Question: Why do joints click, and is there a way to stop it from happening?

Pete Etchells answered on 4 Jul 2012:

One reason why people think joints click is that temporary vacuums develop in the fluid in your joints. When you manipulate the joint to click it, this vacuum rapidly collapses, which is what makes the popping sound. Far from being a bad thing for you (studies have shown that it doesn’t cause arthritis, for example), some people think that it can be a good thing to do if it feels like it needs to be done, especially after exercise. I don’t think there’s a way of stopping it from happening though!