Cracking knuckles: Yay or nay?
Are you one of the 54% of the population who crack your knuckles? Do you feel uneasy if you don’t do it? Don’t you just enjoy the way it sounds and feels? Or have your parents ever asked you to stop cracking your knuckles cause your fingers will ‘fall off’, they say, if you continue doing so?
To some knuckle-cracking could have been a habit, but to the rest, it could be a way where people relieve stress. By cracking one’s knuckles, one could be able to divert from a stressful situation a little. But as satisfying as knuckle-cracking can be, does it really come with no side effect? Should people continue practising it as a habit or stop it completely? Let’s find out!
What causes the loud “crack!” when you crack your knuckles?
Have you ever wondered why your knuckle crackings only sound loud once in a while? Aren’t you disappointed if your cracking isn’t loud enough? Now, here’s why!
When cracking your knuckles, your finger joints are pushed out of their original position causing air bubbles to form in the synovial fluid within the area. The “crack” sound you get from cracking your knuckles is actually produced when the air bubbles burst!
And it takes at least 15 minutes for the synovial fluid between joints to reabsorb the air particles again before the next “crack!” happens again.
Does cracking your knuckles cause your knuckles to be BIG? Or does it cause arthritis?
Research shows that cracking your knuckles does NOT actually come with any side effects. Congratulations! Your hands will be fine :) Well, a doctor has experimented cracking only one side of his knuckles for decades, and nothing happened to his frequently cracked knuckles. Both his knuckles were evenly sized with no arthritis on either of his knuckles.
Does it mean you can continue cracking your knuckles?
The answer can be a yes, or a no. Cracking your knuckles may not cause arthritis or enlargement of your knuckles, but if you use too much strength stretching your fingers or crushing them too hard, you could possibly have damaged your joints by accident, which isn’t something enjoyable, for sure. If you feel some pain in your hands from cracking your knuckles, or if you notice any swelling or stiffness in your fingers, do see a doctor immediately.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Check your health condition here.
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