Editing Joint cracking (section)

{{short description|Bending person's joints to produce a distinct cracking or popping sound}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
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|image1 = Cracking knuckles.jpg
|caption1 = Cracking finger joints makes a distinct cracking or popping sound.
|image2 = Knuckle crack.ogg
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'''Joint cracking''' is the manipulation of [[joint]]s to produce a sound and related "popping" sensation. It is sometimes performed by [[Physical therapy|physical therapist]]s, [[chiropractor]]s, and [[osteopath]]s<ref>Richard Boggs, ''Hammaming in the Sham: A Journey Through the Turkish Baths of Damascus, Aleppo and Beyond'', 2012, {{isbn|1859643256}}, [https://books.google.com/books?id=uoMH_psyizoC&pg=PT161 p. 161]</ref> pursuing a variety of outcomes.

The cracking mechanism and the resulting sound is caused by dissolved gas (nitrogen gas) [[cavitation]] bubbles suddenly collapsing inside the joints. This happens when the joint cavity is stretched beyond its normal size. The pressure inside the joint cavity drops and the dissolved gas suddenly comes out of solution and takes gaseous form which makes a distinct popping noise.  To be able to crack the same knuckle again requires waiting about 20 minutes before the bubbles dissolve back into the synovial fluid and will be able to form again.<ref name="dvorsky">{{Cite news|url=https://gizmodo.com/now-we-know-why-knuckle-cracking-makes-that-awful-sound-1824154323|title=Simulation May Finally Explain Why Knuckle Cracking Makes That Awful Sound|last=Dvorsky|first=George|work=Gizmodo|access-date=2018-03-30|language=en-US}}</ref>

It is possible for voluntary joint cracking by an individual to be considered as part of the [[obsessive–compulsive disorder]]s spectrum.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Abouhendy|first1=Wa-il|last2=Jawad|first2=Sudad|title=Compulsive Joint Clicking on the Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum: A Case Report|journal=The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders |date=4 July 2013|volume=15 |issue=4 |pages=PCC.13l01513 |doi=10.4088/PCC.13l01513 |pmid=24392256 |pmc=3869608 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Johnson|first1=A.|last2=Linse|first2=A.|last3=Novoa|first3=K. C.|title=A Tough Case to Crack: Diagnostic, Ethical, and Legal Considerations in Treating Compulsive Neck Cracking |journal=Cureus|date=6 April 2022|volume=14 |issue=4 |pages=e23875 |doi=10.7759/cureus.23875 |doi-access=free |pmid=35530890 |pmc=9076044 }}</ref>