Is cracking your knuckles bad for you?
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.
793826
i never used to crack my fingers, until my best friend did it so i just took it up as a habit since we always hung out. it was really hard to stop b/c my fingers would get cramped up so that the only form of relief was to crack them. whenever i got the urge to crack them i just really had to have a lot of self discipline and just NOT do it. my b/f helped though too b/c he would always be like stop that! if he caught me doing it without me knowing. my dad also was always like dont crack your fingers, or else they'll get all fat lol. good luck
380833
Absolutely NOT.\n\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?\n\nThere 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.
32404
I used to think this too, I crack my finger knuckles all the time!  Here's a little medical myth's debunked info for ya!
306363
Not exactly. There are two types of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is when a person’s own immune system attacks the joints and causes pain. Cracking knuckles won’t cause this but it could definitely make it more painful! This habit could worsen the symptoms of osteoarthritis, however. Osteoarthritis, sometimes called degenerative joint disease, is caused when the cartilage between bones starts to wear away and the bones rub together. The repetitive motion of cracking your knuckles may contribute to the pain felt by people with osteoarthritis.
195536
No.  Mastubation is not bad at all.  There are no medical risks in mastubation.  Why do you think our hands can reach all the way down there?
197987
Just like when you crack your knuckles, its the gasses being released in the joint.  \n\nThe "cracking" won't cause arthritis unless if you continue to "crack" it (the vertebrae) out of line.  \n\nWhat's most likely happening is you have a vertebrae out of line and locked, it becomes uncomfortable or stiff.  In order to get the release, you crack the neck on your own. \n\n When it's not done right, by a professional, you end up cracking the wrong vertebrae (one that is loose because it's compensating for the locked one).  It eases the tension temporarily, but makes the problem worse in the long run.\n\nIf the locked vertebrae isn't aligned correctly, it will lead to arthritis (sort of like when your tires wear out when the car is out of alignment).  \n\nIt's not the cracking that's harmful, but cracking the wrong vertebrae or not aligning it correctly.  Only a professional with proper training will know how it needs to be corrected since the vertebrae can misalign many different ways.
975354
A recent article published showed that cracking any joint, as a rule, does not cause damage or pain, even after long periods of time. However, there is always exceptions to rules. There was a correlation to younger people ( I don't remember exactly, but I believe it was around the age of 8) who repetitively crack their knuckles and the eventual development of arthritis. People who started after this age tended not to have problems. \nManipulating any joint too often, meaning more than about 5 times in a day every day for long periods of time, even when done by professionals, will tend to weaken the ligaments of that joint and can increase the chance of dislocation. You can fix that with prolotherapy, but i've been told it hurts like hell, and won't completely fix the ligaments.
761174
I was told by a rheumatologist that it does not cause arthritis...but I do know it does make your knuckles bigger...I have rings & can't wear anymore! Try not to!
966483
Yes to all of the above. Be careful not to select something too wide, or it could become painful.\n\nAlso, get a razor. Your Knuckles will start to grow hair from them.
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.
1025281
if you crack your knuckles often enough, you can end up with swollen ligaments.\n\nA study looked at 300 people who had been cracking knuckle joints for 35 years. They had slightly swollen joints (which is no big deal). But the real surprise was that their hands were weaker - their grip strength was one quarter as strong as it should been!\n\nIt does NOT cause arthritis. In fact, it's not dangerous at all, said Dr. Jonathan Kay, clinical director of the rheumatology unit at Massachusetts General Hospital.\n"The cracking sound you hear when you pull on your fingers is caused by the release of negative pressure within the joint," he said. Inside every joint in the body, a gooey substance called synovial fluid coats the surfaces of cartilage to protect them. Just as two discs coated with mineral oil stick together and can only be pulled apart with a bit of force, so it is inside the joint. When you pull, you break the vacuum seal created by the synovial fluid and the breaking of that seal causes the popping sound -- from the bursting of bubbles of gases dissolved in the fluid.\nCuriously, it takes about 20 minutes for the seal to re-establish itself. So crack your knuckles all you want. You might stretch a few ligaments, but you will not give yourself arthritis. But it'll be no fun unless you wait 20 minutes between cracks.
400065
As mentioned by others, yes it can cause damage to your joints etc and cause your muscles to fatigue and that can cause damage. To get more detailed information on this, and what will be best for you, speak to a physical therapist and not a trainer from a gym etc, as Physical Therapists know every muscle and joint in your body and how to work them to benefit you and not hurt you. Just a tip.... :)\n\nTawny
14672
This is a mental thing.  You've told yourself that you will feel relaxed after you pop your knuckels, so you do.  It is not a proven way to relax, and it doesn't relax me.  It gives me anxiety to hear someones knuckles pop.  \n\nThe sound is produced by air trapped inbetween you knuckles, and when you pull it releases the air.  Also, a common misconception is that cracking your knuckles will cause arthritus.  It actually does not.  Your just releasing the oxygen inbetween your knuckles.
933130
Nope. It's simply caused by the release of air pockets between the joints. It's a myth that it causes arthritis. It may make your knuckles a little larger (mine have), but it won't cause any major health problems.
322250
I wouldn't think so...like cracking your knuckles, it will show up as arthritis or something later.
73550
No.  Dr. Rosenfeld addressed this very item in Parade magazine last weekend.  Check it out.  He cited research that shows that perhaps there is less arthritis in knuckle crackers.  \nExcept the neck.  Putting excessive strain on your neck in order to get it to pop is dangerous.  Try to not do that.