Why Your Finger Joints Click, Snap, and Pop

Many people can make their fingers pop and snap, often called cracking knuckles. The sound you hear is caused by nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide bubbles moving in the fluid that surrounds your joints. Rest assured that the most common causes of finger-popping are not typically a problem.

When there is no pain associated with popping or snapping fingers, it is usually harmless. However, if your noisy finger joints are painful or swollen, you should contact your healthcare provider.

This article explains when snapping fingers and cracking knuckles can be signs of a problem. It will also discuss symptoms to be aware of and potential treatments.

What Causes Joints to Snap and Pop?

Joints may snap and pop for many reasons. Some of the conditions that cause it include:

• A condition known as trigger finger
• Finger and hand injuries
• Arthritis
  

Trigger Finger

Trigger finger (stenosing tenosynovitis) is the most common cause of finger joint popping.

The tendons in your hands are like cords that attach to the ends of your fingers. When your forearm muscles contract, the tendons pull the fingers into a fist. The tendons run through a thin tube called the flexor tendon sheath. This goes from the middle of the palm to the tip of the finger.

If you have the condition known as trigger finger, that tendon movement isn't smooth and may feel painful and stiff. This can lead to snapping noises. Because of this, you may also develop some swelling on your palm.

Symptoms

In addition to snapping or popping sounds, trigger finger can cause:

• Pain or soreness while gripping
• Joint stiffness
• Locking of a finger
• Tender lump or swelling on the palm

Causes

The cause of trigger finger is often unclear. It can occur in multiple fingers, in different locations, and at different times.

Trigger finger can happen if the size of the tendon and the size of the opening of the tendon sheath aren't compatible. This can occur if there is inflammation or swelling on the tendon.

This causes a snapping feeling when you are relaxing a fist. If symptoms get worse, you may need to use your other hand to straighten the trigger finger, or it may not straighten at all.

Trigger finger tends to affect people over 40. People who used their hands or fingers strenuously, such as farmers, musicians, and industrial workers, are commonly affected, as are people with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or diabetes.

Treatment

In most cases, trigger finger is treated with rest, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs, finger exercises, and a finger brace. Severe cases may be treated with steroid injections or a surgery called tenolysis to release scar tissue from tendons.

Ligament Injury

Ligaments hold joints together and can get damaged when a finger is sprained or dislocated.

Symptoms

Signs of ligament injury are pain, redness, and swelling, along with popping sounds with movement of the joints.

Causes

Ligaments can be partially or completely torn. If the ligament heals improperly and is too loose, the joint can pop and snap as you bend your fingers.

Treatment

Injured fingers should be splinted or taped so the joint has limited mobility. Applying ice on and off for 30 minutes at a time helps reduce pain and swelling. NSAIDs can also reduce inflammation and offer pain relief.

Finger ligament injuries may be thought of as small problems. However, if not properly treated, they can lead to long-term issues with the finger joints. If you think you may have a ligament injury, it's best to reach out to a medical professional.

Osteoarthritis

Finger osteoarthritis is the wearing away of the normally smooth cartilage surfaces of the joints. As arthritis worsens, joint movements can become painful. Arthritic joints in the fingers often cause swollen knuckles.

Symptoms

The movement of an affected finger joint can cause a grating, clicking, or popping sound called crepitus. This can happen as a result of small, pointed bone growths around the arthritic joints. These growths, known as bone spurs, can create uneven surfaces and connection issues. You may notice a small bump around the arthritic joint called a mucous cyst.

Causes

Osteoarthritis has several predictive risk factors, including age, gender, chronic illness, and more. A history of manual labor or repetitive use of the hand may also increase your chance of developing arthritis in the hand.

Treatment

There are several approaches to treating osteoarthritis. One is by taking over-the-counter medications like NSAIDs to control the symptoms of pain and inflammation. Another is physical therapy to maintain as much mobility and strength as possible. Prescription medications can also help.

Diagnosing Finger Popping

To determine the reason your fingers may be popping, a healthcare provider will perform a physical exam and ask questions about your symptoms. Often, this is sufficient to determine what is causing your symptoms.

Increasingly, healthcare providers are using imaging tools like ultrasound to visualize the anatomy and determine the reasons for symptoms. Some providers might also use X-rays.

Prevention

Preventing trigger finger and other causes of finger popping starts with taking good care of your fingers by avoiding overuse, ensuring good ergonomics with repetitive activities, and seeking help as soon as you notice any symptoms to prevent it from becoming worse.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

To prevent further injury and pain, you should see a healthcare provider under the following scenarios:

• If the joint looks swollen, inflamed, or discolored
• If you cannot fully extend your finger
• If there is numbness at the fingertip
• If there is tenderness along the palm side of the finger, especially in the fold of the joint
• If there is morning stiffness lasting around 30 minutes
• If the finger joint looks enlarged or deformed
• If there is a dull, burning sensation in your fingers
• If there is tenderness in the joint
• If there is a loss of flexibility or a grating sensation

Summary

Fingers and knuckles that crack, snap, or pop are typically nothing to worry about. However, you should speak with your healthcare provider if you have finger pain, numbness, or a burning sensation. You should also reach out to your doctor if you see any swelling, or are having difficulty with finger movement.

These symptoms may be signs of trigger finger, a ligament injury, or osteoarthritis. If so, know that there are treatment options available. These may include injections, surgery, wearing a splint, and physical therapy.