is it bad to crack your nuckles?
88152
Cracking knuckles is the practice of manipulating one's fingers such that the hand (most usually the knuckle joint) produces a sharp sound, likened to cracking (also likened to popping, etc). To produce the sounds, many people will bend their fingers into unusual positions, or manipulate them in ways which are not commonly experienced in everyday use. For example, bending the fingers right back towards the back of the hand, or pulling them away from the hand.\n\nIn many early motion pictures and subsequently parodied in animated cartoons, the gesture of cracking knuckles was associated with a "tough guy" image, especially when accompanied by the implicit or explicit threat of violence.\n\nThe physical mechanism is unknown, but possibilities that have been suggested include:\n\ncavitation within the joint – small cavities of partial vacuum form in the fluid then rapidly collapse, producing a sharp sound (hypothesis in a medical journal) \nthe sudden stretching of ligaments (hypothesis by one reader of that journal) \nrelease of gas from the joints being adjusted (this applies to the popping that can occur in any joint such as during chiropractic manipulation) \nA single event is not enough to cause damage to the joint, although it is possible that prolonged joint stress due to cracking knuckles may eventually lead to a higher risk of joint damage. The long-term consequences of this practice have not been studied thoroughly, and the scientific evidence is inconclusive. However, the common parental advice "Cracking your knuckles gives you arthritis" may be simply a device to deter children from this practice, which many people find annoying because of the sound it makes. In actual fact, study by Castellanos and Axelrod showed that arthritis was not a product of knuckle cracking. They evaluated 300 consecutive outpatients at Mount Carmel Mercy Hospital to determine whether habitual knuckle cracking is a risk factor for hand dysfunction. They found no relation with osteoarthritis, but noted that 'knuckle crackers were more likely to have hand swelling and lower grip strength.'\n\nA chiropractic perspective:\n\n"As a joint is being distracted, the capsule invaginates inward and as the stress on the capsule reaches a certain threshold, it suddenly snaps back from the synovial fluid, increasing the volume of the capsule (and decreasing pressure) and causing the audible sound. The sudden increase in the volume causes the tension to drop, allowing the joint to increase in movement. Eventually, the elastic limit of the capsule is reached and the process stops. The time elapsed during all this is shorter than that required for completion of the stretch reflex, so it can occur without muscular resistance. The sudden jerk on the capsule and the other periarticular tissues is theorized to cause firing of the high-threshold mechanoreceptors."
343874
Depend on what you mean by bad. If you go out of your way to break the rules, that's not easy at all. But if you just use every opportunity you get to rub people the wrong way, that's just entertaining.
158222
It is an old wives tale that cracking your knuckles will cause arthritus, not so. What makes the cracking sound is the space inbetween the joints and when they are manipulated for the crack, they will produce the poping sound. But as for doing your back or neck, those are some pretty important things to your body and if you make a mistake and do it wrong, you could end up with damage from minor stuff to something major enough to need surgery or even cause you to end up in a wheel chair. I went to school with a girl who would crack her back and then her neck and once when she was at home and did it, soemthing did not move as it should have and she has been in a wheel chair ever since.
638485
The Real Deal on Cracking Your Kuckles\nWhat's really happening when you "crack" your knuckles is that you are either pushing the joint back into or out of its normal position. Joints are the meeting points of two separate bones which are held together by connecting tissues and ligaments. A thick, clear lubricant (made mostly of carbon dioxide and some nitrogen) called synovial fluid is found between the bones. When you stretch or pull your finger to get that desired popping noise, you are causing the bones to pull apart. Pressure is reduced on the synovial fluid and bubbles form that quickly expand and then burst - which is why you get that noise.\n\nDoes Knuckle Cracking Lead to Arthritis?\nNot everybody's joints crack. Some people have a larger separation between the bones and some people can't relax enough to allow the bones to separate. If you can crack and your mom tells you, you're going to get arthritis, she's just yanking your chain. There is no scientific evidence that cracking your knuckles leads to arthritis. However, it can't be good to repeatedly push a joint beyond its normal physical range. Besides that, it's annoying. Cracking your knuckles can cause a decrease in your grip but unless you're signing any multi-million dollar contracts as a pitcher, it's not worth giving up. But it's still annoying.
1092244
You may not get arthritis by "cracking your knuckes", but you are slowly precipitating damage to the joints by putting unnecessary pressure and stress on them.  Which further down the line, combined with hereditary factors, etc. may make you more susceptible to other joint problems such as arthritis as the joints age.
1035906
According to two different doctors, Chiropractor and a physician, cracking your joints is nothing more than the sound the fluid makes when it passes through, cerebro-spinal fluid I believe but don't quote me on that.  The only harm that comes from 'cracking' your knuckles and other joints is when you must force them to get a 'crack'.  Otherwise it's relatively harmless.
339744
Yes. as long as the females crack isn't as big as the males crack.
1174994
I wouldnt say it's completely HARMFUL, but it makes your bones bigger, and that can leed to Bone Density...which is a complete no-no.  If it hurts then i advice you to stop, that means that you are forcing them to crack too much.  You are also chipping away parts of your bone if it hurts a lot.
441700
"Cracking Down on Knuckles\n\nYou've all heard the story that cracking your knuckles will cause arthritis. Maybe your mom can't stand that "popping" noise and that's why she tells you knuckle cracking will damage your finger joints. Kidzworld did some digging around to find out what makes that "popping" noise and if it causes arthritis. Here's what we found out. \n\nThe Real Deal on Cracking Your Kuckles\nWhat's really happening when you "crack" your knuckles is that you are either pushing the joint back into or out of its normal position. Joints are the meeting points of two separate bones which are held together by connecting tissues and ligaments. A thick, clear lubricant (made mostly of carbon dioxide and some nitrogen) called synovial fluid is found between the bones. When you stretch or pull your finger to get that desired popping noise, you are causing the bones to pull apart. Pressure is reduced on the synovial fluid and bubbles form that quickly expand and then burst - which is why you get that noise. \n\nDoes Knuckle Cracking Lead to Arthritis?\nNot everybody's joints crack. Some people have a larger separation between the bones and some people can't relax enough to allow the bones to separate. If you can crack and your mom tells you, you're going to get arthritis, she's just yanking your chain. There is no scientific evidence that cracking your knuckles leads to arthritis. However, it can't be good to repeatedly push a joint beyond its normal physical range. Besides that, it's annoying. Cracking your knuckles can cause a decrease in your grip but unless you're signing any multi-million dollar contracts as a pitcher, it's not worth giving up. But it's still annoying."
302976
My brother used to crack his knuckles and once asked a chiropractor about the repercussions of cracking. And you know what the chiropractor said? That the "popping" sound you hear when cracking, is merely your knuckle (or other joint) releasing nitrogen gas that is between your joints... and it's harmless. Of course, I think that it's more severe if you crack your neck or back, but knuckles are fine according to what my brother was told.
47401
If it is interfering with the work you should be doing, then use it as a reward for getting your work done.  This might even make you more effective at both the work and the game.\nIf this is not interfering with the work you should be doing, then relax and enjoy.  It is certainly better than a gambling or alcohol habit, right?
233628
Getting arthritis from popping your knuckles is just an old myth that most people still buy into.  There are no adverse effects ... other than possibly annoying people around you who hear you doing it.
245643
please get off the crack
454004
Cavitating any joint in the body has absolutely no negative effects (including arthritis which is a metabolic disease) as long as its within reason.  In other words, cracking your knuckles is perfectly safe.  Bending your fingers waaaaay waaaay back until they hurt, is not.\n\nIf it hurts, it's bad, if it doesn't, don't worry about it.  The possible exception to this is cracking your lower back in an older person.  The discs in your back are not meant to take much rotation (like you would force yourself to do when cracking your low back).  If they are significantly degenerated, you could hurt yourself.\n\nAlso, don't crack your knuckles or do anything else that stresses your joints if you've been diagnosed with something like rheumatoid arthritis or if you have a fracture nearby.  Use common sense.
1111961
hah!!no..\n\nlet me see..ive stepped on 790,564 cracks and my mom is still good as new!!
718587
Crack is wack.\n[/80s slogan]
111682
ah!  such a great question.\n\nThe threats that your mother gave you (that cracking your knuckles will cause arthritis, will cause enlarged joints, will cause numbness) are all not true.  An article by Swezey and Swezey way back in 1975 disproved the knuckle-cracking-and-arthritis threat.\n\nHowever, it is not completely safe. First, there are case reports of acute injury to the hands and of knuckle pads associated with cracking, but these are only case reports.  The better studies show a couple of things:  The amount of force needed to crack a knuckle is greater than that needed to damage articular cartilage, and knuckle cracking HAS been associated with decreased grip strength when you get older.  \n\nSo, if you get arthritis, it's not because you cracked your knuckles.  If you can't grasp things very hard, it probably is.