Doctor answers on symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and more. A study conducted in 1990 showed chronic knuckle cracking may affect hand health. If a joint gets locked when it pops, knuckle cracking could lead to injuries in your hand. His findings were published in the journal of arthritis and rheumatism. Oct 07, 2016 both arthritis and knuckle cracking also may be both caused by a third variable like family history that indicates arthritis. Cracking knuckles and arthritis is it bad and addictive. Jan 21, 2017 does cracking knuckles cause arthritis. Does habitually cracking your knuckles increase your risk of osteoarthritis. Nov, 2017 knuckle cracking feels great, but are you doing your joints any harm.
Cracking knuckles is actually one of my pet peeves just because the sound freaks me out a little. Apr 14, 2016 people who like the popping sound when cracking their knuckles are often warned about possible side effects. The sound we call cracking is actually those bubbles bursting. As long as it does not cause discomfort or pain in the joints, knuckle cracking is not likely to cause any real harm, according to dr. While rare and unlikely, if cracking your knuckles becomes strenuous and causes pain, it may be cause for concern, he says. There are many theories as to why joints crack or pop, but the exact cause is simply not known. There is no evidence that cracking knuckles causes any damage, such as arthritis, in the joints, said dr. Sep 10, 2007 there is no evidence that cracking knuckles causes any damage such as arthritis in the joints.
If you crack your knuckles for tension relief, you are probably okay. Cracking your knuckles may aggravate the people around you, but it probably wont raise your risk for arthritis. Starting to exercise 6week plan for healthy eating already enrolled. Although this has been concluded, i still think that if one can, stopping or decreasing knuckle cracking is a good idea. Some people, for instance, think that the habit can lead to arthritis. Knuckle cracking feels great, but are you doing your joints any harm. Cracking knuckles does not appear to cause or worsen arthritis, but it can. The arthritis connection may be an old wives tale, but cracking your knuckles can hurt your hand in other ways, and theres no benefit to it. As for the crack or pop noise you hear after you crack your knuckles, it. Ramankant aggrawal, orthopedic doctor, fortis heart institute and research centre. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. This damage is most likely a result of the rapid, repeated stretching of the ligaments surrounding the joint. However, these studies do not comment if knuckle cracking damages cartilage, ligaments or tendons that surround the joints in your hands. In severe cases, arthritis can cause muscle weakness.
Pubmed comprises more than 26 million citations for biomedical literature from medline, life science journals, and online books. Mar 01, 20 there have been several studies that looked at this question, and none have shown that habitual knuckle cracking causes wear and tear. Cracking your knuckles does not cause arthritis in the near term or long term. Many likewise believe that knuckle cracking may cause a number of health problems. Knuckle cracking, damp weather, nightshade foods and more. He adds that, however, if the cracking is painful, leads to swelling or changes the shape of the joint then it can be a cause of worry as it may be due to underlying gout or arthritis. Find the truth about questions that pique your curiosity in our series, the short answer. At that time, i had no idea that there were millions of americans with rheumatoid arthritis, much less that within a decade i would become one of them, so i didnt understand that young people can get arthritis. Knuckle cracking may sound horrible, but these scans show knuckle cracking is actually. Cracking your knuckles may aggravate the people around you, but it probably wont. More specifically, knuckle cracking does not cause arthritis. Thats right or at the very least plausible that youve had it backwards all these years.
There is no evidence that cracking knuckles causes any damage such as. Jun 27, 2017 theres a term called habitual knuckle crackers, says dr. In the past the scientists attributed internal pressure shift of synovial fluid in the joints that produce gas to the popping sound. Theres no known connection between knuckle cracking and hand arthritis.
The truth and the myth behind the cracking knuckles debate. In one report, researchers from the uniformed services university of. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Research has suggested cracking your knuckles and joints does not cause arthritis. Can cracking your knuckles cause cartilage breakdown. Apr 21, 2017 several studies have been done to determine if knuckle cracking is associated with arthritis. Although knuckle cracking does not cause arthritis directly, it does cause other things. The results revealed no apparent connection between joint cracking and arthritis. However, in the absence of pain, swelling, or other joint symptoms. A number of studies have been done over the years to find out the longterm impact of cracking your knuckles, but theres no substantial evidence that shows knuckle cracking leads to arthritis. No, cracking knuckles do not cause any damage such as arthritis in the joints. Aug 18, 2016 knuckle cracking may sound horrible, but these scans show knuckle cracking is actually good for your hands.
However, cracking your knuckles is neither harmless nor desirable. Jun 17, 2015 as a middle school student, i remember being told that cracking your knuckles would give you arthritis. Although it doesnt appear to increase the risk of developing the joint disorder, research indicates other problems may arise. Conventional wisdom says cracking knuckles does cause problems, but a researcher who studied the question says no. And although is may seem plausible conclusion, so far the medical studies have found no correlation between knucklecracking and arthritis. Complications of cracking knuckles knuckle cracking doesnt cause arthritis, but some research suggests the habit may not be completely harmless. Apr 24, 2017 will cracking your knuckles lead to arthritis. May 02, 2018 even worse, if youre with your mom, she might remind you, for the thousandth time, that your knucklepopping habits are going to give you arthritis. Does knuckle cracking lead to arthritis of the fingers.
Experts, however, say that the painless cracking of the joint should. May, 2011 urban legend would indicate that knuckle cracking leads to arthritis of the joints of the hand. In reality researchers have found no conclusive connection between knuckle cracking and arthritis. Research at harvard and the johns hopkins arthritis center has shown no link between arthritis and knuckle cracking, but research has shown a connection between knuckle crackers and an increased risk in softtissue swelling and a weakened grip, according to medical news today. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a. Although it may seem a logical connection, it hasnt been proven. One study looked at 300 patients over 45 years old and found that among the worst knuckle crackers there was no increase in the incidence of arthritis. Joint cracking can result from a negative pressure pulling nitrogen gas temporarily into the joint, such as when knuckles are cracked. In order to crack the same knuckle again, you have to wait until the gases return to the synovial fluid. Some students crack their knuckles after writing a great deal. This is one of those quasimedical issues that is scarcely mentioned in medical school curricula.
When osteoarthritis develops in your hands, fingers, and knuckle joints, the effects are painful and may ultimately lead to a loss of function. Dr kelkar points out that there are no major concerns surrounding the knuckle cracking. Knuckle cracking may sound horrible, but these scans show knuckle cracking is actually good for your hands. Some students crack their knuckles after writing a great deal, but. Arthritis causes knuckle cracking, not the other way around. While some cracking joints can be normal, arthritis is on the rise. Knuckle cracking may remain annoying habits, which eventually can affect your posture and your strength, it does not mean that knuckle crackers will develop arthritis later in life.
Further, knuckle cracking is a habitrelated behavior that may be due to underlying nervousness or anxiety. Jul 19, 2019 arthritis is the swelling and tenderness of one or more of your joints. Oct 03, 2016 14 thoughts on does cracking your knuckles cause arthritis. Knuckle cracking doesnt cause arthritis, but some research suggests the habit may not be completely harmless.
Osteoarthritis oa, sometimes called wear and tear arthritis, occurs when the cartilage or cushion between joints breaks down leading to pain, stiffness and swelling. The cracking occurs for numerous reasons, and it is commonly thought to cause or inflame arthritis between 25 and 54 percent of people are. You may still be wondering where the idea of arthritis being linked to knuckle cracking originated. Its just annoying to some people, so i tell my teenage patients to avoid doing it around their parents or other adults that it irritates. They crack, on average, more than five times a day. Several studies have been done to determine if knuckle cracking is associated with arthritis. Like you, many people assume that knucklecracking can lead to arthritis. The pop of a cracked knuckle is caused by bubbles bursting in the synovial fluid the fluid that helps lubricate joints. None shows a definite link between knuckle cracking and arthritis. The cracking occurs for numerous reasons, and it is commonly thought to cause or inflame arthritis between 25 and 54 percent of people are thought to crack their knuckles. Many people associate knuckle cracking with arthritis and other degenerative diseases. Jun 21, 2017 the cracking occurs for numerous reasons, and it is commonly thought to cause or inflame arthritis between 25 and 54 percent of people are thought to crack their knuckles. Although a lot of people love cracking their knuckles, the habit is poorly understood. There is no medical evidence that knuckle cracking causes arthritis.
Find out if knuckle cracking causes arthritis, or if it is a harmless habit. Kakar explains that tribonucleation is the process of creating bubbles within the synovial fluid in our finger joints. Citations may include links to fulltext content from pubmed central and publisher web sites. One study comparing rates of arthritis between habitual knucklecrackers and people who didnt crack their knuckles found no difference in the rates of arthritis. It would be a gross overstatement, however, to say that the medical literature has thoroughly explored this connection. Thats the conclusion of several studies that compared rates of hand arthritis among habitual knucklecrackers and people who didnt crack their knuckles. As a rule, painless cracking of joints is not harmful. Our parents more than likely told us to stop doing it because of its irritating sounds. However, a couple of reports in the medical literature are available associating knuckle cracking with injury of the ligaments surrounding the joint or dislocation of the tendons attachments of muscles to bones which improved with conservative. Multiple studies suggest that theres no evidence to back up the claim that joint cracking can lead to arthritis.