Grace Cary / Getty Images
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:
Why Your Joints Crack So Much: Aging and Other Factors
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:
Causes
The cause of trigger finger is often unclear. It can occur in multiple fingers, in different locations, and at different times.
Trigger finger is about six times more common in women than in men. It is also more common in individuals withdiabetesorrheumatoid arthritis.Genetics and repeated use of the hand may increase the chance of developing trigger finger.
Trigger finger is about six times more common in women than in men. It is also more common in individuals withdiabetesorrheumatoid arthritis.
Genetics and repeated use of the hand may increase the chance of developing trigger finger.
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 withosteoarthritis,rheumatoid arthritis,gout, or diabetes.
Treatment
In most cases,trigger finger is treatedwith rest, over-the-counteranti-inflammatory drugs, finger exercises, and a finger brace. Severe cases may be treated withsteroid injectionsor a surgery called tenolysis to release scar tissue from tendons.
Ligament Injury
Ligaments hold joints together and can get damaged when afinger is sprainedor dislocated.
Signs of ligament injury are pain, redness, and swelling, along with popping sounds with movement of the joints.
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.
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.
Common symptoms of a ligament injury include pain and swelling of the joint. If the ligament heals incorrectly, the joint may pop or snap during bending.
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. Asarthritis worsens,joint movementscan become painful.Arthritic jointsin thefingersoften cause swollen knuckles.
The movement of an affected finger joint can cause a grating, clicking, or popping sound calledcrepitus.This can happen as a result of small, pointed bone growths around thearthritic 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 amucous cyst.
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.
Osteoarthritis of the hand is more common in women over the age of 50. It is also thought to run in families.
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
When to See a Healthcare Provider
To prevent further injury and pain, you should see a healthcare provider under the following scenarios:
Finger Joints: Anatomy, Conditions, and Treatments
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.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Boutin RD, Netto AP, Nakamura D, et al.“Knuckle cracking”: can blinded observers detect changes with physical examination and sonography?Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2017;475(4):1265-1271. doi:10.1007/s11999-016-5215-3
Brozovich N, Agrawal D, Reddy G.A critical appraisal of adult trigger finger: pathophysiology, treatment, and future outlook.Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open. 2019;7(8):e2360. doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000002360
Adams JE, Habbu R.Tendinopathies of the hand and wrist.Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.2015.23(12):741–750. doi:10.5435/jaaos-d-14-00216
Matthews A, Smith K, Read L, Nicholas J, Schmidt E.Trigger finger: an overview of the treatment options.JAAPA.2019;32(1):17-21. doi:10.1097/01.JAA.0000550281.42592.97
OrthoInfo.Trigger finger.
NYU Langone Health.Diagnosing hand sprains & strains.
Arthritis Foundation.Osteoarthritis of the hands.
IH National Institute on Aging.Osteoarthritis.
Young DA, Barter MJ, Soul J.Osteoarthritis year in review: genetics, genomics, epigenetics.Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2022;30(2):216-225. doi:10.1016/j.joca.2021.11.004
Ng NYY, Sirisena R, Chua YX.Management of stenosing flexor tenosynovitis in primary care.Singapore Med J.2023;64(4):255-261. doi:10.4103/SINGAPOREMEDJ.SMJ-2021-262
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
