Post created by Maddie and Ian
Cracking your knuckles is one of the most common bad habits out there. I’m sure you’ve heard from every grandma out there that you’ll get arthritis from cracking your knuckles, but is it really as bad as they say it is?
First of all, let’s start with the psychology behind it and the real reason why people crack their knuckles. According to Houston Methodist Orthopedics and Dr. John Fackler, people crack their knuckles mainly for three reasons: anxiety, restlessness, and pleasure. In another article called “The Real Reason You're Addicted to Cracking Your Knuckles” by Amanda Montell, it is revealed that a main reason why people feel the urge to pop their knuckles has to do with the release of pressure it gives your joints. To find out some facts, Montell interviewed physical therapist Scott Weiss. Weiss expresses “cracking knuckles actually releases several pounds of pressure from the joints”. Just as you would feel the need to stretch after sitting in the car for a long time, in the same way that is the feeling people get when they feel the urge to pop their knuckles. It’s for that “ahhhh” moment. The truth is that knuckle cracking can be embedded in the lifestyle and that’s when it can become addictive. Although it can be an addiction, there are no known serious damaging effects to cracking your knuckles. In other words, there is no way that cracking your knuckles could lead to arthritis.
There is something called synovial fluid that’s in your joints. The job of synovial fluid is to lubricate your joints and help decrease the chances of wearing away your cartilage. Within the synovial fluid there are “nitrogen bubbles” that build up, and when you crack your knuckles you are hearing those built up nitrogen bubbles popping. If you are someone who cracks your knuckles, you would know that after you’ve cracked your knuckle it won’t crack again and again. This is because your fingers need time to build up more nitrogen bubbles within your synovial fluid, and this can take about 20 minutes each time.
Even though there are no serious damaging effects, there could be minimal damage if you don’t crack your knuckles the “right” way. The safest and most effective way to crack your knuckles is by pulling your joint instead of bending your finger. Bending your finger could actually wear away cartilage. If you suffer from this addiction or simply want to get rid of this bad habit you could try finding another way to relieve stress. For example, deep breathing, meditation, or exercising. Another way could be to keep your hands busy, for example by squeezing a stress ball.
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