Clicking Joints, Should I Be Worried?
A ProVital Physiotherapy Guide
Understanding joint clicking, popping, cracking and crepitus
Have you ever stood up and heard your knees crack? Or noticed your shoulder, hip or ankle clicking when you move?
You might wonder: Does this mean something is wrong with my joints?
The short answer is: not necessarily.
Joint noises are common and do not automatically mean arthritis, cartilage damage or “wear and tear.” What matters most is whether the sound comes with pain, swelling, stiffness or changes in how your joint functions.
Why Do Joints Make Noises?
Not all joint sounds have the same cause. Common explanations include:
Cavitation: Pressure changes within a joint can produce the familiar cracking sound when you crack your knuckles.
Tendons or ligaments moving: Soft tissues may snap or click as they move over nearby bones, particularly around the shoulder, hip and knee.
Crepitus: A grinding, crunching or crackling sensation, often noticed in the knee during activities such as squatting or climbing stairs.
These sounds can occur even in people without joint pain or significant joint problems.
Does clicking mean I have arthritis?
No. Joint clicking alone is not enough to diagnose osteoarthritis.
Knee crepitus can occur alongside osteoarthritis, but it can also be present in people without significant joint disease.
A proper assessment considers the bigger picture, including your symptoms, medical history, joint movement and physical function.
In other words, a noisy joint does not necessarily mean a damaged joint.
Clicking ≠ osteoarthritis.
When Should You Be Concerned?
An occasional, painless click is generally not a cause for concern. However, joint noises deserve more attention when accompanied by:
Pain during movement or exercise.
Swelling that persists or keeps returning.
Locking or catching that restricts normal movement.
Instability, such as a knee giving way.
Stiffness or reduced movement that is getting worse.
A recent injury, particularly when followed by pain, swelling or difficulty using the joint.
A hot, swollen joint with severe pain or fever requires urgent medical assessment, as it may indicate a serious condition.
Should You Stop Exercising If Your Joints Click?
Not necessarily.
If a joint clicks without pain or other concerning symptoms, you can generally continue exercising as tolerated. Joint noise alone is not a reason to avoid movement.
If clicking is painful or affects your movement, a physiotherapist can help assess whether changes to your exercise technique, training load, strength or mobility may be beneficial.
The goal is not necessarily to eliminate every joint sound, but to improve comfort, strength and function.
Can Physiotherapy Help?
Depending on the cause, physiotherapy may help manage associated pain, improve mobility, build strength and restore confidence in movement.
However, treating the sound itself is not always necessary. If a painless click does not affect your daily activities, there may be no need to intervene.
Treatment should focus on what matters most: helping you move comfortably and return to the activities you enjoy.
What's Normal and When to Worry
Joint clicking, popping, cracking and crepitus are common. They can result from normal pressure changes, tendon movement or changes within and around a joint.
Don't panic over the sound alone. Pay attention to the symptoms that come with it.
If your joint noises are accompanied by pain, swelling, locking, instability or worsening movement, seek an appropriate assessment to understand the cause and determine whether treatment is needed.
References:
1. Couch, J. L., King, M. G., De Oliveira Silva, D., Whittaker, J. L., Bruder, A. M., Serighelli, F., Kaplan, S., & Culvenor, A. G. (2025). Noisy knees—knee crepitus prevalence and association with structural pathology: A systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 59(2), 126–132. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2024-108866
2. Kawchuk, G. N., Fryer, J., Jaremko, J. L., Zeng, H., Rowe, L., & Thompson, R. (2015). Real-time visualization of joint cavitation. PLoS ONE, 10(4), e0119470. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0119470
3. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2022). Osteoarthritis in over 16s: Diagnosis and management (NICE Guideline NG226). NICE guideline NG226
4. Swezey, R. L. (2018). Let's get a hand on this: Review of the clinical anatomy of “knuckle cracking.” Clinical Anatomy, 31(7), 909–912. https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.23243
