We have all cracked our knuckles. The popping sound that comes from our fingers and hands! Oh, it is annoying to see people who are obsessed with cracking their knuckles. What causes the knuckles cracking sound? Most of us may not know. But we all might have heard one thing from our mothers or grandmothers. It is that cracking of knuckles is bad for our health. How far is it true? Let us find some facts about knuckle cracking.
What causes the knuckles cracking sound?
This is a topic which has kept our researchers engaged for several decades. Though there are some contradictory statements, there seems to be a general consensus on the reasons. Our joints have a lubricating fluid called the synovial fluid. This fluid contains some dissolved gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. These gases build up and form bubbles in the joints.
When we crack the knuckles, we are pulling apart the joints. This causes the gas bubbles to pop. It is this popping of gas bubbles that causes the sound. This also explains why we have to wait for some time before we can crack knuckles for a second time. Once the bubbles pop, they will take time to build up again. So we will cannot continuously pop the same joint twice.
Is it harmful?
For decades, people thought that knuckle-cracking can cause arthritis. But recent studies have proven that there is no connection between arthritis and cracking of knuckles. When the occurrence of arthritis in obsessive knuckle crackers was compared with that in non-crackers, no remarkable change was found.
However, it has been found that people who crack knuckles more are likely to have reduced gripping power, and increased swelling of hands. So it does have a side-effect, though not very harmful.
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