What it Means if Your Joints Always Pop

The older we get, the more likely we are to experience more joint pain with our everyday activities and tasks. Is it normal to feel popping and cracking with casual movements? Is that a sign of arthritis? Keep reading to learn more about what is considered normal with aging, versus what you should seek help with. 

What’s Cracking? 

As we age you might hear your body make more sounds with everyday movement. While this can be considered normal, consistent popping in the joints can be signs of deeper issues. Common issues are:

• Injured ligaments and cartilage
• Built up synovial fluid 
• Osteoarthritis 
• Gas buildup

Popping your back releases built up pressure. The cracking can often feel relieving because of this release. While it’s hard to pinpoint why exactly you hear and feel your joints cracking, it’s presumed to be caused by ligaments stretching and releasing. It’s also been thought to be caused by the compression of nitrogen bubbles in the spaces of joints, according to Hopkins Medicine. They state further that it is normal for these signs to increase with age. However, if you have pain with the cracking or notice inflammation, it’s likely to be caused by an underlying issue. 

Understanding Arthritis

Aching joints can often be a sign of aging, but sometimes they can be linked to an immune system disorder. The most common form of arthritis is known as osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disorder that causes wear and tear in the joints. Most often, it affects the knees, hips, wrists, and fingers. 

Another form of arthritis is known as rheumatoid arthritis. This form involves damage from the body’s immune system. Something triggers the body to begin attacking its joints, leading to inflammation that gets worse over time. 

Arthritis can be caused by repetitive activity, athletic activity, genetics, obesity, surgery, and even diabetes. 

Symptoms of Arthritis

Common symptoms of both types of arthritis can include:

• Stiffness of joints that develops within weeks
• Redness and tenderness of joints
• Swelling that is visible to the eye
• Fatigue 
• Hard nodules that grow under the skin on or near the joint
• Chronic joint pain that can increase with activity or even cold weather 

What Helps with Arthritis?

Age-related joint pain can be hard to fight on your own. However, it does respond well to conservative treatments like physical therapy and anti-inflammatory medications. Our treatments here at Texas Spine and Sports Therapy can include: 

• Joint inflammation injections of cortisone for immediate relief
• Gentle manipulation and massage to restore flexibility to a stiff wrist or knee
• Exercise programs that lower irritation without further damage
• Chiropractic adjustment

Can I Crack My Own Back? 

You might be asking yourself, “if I already can crack my back and neck on my own, do I really need a chiropractic adjustment?” The answer is yes you do. It is not safe to continue to pop your own back. We recommend that you see a professional to properly adjust you. If you go to someone properly trained, you further reduce your risk of complications. Healthline explains common complications of adjusting your back incorrectly: 

• Cracking your back too quickly and pinching a nerve. A pinched nerve can be painful, and can limit your ability to move normally until they’re treated by a medical professional. 
• Using too much force and causing muscle strain. Especially near your neck and towards your low back, it’s easy to strain your back muscles. This can cause pain that has to be treated by a doctor. 
• Stretching ligaments over time. This is permanent stretching and increases your risk of osteoarthritis as you age. 
• Injuring blood vessels. This is often the most serious risk. Injuring a blood vessel is dangerous because many of them run up and down your spine, and many of them connect to your brain. An injured vessel can cause blood clotting, which can lead to a stroke. 

It can be tempting to try and pop your own back, especially if you’ve been doing it on your own for a while. However, it’s important that you stop trying to do it on your own and seek help from a professional to prevent further injury or serious complications.

Make an Appointment Today

If you are suffering from more joint pain as you continue to get older, make an appointment with our team at Texas Spine and Sports Therapy today. In our Austin office, our team of pain management specialists can work with you to address and treat your pain accurately. Whether you need to start a gentle exercise regimen or need pain relief through steroid injections, we have plenty of options to help you find relief from your achy joints and unwanted pain. Call today: (512)-806-0015.