Comments on: Does cracking your knuckles give you arthritis?

Question: Does cracking your knuckles give you arthritis?

sailoreagle — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 04:35:54 -0800

"If you keep cracking your knuckles, you'll get arthritis when you're older." Is that actually true? Is there any risk for compulsive knuckle-crackers?

By: Space Coyote

Space Coyote — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 06:58:01 -0800

Not according to santa claus.

By: twine42

twine42 — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 08:35:41 -0800

I've read lots of stuff that says you can't get arthritis from cracking your fingers. Some of it was from the doctor. No-one ever believes me.

But then, I've been cracking my fingers for over ten years, and I regularally crack every joint in my fingers.

Now, if it gets cold, my fingers start aching and stiffening, and I can only stop the pain by clicking them.

Something tells me this doesn't bode well.

By: evening

evening — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 09:02:22 -0800

I've also heard from very good doctors that there is no evidence that cracking knuckles promote arthritis.

But once you start, you can't stop - not even if you wanted to! I too find that my knuckles/joints get stiff/achy and is only relieved by cracking.

So, kiddies, put this is the same bucket as smoking -- just don't start!

By: ChasFile

ChasFile — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 09:22:19 -0800

I've heard that cracking in a rotational motion (palm over fist and then press with heel of hand on second knuckles, or the ever popular interlace-fingers-palms-out-and-press techniue) is bad, but "popping" - cracking the knuckles by pulling the fingers away from the hand - was ok. This was told me by a chiropractor, however, so its probably bullshit.

By: LairBob

LairBob — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 09:43:39 -0800

chas, that's not to mention that the entire practice of...chiropraxis, chiropractology, or whatever you'd call it...is based on this very thing. I'm one of those folks who can basically pop just about every joint in my body, and does, so I've always hoped it's not bad in the long run, but my back and neck never really popped until I went to a chiropractor once, and now they pop constantly.

Of course, a chiropractor would tell you that that's bad, since you're popping the back joints that are already prone to pop, and leaving the ones that are locked up locked, but hey--my back didn't even pop before I went to one.

By: Dantien

Dantien — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 09:50:31 -0800

My hand doctor (yes, I had one when I had an operation on my right hand to fix a bad break) told me that cracking yoru knuckles does nothing other than irritate your neighbors. It caues the release of gas in the joints (hence the popping sound) and can be relaxing, but as long as it's not constant, it causes no problems.

And heck, if a specialis says that, I'd believe it over those stupid myths...

By: Fupped Duck

Fupped Duck — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 10:41:37 -0800

However, its also a form of stretching tho and can alter ligaments/tendons and have secondary effects, both good or bad in joint function and range of motion.

By: goethean

goethean — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 10:55:27 -0800

I've cracked my knuckles for a long time now, and they do ache sometimes. And I'm only 33.

Cracking your sternum is much more fun.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 11:30:03 -0800

Actually, it's the collapse of the gas bubbles that makes the pop.

When you "pop," you're first reducing the pressure in the joint so much that gasses [technical term here] "bubbles" out of the fluid. When you release pressure the bubble collapse back on themselves, creating a small seismic shock.

It's thought that that shockwave may be harmful to the cartlidge and other joint structures. You gotta admit, the bubbles gotta be really damn small considering how little space there is in the joint, so to make an audible and sometimes physical sensation they must be collapsing some damn hard.

A microscopic jackhammer to the tissues, basically. Ouch.

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 12:11:35 -0800

Cracking your sternum is much more fun

Praise be, I thought I was the only mutant who could do that.

Is it not... disconcerting?

By: xammerboy

xammerboy — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 12:43:27 -0800

My knuckles crack every time I close my fists. I've also heard that its a rumour cracking knuckles is a bad thing.

By: BMF

BMF — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 13:42:30 -0800

Done it all my life...knuckles are big but I like em' that way and so does my girl.

By: adrober

adrober — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 17:45:59 -0800

How many people immediately cracked their knuckles upon reading this thread? I know I did.

By: madmanz123

madmanz123 — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 18:22:44 -0800

I read a study once where a doctor tracked his cracking habit for 10 years, and those of some volunteers. He determined that there might be a slight weakening of grip, but nothing signifigant. I'm talking very very minor. Wish i could remember where I read it. Slashdot maybe?

By: scarabic

scarabic — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 18:39:20 -0800

A doctor I spoke to recently said that no one even knows for sure what is happening when you crack your knuckles. His understanding is that the gass bubbles theory and the snapping sinews theory are just theories.

I've been cracking my toes all my life, and I have had lots of joint problems, including some arthritis, but never in my toes.