If you’ve ever popped or cracked your joints — by accident or on purpose — you’re not alone. There’s even a medical name for that crackling, clicking or popping sound your bones make: crepitus.

When you need to stretch out stiff muscles, it’s natural to hear a “snap, crackle, pop!” with no Rice Krispies in sight. But when it comes to your neck, you may be wondering if there may be any ...

Medically reviewed by John Carew, MD Key Takeaways Earwax buildup can cause crackling sounds in the ear. Swallowing, chewing, ...

For decades, knuckle cracking has been blamed for arthritis and joint damage. Scientists now say the sound comes from gas ...

Cracking your back or neck might provide quick relief and a satisfying popping noise — but is it a safe practice? "When you stretch or manipulate your spine, such as by twisting or bending, the ...

A bit of relief, or maybe just a force of habit: We’re separating fact from fiction about what happens when you crack your knuckles and other joints. * It all has to do with the “synovial fluid” in ...

An age-old urban legend that claims cracking one’s knuckles will lead to arthritis may be old in every middle school child’s repertoire, but a look at the scientific literature finds that there is ...

Crackling in your ear is an annoying sound that may remind you of a fresh bowl of a certain puffed rice cereal. It can be a symptom of normal seasonal allergies. It may also be a sign of something ...

What does it mean that my knees crack? “Knee cracking could mean lots of things,” said Harshvardhan Singh, Ph.D., assistant professor with UAB’s Department of Physical Therapy. “If it is painful, then ...

Your body has millions of parts working together every second of every day. In this series, Dr. Jen Caudle, a board-certified family medicine physician and an associate professor at Rowan University ...