Whether it’s one or all of your knuckles, you may wonder what causes the cracking sound. Although interesting, “cracking joints” and “popping knuckles” are not fully understood.

but the one that has been blamed on knuckle cracking is osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease in which the tissues in the joint wear away, causing pain, swelling and stiffness. While injury or ...

Cracking your knuckles does not increase the risk of arthritis, but if it leads to discomfort or swelling, it’s best to ...