is cracking your knuckles, back, neck, etc... bad for you??
 

Just as the title asks, is cracking your bones detrimental to your health? I've always heard that it is but I'm not convinced. Can anyone authoritatively tell me the truth?

Some minor but insignificant damage is possible (see second link)

http://newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/bio99/bio99443.htm
http://www.howstuffworks.com/question437.htm

I hope not, otherwise I'm stuffed! My ankles cracked when I walk around (and....yeah, I cracked my knuckes....toes...and maybe knees...)

Yeah, I have cracked my knuckles since I was a kid. That is the only one I do on purpose, but my ankles and wrists do it too.

My parents always told me it would lead to arthritis, but so far, that have been wrong.

yea i would say it is cuz i started cracking my fingers when i was like 13 and now they feel like shit allmost all the time

My chiropractor told me that a recent study found that people that cracked thier knuckles regularly were less likly to suffer from arthritis later on.

I should be good to go then. I've been cracking my knuckles, wrists, neck and back for years. It's a great relief for me. My husband says I even crack my knuckles in bed at night:o

Interesting. I was always told that cracking your knuckles would increase your chances of arthritis.

yeah, my chiro says not to do it, that it can lead to problems later in life. but he's just in it for the money!!! just kidding. my wife works at his office, and the other day a lady came in holding her head to the side, almost on one shoulder. she had popped her own neck, and was now in tremendous pain. she couldn't straighten her head up because of the pain. so there's a great reason not to pop your neck.

I have heard both good and bad things. For now, the temporary release of tension from cracking parts of your body has kept me cracking for as long as I can remember. When my hands get really tight, I crack the knuckles, 3 places for each finger. It loosens the fingers and I feel better after doing it. How could something that feels so good be bad for you? Is this a good lead-in to the benefits of smoking da green bud?

I crack my knuckles religiously, been doing it for years. My fingers start to get a little stiff if I don't do it at least once every 2 hours. :( Don't forget to crack them at the 2nd joint down from the knuckle also. I also crack my toes, and I can crack my ankles as many times in a row as I want. They also crack sometimes when I walk up stairs. It's annoying sometimes.

I have tied to stop cracking my knuckles, but then they are too stiff. I hope it does not lead to future problems...

i used to crack my neck all the time and it started hurting so i went to the chiro and he said i had early degeneration of the neck bones! so ive stopped cracking my own neck and let him do it once every 2 weeks

I am trying to swear off popping my knuckles, but its a pain in the ass. I'd hate to see how smokers are!

The reason I asked is because I have also tried to stop cracking my knuckles and neck, but I gave up because it feels so good. It's a lot harder to give up when you don't know if it's harming you or not.

I used to crack my knuckles alot as a kid. I was trying to copy Bruce Lee, they way he could crack his knuckles by just closing his hand. I was able to do this with my right hand (still can)and not my left. My right hand has arthritis but not my left. Just something to think about.

it's a bad habit that i've had for years, it'd be nice to know that it was a good thing but i don't think so, it usually hurts after doing it several times, i've done it while writing papers and that really messed me up cause it made it hurt to write

wow, i seriously hope it's not detrimental to your health, cause if that's the case, i am quite screwed =( i crack nearly every part of my body at least twice a day. oh well... i feel like a piece of plywood walking around if i don't do it.

/must....stop....cracking...knuckles.../

I crack my knucles, and I used to crack my toes. I liked the sound. I have a friend and she cracks her back. It makes like 8 cracks. She does it because it starts to hurt if she doesn't do it every few hours. She is trying to quit but she says it hurts if she doesn't do it. I am a bit worried for her, but at the same time I am in awe at her back cracking prowress.

I crack every part in my body aswell. Neck, Back, Fingers, Wrist, Feet, Toes .. even hips from time to time ..

If i don't do it i feel stiff and unable to move.

Same here. I habitually crack my neck and knuckles, and feel tense if I don't.

Cracking my back feels great. If it was bad for me, it wouldn't feel great. That's my logic.

Once in awhile is fine, but if you're doing it all the time that can't be good for you.

You never noticed how the more you crack your joints the easier it is to crack them? That can't be a good thing... Besides it's an incredibly annoying habit.