Cracking knuckles...

fixationdarknes · Post by **fixationdarknes** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 9:45 pm

...has made my fingers so crooked and jacked up. My fingers bend weird ways when I have them straight out. And the middle joints of all my fingers are so big and jacked up. And I've heard that cracking knuckles can cause arthiritis, but I'm pretty sure that it's just a wive's tale.

I'm curious: do you guys crack your knuckles and has it resulted in crooked/jacked up fingers?

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 9:52 pm

fixationdarknes wrote:...has made my fingers so crooked and jacked up. My fingers bend weird ways when I have them straight out. And the middle joints of all my fingers are so big and jacked up. And I've heard that cracking knuckles can cause arthiritis, but I'm pretty sure that it's just a wive's tale.

I'm curious: do you guys crack your knuckles and has it resulted in crooked/jacked up fingers?

My GF does and I KEEP telling her she needs to stop... Does she listen to me? NEVER!

fixationdarknes · Post by **fixationdarknes** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 9:59 pm

I am too trying to stop, but it's so hard!!! It relaxes all my joints. I crack my fingers, thumbs, wrists, elbows, back, toes, feet, knees, neck, and sometimes shoulders. It feels like every time I move, my whole body just cracks now because I've been doing it for at least 5 or 6 years now.

I've heard that cracking your fingers can result in a loss of grip strength...eek. But mainly, I'm just worried because my fingers are so jacked up. I wonder if it impedes my guitar-playing.

wee96 · Post by **wee96** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 10:08 pm

Ive always done it and yea my fingers are starting to be crooked, but its not from that its in our family. My grandma's fingers are really bad, so are her brothers.

fixationdarknes · Post by **fixationdarknes** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 10:27 pm

wee96 wrote:Ive always done it and yea my fingers are starting to be crooked, but its not from that its in our family. My grandma's fingers are really bad, so are her brothers.

Yeah, same with me. My mom's fingers are a lot like mine. But the rest of my family seems to have nice fingers. Maybe I just got it from my mom? Do you think cracking encouraged the crookedness?

furiousfords89 · Post by **furiousfords89** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 10:56 pm

i used to crack my fingers often everyday about 2 years ago, but i stopped after looking at my screwed up knuckles and just limited bone cracking to my spine and neck

md284x · Post by **md284x** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 11:08 pm

Crack my knuckles for as long as I can remember. Dont really know im doing it. Fingers are a tad bit crooked. I read there is no proof it is bad for you though.

I bite my nails too. Bad to the point where im nawing on the part attached to the skin. Not as bad as it sounds. But still I stop when i notice im doing it.

furiousfords89 · Post by **furiousfords89** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 11:18 pm

i also have problems with biting my nails and the skin by my nails. Does doing this shorten my lifespan in any way?

md284x · Post by **md284x** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 11:26 pm

No, but i think its hereditary

I got it from my mom along with swallowing my gum.

fixationdarknes · Post by **fixationdarknes** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 11:30 pm

I have a question: is there any way my crooked fingers can be reversed into straight fingers like they once were before I started cracking?

Croc · Post by **Croc** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 11:44 pm

fixationdarknes wrote:...has made my fingers so crooked and jacked up. My fingers bend weird ways when I have them straight out. And the middle joints of all my fingers are so big and jacked up. And I've heard that cracking knuckles can cause arthiritis, but I'm pretty sure that it's just a wive's tale.

I'm curious: do you guys crack your knuckles and has it resulted in crooked/jacked up fingers?

Used to, many years ago till my doctor suggested I stop it.
Have a read of this page. No wives tales. Welcome to Life with Arthar.

Croc.

fixationdarknes · Post by **fixationdarknes** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:23 am

Croc wrote:Used to, many years ago till my doctor suggested I stop it.
Have a read of this page. No wives tales. Welcome to Life with Arthar.

Croc.

Dood I feel exactly how that guy feels. The middle joints of my index fingers are big and ugly. It makes my fingers look deformed and sick. I am trying to stp cracking my fingers. But I think I will till crack my back, neck, toes. Feels so good!!!

vc_wannabe · Post by **vc_wannabe** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:25 am

I've asked this to many Dr's including a few orthipedic surgens... They say it pretty much wont hurt you, its just annoying for people.

vinnie · Post by **vinnie** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:27 am

I don't crack my knuckles. I like my fingers.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not the popping of magical bubbles. It's tendons and ligaments slipping over joints. My tendons and ligaments are happy not screwing around slipping over joints, I suggest that other people look after theirs as well.

vc_wannabe wrote:I've asked this to many Dr's including a few orthipedic surgens... They say it pretty much wont hurt you, its just annoying for people.

I know some doctors who've molested young girls. I don't trust the views of random doctors all that much

thepieman · Post by **thepieman** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:36 am

Its not supposed to be good for you...some say makes you arthritic later on in life prematurely.

Pie

EvilAngel · Post by **EvilAngel** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:38 am

I cracked my knuckles one time. Broke all my knuckles on my left hand. Yeah, I'm a badass.....lol

EvilAngel · Post by **EvilAngel** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:41 am

No links to Arthritis...

If you've ever laced your fingers together, turned your palms away from you and bent your fingers back, you know what knuckle popping sounds like. Joints produce that CRACK when bubbles burst in the fluid surrounding the joint.

Joints are the meeting points of two separate bones, held together and in place by connective tissues and ligaments. All of the joints in our bodies are surrounded by synovial fluid, a thick, clear liquid. When you stretch or bend your finger to pop the knuckle, you are causing the bones of the joint to pull apart. As they do, the connective tissue capsule that surrounds the joint is stretched. By stretching this capsule, you increase its volume. And as we know from chemistry class, with an increase in volume comes a decrease in pressure. So as the pressure of the synovial fluid drops, gases dissolved in the fluid become less soluble, forming bubbles through a process called cavitation. When the joint is stretched far enough, the pressure in the capsule drops so low that these bubbles burst, producing the pop that we associate with knuckle cracking.

It takes about 25-30 minutes for the gas to redissolve into the joint fluid. During this period of time, your knuckles will not crack. Once the gas is redissolved, cavitation is once again possible, and you can start popping your knuckles again.

As for the harms associated with this habit, according to Anatomy and Physiology Instructors' Cooperative, only one in-depth study regarding the possible detriments of knuckle popping has been published. This study, done by Raymond Brodeur and published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, examined 300 knuckle crackers for evidence of joint damage. The results revealed no apparent connection between joint cracking and arthritis; however, habitual knuckle poppers did show signs of other types of damage, including soft tissue damage to the joint capsule and a decrease in grip strength. This damage is most likely a result of the rapid, repeated stretching of the ligaments surrounding the joint. A professional baseball pitcher experiences similar, although obviously heightened, effects in the various joints of his pitching arm. But assuming you haven't signed a multimillion dollar contract to constantly pop your knuckles, it hardly seems worth the possible risk to your joints.

On the positive side, there is evidence of increased mobility in joints right after popping. When joints are manipulated, the Golgi tendon organs (a set of nerve endings involved in humans' motion sense) are stimulated and the muscles surrounding the joint are relaxed. This is part of the reason why people can feel "loose" and invigorated after leaving the chiropractor's office, where cavitation is induced as part of the treatment. Backs, knees, elbows and all other movable joints are subject to the same kind manipulation as knuckles are. Here are some interesting links:<ul>What causes the bends?
Study on knuckle popping
Facts about chiropractics
The Truth About Health Myths
The AFU and Urban Legend Archive
Scientific American "Ask an Expert"
<li>Mayo Clinic "Ask the Mayo Physician"-->

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:41 am

Question to those that do this: Why?

I mean, honestly, why do you do that?

EvilAngel · Post by **EvilAngel** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 1:01 am

Jim wrote:Question to those that do this: Why?

I mean, honestly, why do you do that?

I only did it once.

lol....make it stop

(cracking myself up over here )

Prey521 · Post by **Prey521** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 1:06 am

I do it all the time, especially my neck, I can get about good 5 cracks on my neck from each twist, feels great.

wee96 · Post by **wee96** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 7:56 am

fixationdarknes wrote:Yeah, same with me. My mom's fingers are a lot like mine. But the rest of my family seems to have nice fingers. Maybe I just got it from my mom? Do you think cracking encouraged the crookedness?

Yea you got it from your mom, and cracking doesnt make a difference I assure you.

Joint Chiefs of Staff · Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:22 pm

thepieman wrote:Its not supposed to be good for you...some say makes you arthritic later on in life prematurely.

Pie

Yup

DaddyLongLeg · Post by **DaddyLongLeg** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:30 pm

Thanks guys, now I feel like I need to go to a chiropractor...j/k. If it can be cracked, I'm sure I have or at least tried. So far so good

Spammy · Post by **Spammy** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:33 pm

Never crack knuckles.
But i can crack my toes just by moving them.

Izzo · Post by **Izzo** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:34 pm

Jim wrote:Question to those that do this: Why?

I mean, honestly, why do you do that?

No clue, it just always seemed natural to me I guess. I'd get some discomfort in my hands or neck and after a little snap, crackle and pop it feels better. It certainly isn't meant to annoy anyone that just seems to be a bonus.