Cracking knuckles
 

I've always heard rumours about how cracking knuckles and other body parts is bad for you and can lead to arthritis (or something else bad). I don't really do it myself, but i sometimes get chills when others do it, just the crunching and all :eek:

Anyway, i was curious so i looked it up and i found this article by Dr Karl, a crazy knowledgeable science guy on Australian TV/radio/media :D

Some scientists wanted to learn more about knuckle cracking, so they actually stuck a sensitive microphone onto a finger. They found that there wasn't just one single sound when you cracked a finger joint - there were actually two separate sounds. The joint space is the space between the bones. There is a liquid in this space, and there are ligaments on each side, holding the bones together. As you pull on the joint, you first drop the pressure in the joint space - and the ligaments get sucked in. Once this pressure gets low enough, a bubble pops into existence - making a popping sound, which is the first of the two sounds.

Now this bubble has a certain size - on average, about 15% of the now-bigger joint space. Because the joint space suddenly has a bubble in it, the liquid, just as suddenly, pushes on the ligaments - snapping them back to their original position. This snapping back of the ligaments is the second sound.

The energy set loose inside the joint is only about 7% of what you need to damage the cartilage. But if you crack your knuckles often enough, you can end up with swollen ligaments.

Another 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!

So cracking your knuckles won't bother you in the short term, but 35 years from now, you might not be able to open a jar of Vegemite!

NOTE: Vegemite is a vegetable extract spread, rich with vitmain B, that most Australians have grown to love :D
http://www.vegemite.com.au/

LINKAGE

So it won't give you arthritis or some other nasty diseases, but your hand strength is significantly reduced. Keep that in mind, next time you feel the urge to crack ;) Plus it gives me chills when others do it (but not if i do it myself?).

Scary.
Practically every part of me cracks. Even when i don't want to crack them! :P

damn.

i'm always cracking knuckles, my neck, my toes. i better stop with the hands, i want to be able to wank in 40 years hehe ;)

Thats always good news. Glad I dont do that!

It's bullshit, when you pop your knuckles carbon dioxide is being released from the knucles thats it. Your body naturally produces this and releasing the pressure isn't bad for you. I also saw it on MTV myth show. And that study doesn't express certain things, who the people were, was it a simple random sample, etc... For all you know those 300 people were construction workers.

Am I the only one who had to crack every single one of my knuckles after reading this thread? It just feel so gooood.

Wow, that is suprising. I never knew that. I don't do it very often. Gotta stop it though!

Man..I crack my knuckles and ahhh...this post was makin me not want to ..thanks..........

I don't think MTV would be the best source of information on this?

there seems to be other similar sources backing up this as well:

http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/joint.html

http://www.spinegroup.com/Advice/NkCrk.html

Yeah, I pop my nuckles, neck, knees, ankles and toes. Been doing it for years. No problems so far. Fingers crossed (snap).

wow... who knew that one day I'd have to be asking my wife to open my jars for me... God though, I can't stop cracking my knuckles! It's such a stress reliever for me.

i crack my knuckles all the time, and i don't feel weak at all.. yawn..

Doctors and scientists have been going back and forth on this for years. For every article that says something like that there is an urban myth show saying just the opposite. I've heard of studies proving and disproving. I just try not to do it.

I crack joints cause the ladies love it! I have been doing it since I was 10, 30 now. I have a 425 lb deadlift with no chalk or lifting straps. The strength of your hands comes primarily from your forearms. You do not have any muscle in your fingers, just tendons and ligaments.

It makes me shudder when I hear people crack their knuckles.

Several people I know do it just because they know it bugs me!!

Sleepyjack: My girlfriend LOVES vegemite! I can't take the smell though... first time I opened a jar I thought it had gone bad and was about to throw it out... girlfriend nearly kicked my ass!!!

well i guess i learn somehthing everyday

hm... dont crack my knuckles too often, but i do my back. A nice turn...stretch..pops all down the back and feels so good. Wonder what the effects of that are... eek.

You can still wank, it's just you'll have to imagine you're fucking an old used up prostitute rather then a virgin bride.

Hmm, Been cracking knuckles since I was 9 and dont have problems yet and have no strength issues, Honestly, there are so many myths about stupid things like this I dont know what is true for all you know those 300 people interviewed could have had carpal tunnel at the age of 5 and thats why their arms are weak.