Knuckle cracking is an habit that a lot of people are now used to. While it can be annoying to some people just to hear someone cracking their knuckles or other parts of their body, to people who do it, it can be fun or relief for them. In this post I want to look at knuckles, although I will dive into a case study of cracking in the post as well.
You might have hear things like "people who crack their knuckles habitually are likely to have Arthritis, and some people have the mindset that cracking their knuckles would cause their knuckle joints to be weak". While I will treat these soon, we should understand that some people like to twitch their fingers, some like to their hear the pop sound, While some people are just so addicted to it that they cannot do a day without popping their body joints especially the finger. So what exactly causes that cracking sound like your joints are going to break?
The claim that cracking knuckles can lead to arthritis is now widespread that it has gotten the attention of lots of researchers. In fact, researchers from Harvard medical school have written a lot on this topic and I must say they have been able to do justice but then, let's continue.
The joints in your body that are able crack are known as Diarthroidal joints, that are freely movable and coated with cartilages that is contained by the Articular Capsule. Inside this cartilage and capsule, between the joints is filled with fluid for easy movement. The fluid known as the synovial fluid is what is found in the joint, and its function is to lubricate the joint. When the bones attached to the joints are being moved, the capsule is being stretched but the capsule stretching is limited by the density of the synovial fluid causing gas bubble to be produced when the capsule is overstretched.
According to scientist such as Dr Robert Klapper, the cracking at the joint are a result of nitrogen burbles bursting in the synovial fluid so going back to the question of whether popping this joints can lead to arthritis. You see, arthritis is the inflammation of the joint leading to swelling and tenderness of the joint which is associated with joint pain, and stiffness. Arthritis can be of two types which are Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Osteoarthritis with the former being a disease that causes the body immune system to attack the joint while the later being the breaking down of joint bones. According to scientists, cracking the joint or popping of joints doesn't lead to arthritis.
While cracking the joints will not lead to Arthritis, cracking the knuckles regularly can lead to thicker layers of cartilages. While cracking of joints like knuckles might not be a problem, it can be a sign for underlying clinical issues such as when pain is associated with the cracking of the joints. When there is pain, swelling or inability to move the joint when trying to pop bubbles from the synovial fluid, then it is a sign that the joint is having issues such as arthritis, trauma, or gout.
When a person crack their joint excessively, it might come looking like there is no problem but then it can lead to tendon injuries, joint injuries, and dislocation of the finger. We are familiar with cracking our fingers, and some their spine, but cracking other parts of the body asides your finger can come with greater risk. For instance, on the 4th of March, 2019, a lady named Natalie Kunicki cracked her neck and since she didn't feel any pain thought it was normal. Everything looked good until 15 minutes when she went to bed and couldn't feel the left side of her body. It was then seen at the hospital that the crack on her neck ruptured her vertebral artery and led to a stroke.
Cracking your knuckles occasionally isn't likely to cause any serious harm, and it doesn't cause arthritis. However, it's essential to pay attention to your body and avoid excessive joint cracking, especially if it causes pain or discomfort. If you're experiencing unusual symptoms, it's best to consult a medical professional for advice. So, the next time you crack your knuckles, remember it's probably not as harmful as you thought, but moderation is key. Stay safe and take care of your joints!
Post Reference
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/arthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20350772
https://nursing.unboundmedicine.com/nursingcentral/view/Tabers-Dictionary/740178/all/joint
https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/ask-a-doc-is-knuckle-cracking-bad.html
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion
https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/does-knuckle-cracking-cause-arthritis
https://www.businessinsider.com/doctor
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-makes-the-sound-when/
https://nypost.com/2019/04/16/woman-suffered-paralyzing-stroke-after-cracking-her-neck/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/knuckle
https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/8864952/paramedic-paralysed-crack-neck-stroke/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1129752/pdf/westjmed00297-0049.pdf
Image Reference
Image 1 || Flickr || Knuckle Cracking
Image 2 || Spektrum || Geheimnis des Fingerknackens