OK - I guess I've put myself into 'guinea pig' status - lol - but in the interest of science and entertainment, I have had this condition for about 7 years now starting with shoulder aches and developing to where I had to have an operation on that shoulder. It is bi-lateral in that the left shoulder and arm are now experiencing the same problems and will most probably result in an operation as well. Bi-lateral carpal tunnel developed about 2 years ago.

I crack methodically throughout the day to provide range of motion and discomfort relief as required - some days are worse than others but these procedures sometimes involve a consecutive and adjoining series of cracks to get the desired result. For example, I may have to crack 2 or three fingers in my right hand either sideways or by pulling them and then my right elbow and then my right shoulder and then my right cervical spine which altogether gives relief for the arm and neck. Other times it may be only the right clavicle sternum joint and then the neck. Other times maybe only a single joint like the neck. It occurs as required when my body parts are giving me discomfort signals which always results in the need to crack them. This is what I find most odd about it - my body is actually displacing the joints either by autonomous muscle or tendon contraction or joint synovial fluid NO2 build-up which causes me to know automatically which joint to crack and to what extent. Even single digit joints like the thumb or a toe.

Now every medical professional I have not only explained this to but actually demonstrated and called the cracks before hand feels that I either just have hyper-flexive joints or they look at me like I am on the verge of being psychotic. I think I may have some invasive condition or may be the result of environmental exposures - like heavy metals etc that may be causing this and will continue to slowly attack various areas of my body. I have recently started getting right hip pains and have to crack my right ankle and knee to relieve them. I have also had bone spurs occur and there is a bump about the size of a grape on my right upper sternum where the first rib joins which the doctors says is probably coastal chondritis. I am of the opinion that all these are inter-connected and a result of something either chemically or biophysically out of balance in my system.

What I find truly remarkable in all this is that there does not appear to be anyone else out there suffering from these problems tied to joint cracking.

It may be that I am the first and others from your generations may develop similar problems. I have 3 sons and two of them have the same joint cracking needs in most of their joints but do not have any pain or abnormal conditions yet.

Hopefully I haven't bored you all but there it is and I now step out of the spotlight to resume my place as a junior jointcracker.

Regards, Benny

Hey Blaze - aren't chiropractors just professional crackers? At least they get paid - paid well - for cracking joints.

MasterCracker - thanks for your reply - I don't know how old you are but if you are my age or there abouts then you would know the difference between age related stiffness and soreness and the problems I am experiencing. Yes I get those too and thanks for the suggested treatments but your last sentence is a re-iteration of what I have previously posted and my wish for this site was to hopefully find either an explanation or others who may be experiencing the same problems and have found a solution. I have been to neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, chiropractors, therapists of all types - physio only - not psychological - lol - hmmm maybe that's next! - have had ultrasounds, extensive bloodwork and other investigative chemistry and Xrays and MRI's and the upshot is that they all say there is something wrong and it's affecting my muscles and joints, they just don't know what could be causing the problem. I have even stopped drinking diet soft drinks due to reported connections with formaldehyde and joint problems. I take a 100mg dose of voltarin daily which is a strong anti-inflammatory to subdue the pain but this will probably eventually cause stomach and liver problems.

In any event, thank you all for your concern and interest in my condition. As I stated, it's not life threatening but life minimizing. I am considering having that total body medical imaging and work-up done - at about $2500.00 it would be well worth it to find out what the problem is.

Regards, Benny

BTW - Blaze - your signature says you're leaving on June 4th - going away for a vacation or are you leaving this site?

Have a good trip if it's a holiday and hope you're not leaving the site permanently, you've done a lot of posting in the last year or so.

Regards, Benny

Thanks Bod8 - it's not life threatening - just life minimizing when pain etc impedes my enjoyment of activities. My biggest irritation is that our medical professionals are oblivious to the joint cracking problems and their interconnection with the musculo-skelatal problems and their inability to investigate the root causes and develop a 'big picture' diagnosis and prognosis for the problem.

Hopefully you younger persons with cracking problems won't develop these kinds of problems later in life.

Good luck with your cracking.

Regards, Benny

Hi Blaze - yes it requires a fair amount of pressure to crack it - your elbow should be up and pretty much parallel with the floor with the ball of your palm resting on the round bump of your jaw joint just where it turns to go up toward your ear. Yours fingers should extend toward the back of your neck with your thumb pointing downwards. It may require several quick pushes to finally crack it but if there is any sharp pain it is probably best to stop.

Hope this helps and good luck,

Benny

Hi Blaze - you probably read that I have the same problem as you have outlined here. You can crack your jaw by using the palm of your right hand and pressing firmly against the right side of your jaw just under your ear where the joint is and it will crack and you will feel relief. Open your mouth when doing this. You then may be able to crack it from the left side as well. Sometimes it will crack on it's own by opening your mouth very wide.

I experienced alot of pain a couple of years ago and the joint muscle actually became larger. I had it examined by my dentist who sent me to an oral surgeon who took an MRI of the area - nothing wrong apparently. This is the problem we who have joint problems endure - lack of knowledge and facility to diagnose our problems correctly.

After several years of this jaw problem, it has settled down pain wise and just needs a cracking every once in a while - usually as part of my other joint cracking requirements.

Hope this helps,

regards, Benny

Hi Blaze - thanks for the reply - to update :

1. I'm still on the right side of the grass.

2. Right shoulder has settled down but still need to crack neck and jaw and now left shoulder displays same symptoms the right did when I needed the acromioplasty - SO - I guess it's back to the doctor for a diagnosis and ultrasound and eventual MRI.

It feels like my joints are pulling themselves apart and the need to crack is as I stated previously - necessary for acceptable movement and pain relief.

This is a pain (sic) in the a*s - no cracking there yet - lol - because I am a young retiree - 52 - and I am quite active with sailing and golf and construction projects around the house etc. I am now starting to ride a motorcycle so i don't want this arm problem to impede my pursuit of the fun things I like to do.

Maybe I need a good SWEDISH massage - you would know about those !

Take care - maybe some medical professional has an idea what is happening to me.

Regards, Benny

From what I've read out there and possible the best explanation is from Wikipedia, it is the need to release built up gas - either CO2 or nitogen from the synovial fluid capsules in our joints. Is it possible that some of us are producing too much of these gases in our bodies naturally or because of diet and we few are prone to have to crack? Maybe it is also nerve problems as I get small non healing but not painfull pimples in the areas where i experience the muscle pain associated with the joint problem. Any thoughts out there?

Thanks, Benny

Hi All - Nice to see others who have the need to crack the joints.

My story is that I am just over 51 years old and most of my joints have cracked all of my a***t life - many on their own without much pressure.

Since about 5 years ago, the joints in my fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, clavical, neck and jaw have been painfull and have been weakening and I have had to crack them to relieve pain and lack of mobility.

In the meantime, I have had an acromioplasty performed on my right shoulder last November when a spur was removeed and tears were mended, but since then, there is a problrem with it and due to pain and weakness, I had to stop physiotherary. My surgeon recently took another MRI of it and stated that the results were inconclusive and "let's wait a month and see what happens" . I suggested that this MRI also cover my whole upper body to determine if all the joint and tendon interaction is causing problem but of course they know better. I am getting frustrated because no physician knows anything about my problem or is willing to look at the big pictuure. There has been a slow growing bump on my upper right sternum that they explain as probably chondritis.

The only way I can make my right arm work is when I wake, I have to crack the index and ring finger by pulling them outward, then this will let me crack the rght elbow, I can then crack my neck by jerking it quickly to the left and then I can slowly raise my rght arm up above my shoulder to crack the clavicle joints. I will then have better movement and less pain in that arm. I then need to crack my left arm joints and I can start the day.

I know I'm rambling and I apologize however, I don't crack for fun but to relieve pain and give more range of movement. BTW - I also developed bi-lateral carpal tunnel syndrome. I feel all these problems are a result of a joint or tendon/muscle disorder. I am lossing muscle tone and strength in my arms and am quite concerned.

If there are any threads that are related to my problems, please let me know.

Otherwise, I am a fun guy :lol: and I'm glad I found this group.

Regards, Benny