Creaky, snapping, clicky, popping, crunching – our bodies do love to get loud and vocal with us when we move! And the good news is the sounds alone are perfectly normal when they aren’t accompanied by any other symptoms.
We are not fully clear on why they happen, it can be joints or soft tissues slipping and sliding across surfaces. In some cases the body creates a little vacuum and the pop we hear is its release – a bit like when we pick up a mug and the coaster stays attached then plops off.
This is called cavitation and can be tiny vacuums forming in the joint fluid (synovial fluid) which rapidly collapse and create sound or bubbles of air that pop when the joint extends – at its extreme, cavitation can be adhesions within the joint being separated.
Of course if noises are associated with discomfort it can be worth a trip to your GP or physio but alone it is not a predictor of pain, ageing or problems. In the vast majority of cases it is nothing to worry about and will go away on its own – just like bottom burps, rumbling tummies and all the other surprise delights our body can produce.