Cracking Down on Knuckles

You'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.

The Real Deal on Cracking Your Kuckles

What'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.

Does Knuckle Cracking Lead to Arthritis?

Not 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.

What do Kidzworld members think about knuckle cracking? Keep reading to find out:

I actually crack my fingers ALL THE TIME. That is the only way I can relieve the tension that hurts my fingers. My dad actually doesn't like me doing it, and my mom is the squeamish one. When someone cracks their knuckles, I feel like I have to crack mine. I can't remember when I started... probably a few years ago.
Kidz Submit By:
Nickname: THibbertLvr
Age: 16

No the cracking sound does not make me squeamish, it relieves the tension in my fingers after writing for a while.
Kidz Submit By:
Nickname: blackbear201
Age: 13

I need to crack certain joints a lot, otherwise I get a huge amount of pain in that certain joint!
Kidz Submit By:
Nickname: vira332
Age: 13

I've cracked my knuckles, my toes, my back, my neck, for, like, ever! It feels great and relieves stress (I hope and think!!) I do it all the time, now everyone at my school's doing it!
Kidz Submit By:
Nickname: XoSwEeTnSeXiOx
Age: 15

When I write I crack my knuckles or they hurt.
Kidz Submit By:
Nickname: Hotdude00
Age: 14

I don't get squeamish when people pop their knuckles or any other joints. I pop my neck, back, knuckles, wrist, elbows, knees, ankles, toes... Haha, you name it, I pop it! =P
Kidz Submit By:
Nickname: checkoutthetempos
Age: 15

I pop my knuckles all the time - it's a habit I can't stop. I pop my toes, thumbs, neck and back... pretty much anything that can be popped I pop! It feels good and I like doing it.
Kidz Submit By:
Nickname: ladyburpsalot
Age: 13

Hey, I can ckrack 19 parts of my body - 39 counting all toes and fingers individually. This is a big help to get my mom off my back. Thanx for putting it up. :-D
Kidz Submit By:
Nickname: godsdliveysirvis
Age: 13

I crack my knuckles sometimes but the main joint I pop is my elbows. It feels so good but I am worried it's bad for the bone or something.
Kidz Submit By:
Nickname: mohawkmonsoon
Age: 14

Do you crack your knuckles? Is it a habit you can't stop? Tell us if the sound of "popping" knuckles makes you squirm.

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