Why do we crack and pop joints in our body

[Ruca]

to relieve stiffness and pain? And, is it really bad for you?

[kellie r]

because your synovial fluids gets air pockets in it and when you pop it, it relieves the pressure

[dablues7]

well sometimes after a long day of moving around you have a buildup of lactic acid in the joints.....popping and cracking relieves the tension quickly rather than letting the tension reduce with time.....and after a while it can be bad for you .....by constantly relieving pressure this way you can cause arthritis in your major joints

[hoopstar231]

The cracking you hear is air pockets that build up in the joints. Cracking them is just a release of the air and it feels good because you are releasing pressure. There have been no reputable studies that link joint cracking to anything bad such as arthritis.