Shoulders make noise. A click, pop or mild grinding sensation can happen when tendons move, pressure changes within a joint, or the shoulder blade glides across the rib cage. If it is painless, occasional and does not change how your arm works, it is often more annoying than dangerous.

The sound matters more when it is new, painful or linked to other symptoms. A clunk after an injury, repeated catching, loss of strength or a feeling that the shoulder may slip deserves more attention than a quiet click you have noticed for years.

The sound alone cannot tell you whether a tendon or labrum is torn. Where you feel it, what movement produces it and what happens at the same time are more useful clues.

A surprised man reacting to unexpected snap, crackle and pop sounds coming from his shoulder

Why a shoulder can make noise

The shoulder is not one simple hinge. The upper-arm bone moves in the socket while the shoulder blade rotates and slides over the rib cage. Tendons, muscles, ligaments and bursae all move as the arm changes position.

That creates several opportunities for a sensation or sound:

A tendon may shift over a nearby bony edge.
The shoulder blade may rub or snap against the chest wall.
Joint surfaces may become rougher with arthritis.
Loose or injured tissue may catch during movement.
A shoulder with reduced control may shift more than expected.
Pressure changes inside a joint may create a painless pop.

None of these can be identified reliably by sound alone. “Clicking” describes what you notice, not the diagnosis.

Painless clicking is common

A shoulder that clicks without pain, swelling, weakness or loss of motion often does not need treatment. Scapulothoracic crepitus, the rubbing or crackling felt around the shoulder blade, has even been reported in people without shoulder symptoms.

Pay attention to the pattern rather than repeatedly testing the noise. If the shoulder moves normally and tolerates your usual work, training and daily activities, the click may simply be part of how that shoulder moves.

You also do not need to make every noise disappear before exercising. A painless click that remains stable is different from a movement that becomes increasingly painful, weak or unreliable.

Where is the click coming from?

The location is not a diagnosis, but it can help narrow the conversation during an assessment.

Front of the shoulder

A click near the front of the shoulder may involve the long head of the biceps tendon or nearby tissues. This is more meaningful when it comes with front-of-shoulder pain during lifting, reaching or resisted elbow movement.

The biceps tendon attaches near the top of the socket and travels through a groove in the upper-arm bone. It can be painful on its own or alongside a rotator-cuff or labral problem.

Read more about biceps tendinopathy and the long head of the biceps.

Deep inside the joint

A deep click, catch or clunk can sometimes occur with the labrum, cartilage or instability. A labral tear becomes more plausible when symptoms started after a traction injury, dislocation or forceful overhead movement and the shoulder now catches painfully.

But painless clicking does not prove a labral tear. Labral changes can appear on imaging without being the main reason a shoulder hurts.

Top of the shoulder

Painful clicking directly where the collarbone meets the shoulder blade may involve the acromioclavicular, or AC, joint. It may be more noticeable with pressing, reaching across the body or lying on that side.

See the acromioclavicular joint and AC joint injury.

Around the shoulder blade

Grinding, snapping or thumping along the inner border of the shoulder blade may come from the scapulothoracic joint, the sliding relationship between the scapula, muscles and rib cage.

This type of noise can be painless. When it is painful, clinicians may use terms such as scapulothoracic bursitis or snapping scapula syndrome. Repetitive overhead activity, altered shoulder-blade control, inflamed soft tissue and, less commonly, bony differences can contribute.

Does clicking mean you have a rotator-cuff tear?

No. A rotator-cuff problem can coexist with clicking, but the sound does not confirm a tear.

Rotator-cuff-related pain is usually judged from the broader pattern: pain when raising or lowering the arm, reduced tolerance to reaching or lifting, weakness, the way symptoms started and how the shoulder responds over time. A sudden injury followed by clear weakness is more concerning than noise by itself.

Explore the rotator-cuff anatomy, or compare a rotator-cuff tear with shoulder impingement.

A man raising his arm with a shoulder anatomy overlay showing several regions where clicking or popping may be felt

Why the shoulder may click when you raise your arm

Raising the arm requires coordinated movement between the glenohumeral joint and shoulder blade. A click can occur when a tendon changes direction, the shoulder blade moves across the ribs, or the joint shifts through a particular angle.

Ask yourself four questions:

Is the click painful?
Does the arm feel weak or unreliable afterward?
Does it catch or briefly stop moving?
Did the pattern begin after an injury or sudden change in training?

A painless repeatable click with full motion is usually less concerning. A painful click that is becoming more frequent, changes your movement or comes with weakness should be assessed.

Clicking, catching, clunking and grinding are not quite the same

People use these words differently, but the description can still help.

Clicking or popping: often a brief sound or sensation during one part of movement
Catching: the arm feels momentarily blocked or snagged
Clunking: a larger shift, sometimes accompanied by a sense that the joint moved
Grinding or crepitus: repeated roughness, crackling or rubbing through a range
Snapping: a tendon or shoulder-blade movement that feels as though it jumps over something

The intensity of the noise does not always match the seriousness of the problem. A loud painless shoulder can function well, while a quiet painful shoulder may still need care.

When clicking may point to instability

Instability is more than flexibility or joint noise. The shoulder may feel as though it slips, shifts or is about to come out of place. Some people describe apprehension in overhead or throwing positions, loss of power, repeated clunks or a need to hold the arm close.

This deserves assessment when it follows a dislocation or when the shoulder repeatedly gives way. See shoulder instability and the feeling of giving way.

What you can do

If the sound is painless and your shoulder works normally, you may not need to do anything beyond monitoring it.

If mild discomfort has developed gradually:

Temporarily reduce the movement, load or volume that repeatedly aggravates it.
Keep the shoulder moving through comfortable ranges rather than holding it completely still.
Warm up before harder pressing, throwing or overhead training.
Use a load you can control without shrugging, twisting or forcing the painful range.
Build shoulder and shoulder-blade strength gradually.
Note whether symptoms settle later that day and by the next morning.

The goal is not to chase silence. It is to restore comfortable, confident movement and capacity.

The five rotator-cuff exercises article offers a general starting point, but it is not a personalized rehabilitation plan. Do not force an exercise that reproduces sharp pain, catching or instability.

Things to avoid

Repeatedly circling or raising the arm just to test the click
Assuming every sound means tissue is being damaged
Forcing through sharp pain or a blocked feeling
Increasing training load, range and frequency all at once
Trying to “put the shoulder back in place” yourself
Using a single home test or social-media video to diagnose a labral or rotator-cuff tear

If the shoulder has recently dislocated, fractured or undergone surgery, follow the restrictions from your treating team.

When to get it assessed

Arrange an assessment if:

The clicking started after a fall, collision, forceful pull or dislocation
The shoulder catches, locks, slips or repeatedly feels unstable
You have new or increasing weakness
Pain is worsening or regularly disturbing sleep
You are losing motion or avoiding more activities over time
The shoulder is swollen, hot or visibly different
You have numbness, tingling or symptoms travelling from the neck into the arm
Sensible activity changes have not improved the problem

Seek urgent care after a significant injury if the shoulder looks deformed, you cannot move the arm, or the hand is cold, pale, blue or numb. Shoulder or arm pain with chest pressure, shortness of breath, sweating or faintness also needs urgent medical attention.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my shoulder click but not hurt?

Tendons and the shoulder blade can move audibly, and pressure changes within a joint can create a pop. If the noise is painless, stable and does not affect strength or movement, it is often not a sign of injury.

Can I keep working out if my shoulder clicks?

Usually, if the click is painless and your strength, control and range remain normal. Reduce or modify the exercise if the click becomes painful, causes catching or leaves the shoulder worse afterward.

Why does my shoulder pop during bench press or push-ups?

The upper-arm bone, shoulder blade, AC joint and tendons are all moving under load. Technique, load, fatigue and available range can influence the sensation. A painless stable click may be acceptable; painful catching, weakness or instability is a reason to stop and reassess.

Is shoulder grinding arthritis?

Not necessarily. Arthritis can cause roughness, stiffness and grinding, but crepitus can also come from the shoulder blade or soft tissues. Shoulder osteoarthritis is more likely when noise accompanies persistent deep pain, stiffness and reduced motion, especially over time.

Can poor posture cause shoulder clicking?

Posture can change how the shoulder blade rests and moves, but there is rarely one “bad posture” responsible for every click. Movement variety, strength, activity tolerance and symptoms matter more than holding one perfect position all day.

Do I need an MRI?

Not usually for painless clicking. Imaging is more likely to be considered after significant trauma, recurrent instability, marked weakness, true locking or symptoms that do not improve as expected. A clinician should first decide what question the scan needs to answer.

Key takeaways

Painless clicking or popping is common and does not automatically mean the shoulder is damaged.
The most useful clues are pain, weakness, catching, instability, loss of motion and how the symptoms began.
A click alone cannot diagnose a rotator-cuff or labral tear.
Noise near the shoulder blade may come from the scapulothoracic articulation rather than the ball-and-socket joint.
Modify irritating load and rebuild comfortable movement instead of repeatedly testing the sound.
New clicking after trauma, progressive weakness, locking or a slipping sensation should be assessed.

See it in 3D

Explore the rotator cuff, biceps tendon, glenohumeral joint, AC joint and scapula to see how several moving structures can create sensations in different parts of the shoulder.

Explore the Right Shoulder in the 3D Anatomy Explorer →

Continue learning

Educational information only

This article provides general education and does not diagnose an injury or replace personalized care from a qualified healthcare professional.

Sources: Memon et al., “Diagnosis and Treatment of Snapping Scapula Syndrome: A Scoping Review,” Sports Health, 2022; Kuhn et al., “Clinical Management of Scapulothoracic Bursitis and the Snapping Scapula,” Sports Health, 2012; AAOS, SLAP Tears in the Shoulder; NHS, Shoulder Pain.

Why Does My Shoulder Pop or Click?