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Health condition

Clicking joints, what the noise means and when it matters.

Most joint clicks are harmless. A structured look at cause, pain, catching and locking tells you which need investigation and which are safe to ignore.

A radiographer guides a patient onto the bed of an advanced 3 Tesla MRI scanner in a London imaging suite

Why trust this guide

  • 01

    Editorial team

    Written by our editorial team from the UK sources listed on each page.

  • 02

    Sourced from guidance

    Checked against NICE, BOA, BASEM and peer-reviewed sources you can see at the end.

  • 03

    Current for 2026

    Reflects modern UK guidance on joint noises, imaging pathways and when a specialist opinion is needed.

Key facts

Clicking joints at a glance.

The essentials, in plain English - what the sounds mean, when they matter and how they are worked up in the UK.

  • What it is

    An audible or palpable click, crack, pop or grinding sound from a joint during movement. Very common and often benign.

  • Cavitation

    The familiar knuckle crack is gas bubbles collapsing in synovial fluid. Harmless and not linked to arthritis.

  • Tendon snapping

    Iliotibial band, biceps or peroneal tendon flicking over a bony ridge. Often painless, sometimes needs physio.

  • Crepitus

    Fine grinding or crunching from osteoarthritis, chondromalacia patellae or subacromial impingement.

  • Meniscal or labral

    A click with pain, catching or locking after twisting suggests a meniscal tear or labral injury.

  • When to worry

    Persistent pain, swelling, locking, giving way, fever or trauma warrants imaging and a specialist opinion.

Why this guide matters

Sort the harmless from the significant.

Most joint noise is normal. A small subset points to a mechanical problem worth treating - and this page helps you tell the difference.

  • Painless clicks are usually benign

    Cavitation, tendon snapping and hypermobility clicks without pain, swelling or locking rarely need investigation.

  • Pain plus clicking changes the picture

    Clicks with catching, locking, giving way or swelling point to meniscus, labrum, cartilage or loose bodies.

  • Imaging follows the story

    X-ray, ultrasound and MRI each answer a different question - the right test depends on the joint and the symptoms.

How the diagnosis is made

From the first click to a clear plan.

The steps a UK GP, physiotherapist or orthopaedic specialist will normally follow, in order - so you know what to expect and why.

  1. 01

    Assessing

    History and joint mapping

    Location, trigger, associated pain, swelling, locking, timing, trauma and activity all narrow the cause quickly.

  2. 02

    Assessing

    Focused examination

    Reproduce the sound, palpate for tenderness, test range of motion, stability and neurovascular status.

  3. 03

    Assessing

    Joint-specific special tests

    McMurray for meniscus, FADIR for hip impingement, Ober for iliotibial band, Speed for biceps and so on.

  4. 04

    Confirming

    X-ray

    First-line for osteoarthritis, alignment, loose bodies, calcification and post-traumatic changes.

  5. 05

    Confirming

    Ultrasound

    Dynamic assessment of snapping tendons and effusions, and it can guide targeted injections.

  6. 06

    Planning

    MRI - the gold standard

    Best for meniscus, labrum, cartilage, subchondral bone and soft-tissue detail when symptoms persist.

  7. 07

    Planning

    Selective bloods or arthroscopy

    Inflammatory markers, urate or rheumatology review if flagged. Arthroscopy is diagnostic and therapeutic in select cases.

Typical timeline: from first assessment to a working plan in a small number of visits.

Symptoms

What clicking joints actually feel like.

Sounds can be isolated or paired with pain, swelling, catching, locking, giving way or reduced range of motion.

  • Painless cracking

    Cavitation of joint fluid at the knuckles, back or neck. No pain, no swelling, no functional impact.

  • Snapping tendon

    A rhythmic pop with movement over a bony point - often the iliotibial band, biceps or peroneal tendons.

  • Crepitus with activity

    Fine grinding or crunching on movement - typical of osteoarthritis and patellofemoral wear.

  • Click plus catching or locking

    A meniscal or labral tear should be considered - especially after a twisting injury.

  • Giving way

    The joint feels unstable and buckles - a signal for ligament, cartilage or loose-body assessment.

  • Jaw clicking

    TMJ disc displacement can produce a reciprocal click on opening and closing the mouth.

  • Hypermobile clicks

    Easy, generalised clicking in Ehlers-Danlos or hypermobility spectrum disorder, often without structural damage.

  • Red flag - hot swollen joint

    Pain with fever, redness or a rapidly swelling joint needs urgent review to exclude infection or crystal disease.

Treatment

How clicking joints are treated in the UK.

From reassurance and physio to targeted injections and arthroscopic surgery - and joint replacement when wear is advanced.

  • Reassurance for benign clicking

    Painless clicks and knuckle cracking are physiological. There is no evidence that cracking your knuckles causes arthritis.

  • Physiotherapy

    Targeted strengthening, stretching and neuromuscular control settle most snapping tendon and patellofemoral crepitus.

  • Activity modification and orthotics

    Load management, footwear, insoles and technique tweaks reduce mechanical stress on symptomatic joints.

  • Weight optimisation

    Even modest weight loss reduces knee and hip load and improves crepitus, pain and function in osteoarthritis.

  • Corticosteroid injection

    Short-term relief for inflamed bursae, tendons or arthritic joints - often ultrasound-guided for accuracy.

  • PRP or hyaluronic acid injection

    Considered for chondral wear, early osteoarthritis and tendinopathy where steroid is unsuitable.

  • Arthroscopic surgery

    Keyhole surgery for meniscal tears, labral tears, loose bodies and femoroacetabular impingement.

  • Joint replacement

    For advanced osteoarthritis where conservative care and injections no longer control pain or function.

What this guide is based on

The sources behind every claim on this page.

UK national guidance and specialist society standards, current at the time of last review.

Key references

Guidelines and standards we relied on.

A quiet reminder

This guide is for information, not medical advice.

Your GP, physiotherapist or orthopaedic specialist knows your joints and history and can tell you which parts apply to you. If in doubt, get seen.

  • NICE. Osteoarthritis in over 16s: diagnosis and management (NG226).

  • British Orthopaedic Association (BOA). Standards for trauma and orthopaedic assessment.

  • BASEM. Position statements on meniscal and cartilage injury pathways.

  • Royal College of Radiologists (RCR). iRefer guidelines for musculoskeletal imaging.

  • Ehlers-Danlos Support UK and NHS England guidance on hypermobility spectrum disorder.

Red flags

When clicking joints need urgent attention.

Most joint clicks are safe to leave alone. These are the situations that are not - and where a specialist opinion is needed.

  • Hot, swollen joint with fever

    Septic arthritis is a surgical emergency. Same-day orthopaedic assessment and joint aspiration are essential.

  • True locking

    A joint that will not straighten suggests a displaced meniscal fragment or loose body needing prompt imaging.

  • Instability after trauma

    Giving way after a twisting injury raises concern for ligament rupture, meniscal tear or osteochondral fracture.

  • Rapidly progressive pain

    Escalating pain over days or weeks - especially at night or at rest - warrants urgent specialist review.

  • Haemarthrosis

    A tense, warm, bloody effusion after injury or in a bleeding disorder needs prompt orthopaedic assessment.

  • Crystal flare

    Sudden hot swollen joint with severe pain can be gout or pseudogout - aspiration confirms and guides treatment.

  • Systemic features

    Weight loss, night sweats, rash or multi-joint involvement suggest inflammatory arthritis or another systemic cause.

  • Neurological deficit

    Numbness, weakness or bladder or bowel change with spinal clicks needs urgent same-day assessment.

  • Post-arthroplasty clicks

    New clicking after a joint replacement can signal loosening, impingement or component wear and should be reviewed.

Living with it

A common finding, with a clear plan.

Four things that make the biggest difference day to day - reassurance for benign clicks, consistent strength work, sensible load management and knowing when to escalate.

A quiet reminder

Movement is medicine for most joints.

Regular, progressive activity beats prolonged rest for most causes of clicking. Strong muscles quiet noisy joints.

  1. 01 Reassure

    Painless clicks are usually fine

    Cavitation, tendon snapping and hypermobile clicks without pain rarely need investigation or treatment.

  2. 02 Move

    Keep the joint strong

    Consistent strengthening around the joint often quietens clicks and protects cartilage and tendons long term.

  3. 03 Load

    Manage load intelligently

    Progress activity gradually, warm up properly and give tissues time to adapt - especially after a change in training.

  4. 04 Escalate

    Do not ignore new symptoms

    A click that starts to hurt, catches, locks or swells deserves a proper assessment - do not wait months.

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about clicking joints.

Quick answers on cavitation, imaging, hip and TMJ clicks and hypermobility.

  • Does cracking my knuckles cause arthritis?

    No. Long-term studies - including work that earned an Ig Nobel Prize - have shown no link between knuckle cracking and osteoarthritis. The sound is gas cavitation in the synovial fluid and is harmless.

  • Why do my joints click more as I get older?

    Cartilage thins, tendons stiffen and small osteoarthritic changes develop. Painless age-related crepitus is common. If clicks are accompanied by pain, stiffness or swelling, it is worth an assessment for osteoarthritis or a mechanical cause.

  • When does a clicking joint need a scan?

    When there is persistent pain, swelling, locking, catching, giving way, trauma or a click that fails to settle. X-ray is first-line for osteoarthritis, ultrasound for tendons and MRI for meniscus, labrum and cartilage.

  • What causes clicking in the hip?

    A snapping iliotibial band or iliopsoas tendon is common and often painless. Painful clicks with catching may indicate a labral tear or femoroacetabular impingement - covered in our clicking-hip guide.

  • Is TMJ clicking serious?

    A reciprocal click on opening and closing the mouth often reflects disc displacement with reduction and can be managed conservatively. Locking, pain or difficulty chewing needs assessment by a maxillofacial specialist or a specialist dentist.

  • Can hypermobility cause clicking?

    Yes. In generalised joint hypermobility, Ehlers-Danlos and hypermobility spectrum disorder, joints click and sublux easily. Structured physiotherapy focused on strength and proprioception is the mainstay of management.

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