joints being worn out.

To be honest I wouldn't trust anything on a chiropracty website. Cause they crazy nutters.

Edit: I didn't notice that was a chriopracty website. Whoops. But I saw that idea come up in a few other places.

Regardless, if there's stiffness some gentle exercise would probably help. If there isn't and you're not arthritic, then meh. Some people just have joints that pop a lot.

Here's a slightly more reliable source (along with Blues' link): http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/...osteoarthritis
How to keep your joints healthy: http://arthritis.webmd.com/caring-your-joints Again the only reason I link this is because you shouldn't be stiff...

Right, I forgot. Muscle doesn't support joints and ligaments. How silly of me.

Truth, but Blues IS right about the popping.
As for the stiff shoulder... that's where you come in, with the muscle building. Probably.