what happens to our knuckles when we crack them?
823043
The bursa, fluid filled sacs that lubricate the joints, breaks and eventually you will lose this protection.  As you age, arthritis will settle into these joints and it won't be fun.
1156087
Do you mean like cracking your knuckles or other joints in your body?
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.
533337
Yes... it can really cause harm to u. It weakens your bones. Whenever u crack your knuckles, hydrogen sulphide H2S gas is released. If you do it very often, your bones will soon get weaken and within a short span of time, you will observe that even if you do not crack your knuckles yourself, it will be cracked by just a little move.
689779
My doc said it was normal to hear cracks every now and then...joints are supposed to move around (like when your back cracks when you stretch).\nMost of the time, the popping noise heard when you 'crack' joints is simply gas bubbles being forced out of cavities within the joint.\nIn such cases, there is little or no damage done, even in people who do it for fun.
97057
You need to get it x-rayed. Sometimes, a jammed finger, or one that is sprained hurts worse than an actual break! Trust me, I've had many!
759700
Have you had an xray for this yet?  If not, I would definately recommend you get one.  It sounds like you have have done more than jam your finger.  There are a few different things that could be triggering your knuckle to swell months after the initial injury.  The most common would be a fracture.  There are other possibilities as well.  Does the finger continue to swell bigger or has it leveled out?  You may have a fragment floating around there irritating everything.  I would suggest you definately at least have it checked out, there is a possibility the swelling will go down, but do you really wanna risk the ring not fitting on your wedding day?  Make an appt with your family dr and KNOW what is going on.  Hope your finger feels better and Congratulations on the upcoming wedding!
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.
454635
I spoke to a Dr. recently about this and he gave me am article about it............NO it is not it is an old myth, about arthritis and knuckles getting larger, the cracking sound that is heard is only gasses in the joint and by cracking them it just releases the gas...and then when the gas refills the joint it can be popped again
29043
A 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'
1161772
The knuckles on your hands.
876489
You probaly did what we used to call jammed it.  If the finger was fractured you would feel sick to your stomach and maybe even throw up.  Also, if it were fractured, it would be misshapen.  In other words it would point or look in an odd direction.  There is a possibility of fracture though.  I would keep trying to move it, keep icing it and watch it.  If it doesn't get better, i would definitely have it x-rayed to make sure.  You could probably wait a couple more days though.
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.
1160802
the bones get old,  kinda like a rusty wheel without oil [we creak and crack] we loose joint  fluid....   and the bones get spurs.\nplus the joint become inflamed.. in other words we start falling apart
1145818
It's just annoying. I have been popping mine for 30 years. My fingers are slim, straight, have no lumps, bumps or pains.  I recall trying to stop popping them about a year after starting, but found it had become mentally addicting, and physically necessary. Uncracked fingers become cramped and painful. Cracking them loosens them up.\n\nI recall having surgery one time, and did not pop them for a week afterwards. Then one day I realized I hadn't and thought to myself, "do I want to stop, or start again?"  And I happily went and popped every single joint on every finger, and sighed happily in relief.\n\nHearing someone crack their knuckles can be very annoying, irritating, and one must learn to do it when no one else will notice. Then you can enjoy the cracking, and no one else will be bothered.
124378
it is a pregression of bone loss.your bones become more and more brittle.you should be carful your bones break easier
287533
Kinda depends, but for the most part, myth\n\nread this report\nhttp://www.panix.com/~iayork/knuckles.html