I'm not a knuckle cracker myself. In fact, I hate it when people crack their knuckles. And I've frequently told people that cracking their knuckles would cause arthritis. After all, that's what everyone says. But according to this NY Times article (
republished in the Arizona Republic) it's not true. It's an urban legend.
Just reading this description of what causes knuckles to crack makes me cringe:
The loud pop of a cracked knuckle is caused by synovial fluid, the thick lubricant that surrounds every joint. When the fingers are stretched or bent backward, the bones of the joint pull apart. This creates bubbles of air in the fluid, which subsequently burst.
But as for the evidence that knuckle cracking doesn't cause arthritis, the article cites a 1990 study:
The largest study to explore a link to arthritis was published in 1990 in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. It looked at 300 healthy people older than 45, 74 of them habitual knuckle crackers. The rates of arthritis of the hand were similar in both groups, though the knuckle crackers, on average, had reduced grip strength.
Still, I think I might keep telling people who are cracking their knuckles that it's going to give them arthritis, just to annoy them and maybe scare them into stopping.
Comments
i crack mine all the time, and my toes, and my arms, and my knees, and my neck and back and my ankles and my elbows.
NIPS!!!!!!!
My hands are very shaky sometimes, especially when tired...could this be from my life destroying addiction to knuckle cracking! AHhhhhh!
anyone here crack their toes at all?
I must crack my joints from exteme stiffnes, especially in my back. If I don't crack my back, I am in a great deal of discomfort. I must have someone step on my back, twist or bend over backwards over a ridge edge. The stiffness is not always easy to get rid of. It makes life very unpleasant at times.
There's also the issue that a joint pushed almost to the point of cracking will likely hurt until it does crack.
All 15 finger/thumb joints, wrist (only if they have been inactive for at least an hour), elbow, knee, ankle, 9 joints of the toes (the little toe doesn't have the flexibility to crack the second joint), neck and low back.
Its so hard because there is no Nicabate CQ for knuckle cracking and you can't call a Quitline.
http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/5/10/9
I can't think of one joint I do not crack. Do it all the time too.
Very odd, it is.
I would like to see some sort of experiement done under sonar or ultrasound to see exactly what happens in the joint when we do this.
And it can be done quickly after being done before.
Very strange thing we do.
I never used to hear any sound from my wrists, no matter how hard I tried to "crack" them. But ever since I started playing piano and therefore stretching my fingers, moving my hands, etc, I have been able to crack at will.
The claim about cracking causing arthritis is wrong in my case, and maybe in several others. On the contrary, seeing as my cracking is due to a large amount of exercise and use of my hands, chances are I am less likely to get arthritis when I'm older.
I hope this helps to answer a few questions
Love Emma (aged 17)
I have been an avid joint cracker for more than 20 years which accumulated in a strong desire to learn and stop.
It has become an addiction for me and I personally thus define it as hurtful, as a condition, a disease, something to get rid off, to stop doing.
For the longest time I have been completely in the dark and have been laughed at by doctors I asked about this.
Not even a year ago I started a web community with the sole purpose to share and discuss this topic to condense all criticial knowledge in one single place for everyone to become the wiser.
You are all very much invited to visit us at http://www.jointcrackers.com
I'm humbled by AVF from Boston, MA who already posted in January 2006 the biggest answers I have been longing for. His summary post is perfect in line with all the research collected in one year so far.
To be sure, joint cracking isn't necessarily evil for everyone. In China it is even common health practice. Some reported, like here, that it helps them to maintain good joint health.
It only gets bad when you can't stop doing it. Like what happened to me. Through knowledge I am now much more aware of the issues at hand and am more able to get a grip on it.
There is still much to learn about all this.
And greg in new zealand.... that is really bad taste
Okay, someone else was wanting help w/ popping their back. I have a few methods, but one easy one when sitting in a chair... seriously, squeeze your butt and thighs together and straighten your back, push back alittle all at the same time. Or do the same thing, but push your thighs outward while doing it. Either, works for me about half the time and cracks all the way from the tailbone up to the middle of my back. I also leave over counters or chairs, leaning right about at the tailbone area. Or you could sit straight in a chair with arms and twist, using the arms to help you pull. But that way kinds freaks me out, if I really have to pull. I pop my back to relieve the pain and stiffness. Stiffness in my knuckles and neck are why I pop those mostly. :D
crack is so not wack.
i used to ask my friens how they got over the addiction, but they just said that they stopped cracking and and don't know how.
i guess i know what they mean now. 😊
Lifes small.. live it LARGE :DDD
Thats 54 joints I can crack(:
rude, arrogant, and have nothing positive to say, then don't comment. It just shows what type of person you are.