Why cracking your knuckles is bad for you




















While this habit may be a satisfying experience, cracking your knuckles too often may lead to issues affecting your hand health. When you pull your bones apart, there is a buildup of negative pressure, causing these bubbles to burst.

It is also possible for your joints to produce a popping sound due to the movement of your ligaments when stretching or bending the joints in your fingers. Think of iit like blowing a bubble with chewing gum until it pops. However, there is the potential to cause injury to your hands if done improperly or with too much force.

The popping noise itself, according to Harvard Health Publishing, " is caused by bubbles bursting in the synovial fluid — the fluid that helps lubricate joints. While cracking your joints isn't the best habit to have or to acquire, it isn't actually as bad as you may think or have been told it is. Good news — your mom's been wrong all these years, you're actually not going to get arthritis because you crack your knuckles from time to time.

Sure it's loud, annoying, and sometimes a little unsettling, but other than a few known negative side effects, cracking your joints isn't all that bad for you — if done in moderation. Many associate cracking joints with arthritis and future joint problems, but the research shows otherwise.

Michael Behr, M. In some cases, making this a daily habit could potentially lead to injury. Overall, the research on cracking joints doesn't necessarily deem the act as "bad," but it does come with it's potential side effects, especially if you find yourself cracking joints on a daily basis. The results of a study from the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases found that individuals who crack their knuckles regularly were more likely to have weaker grips and experience swelling of the hands than those who were not " habitual knuckle crackers.

Learn what might cause an itchy perineum along with treatment and prevention recommendations. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M.

Why do people do it? What causes the pop? Side effects. Tips to stop cracking. When to see a doctor. The bottom line. Read this next. The nitrogen bubbles within the synovial fluid usually take 20 minutes to re-form in your joints before they can crack again. Part of the appeal of knuckle cracking could be that minute lull, when gas bubbles are re-forming in the synovial fluid.

Read: Dr. Does repeated knuckle cracking then lead to arthritis like the superstition says? Klapper, knuckle cracking itself does no harm to your fingers, neck, ankles, or other joints that pop and crack throughout the day—whether from normal day-to-day motions or compulsive habits like pressing our knuckles or twisting your neck until you hear that familiar crack.

However, if you experience discomfort while cracking, then there could be a pre-existing condition that is aggravated by twisting and pressing the joint. Skip to content.



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