You may have heard that knuckle cracking causes arthritis, but theres no evidence to support this claim. Currently theres no substantial evidence that shows knuckle cracking leads to 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. The truth and the myth behind the cracking knuckles debate. 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. If a young person had mild discomfort or stiffness in his hands, would he crack his knuckles to make them feel better. Information about symptoms, health and lifestyle habits will help determine the type of arthritis you have. Wait, can cracking your knuckles really cause arthritis. Although you might still develop arthritis at some point, your habit of knuckle cracking wont be to blame. A good example of a study investigating this idea used knuckle cracking as a model.
One of the most convincing bits of evidence suggesting that knuckle cracking is harmless comes from a california physician who reported on an experiment he conducted on himself. Multiple studies have indicated that there is no evidence to suggest cracking knuckles causes or worsens arthritis. What you need to know follow these eight selfmanagement habits to help you take control of your arthritis. But a longstanding habit could affect joint function down the road. I was excited to read you article and find out that i wont get arthritis just because i crack my knuckles.
Claudia hammond examines what causes the winceinducing sound, and sifts through the evidence to see whether it actually damages your joints. Effect of habitual knuckle cracking on hand function. This piece of information is commonly doled out as fact, but few seem to know whether there is any specific evidence to back up the claim. There is no evidence that cracking knuckles causes any damage such as arthritis in the joints. Urban legend would indicate that knuckle cracking leads to arthritis of the joints of the hand. Some people make their joints crack, while others have cracking and creaking joints with normal activities. You hear the sound when you stretch your fingers and expand the joint, which in turn reduces pressure between the joint. Research has suggested cracking your knuckles and joints does not cause arthritis. There is no scientific evidence that cracking knuckles leads to arthritis. Cracking, popping, or snapping joints is a common experience for many individuals. A survey of a geriatric patient population with a history of knuckle cracking failed to show a correlation between knuckle cracking and degenerative changes of the metacarpal phalangeal joints. Important facts you should know before you start cracking your knuckles or neck by dailyhealthpost editorial september 21, 2018 in an interview, chiropractor dr. The good news is that there is no evidence that typical knuckle cracking or joint creaks will cause arthritis.
Multiple studies suggest that theres no evidence to back up the claim that joint cracking can lead to arthritis. To investigate the relation of habitual knuckle cracking to hand function 300 consecutive patients aged 45 years or above and without evidence of neuromuscular, inflammatory, or malignant disease were evaluated for the presence of habitual knuckle cracking and hand arthritis dysfunction. Knuckle cracking doesnt cause arthritis, but some research suggests the habit may not be completely harmless. Where did the myth knuckle cracking causes arthritis. The regular knuckle crackers amongst us have probably been warned at some point that popping their joints will lead to arthritis. The common claim that cracking ones knuckles causes arthritis is not supported by evidence. Cracking your knuckles may aggravate the people around you, but it probably wont raise your risk for arthritis.
Thats the conclusion of several studies that compared rates of hand arthritis among habitual knuckle crackers and people who didnt crack their knuckles. Busting the myth about knuckle cracking chicago health. He checked xrays on himself after decades of this behavior and found no difference in arthritis between his hands. Many others say it helps relieve joint pain and tension, and allows for greater range of motion in their joints. If a joint gets locked when it pops, knuckle cracking could lead to injuries in your hand. 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. Knucklecracking is a fairly common behaviour, with approximately 2050% of the population estimated to regularly crack their knuckles see reference 1. Cracking knuckles does not appear to cause or worsen arthritis, but it can soften the grip and lead to soft tissue swelling. You may have heard that knuckle cracking causes arthritis, but theres no evidence to support.
Whats created is a type of bubble, which burstscreating that loud popping sound thats so satisfying to hear after a good knuckle crack. However, repeatedly cracking your knuckles may cause temporary soreness of the joint. Even if knuckle cracking doesnt cause arthritis, theres still good reason to let go of the habit. Joint cracking can result from a negative pressure pulling nitrogen gas temporarily into the joint, such as when knuckles are cracked. Complications of cracking knuckles knuckle cracking doesnt cause arthritis, but some research suggests the habit may not be completely harmless. Taking an engineering approach, cracking the knuckles repeatedly over many decades could in theory damage the cartilage covering the joint. No, cracking your joints does not cause arthritis, and indeed, research has been done to investigate this question. Here are answers to questions about cracking your knuckles, including why knuckles crack, if knuckle cracking causes arthritis or is bad for you, and how to stop cracking your knuckles. Joint cracking can result from a negative pressure pulling nitrogen gas temporarily into the joint, such as when knuckles are. There is a third variable that causes both arthritis and the cracking of the knuckles. Over his lifetime, he regularly cracked the knuckles of only one hand. More specifically, knuckle cracking does not cause arthritis.
It seems logical that habitual knuckle cracking causes arthritis or other degenerative. The truth behind the myth theres no definitive evidence to show that cracking your knuckles causes arthritis, says dr. Ive been cracking my knuckles since elementary school and do not see any reason to stop in the near future. A study published in 2011 examined the hand radiographs of 215 people aged 50 to 89 and compared the joints of those who regularly cracked their knuckles to those who did not. Arthritis in the hands can make it difficult to move the fingers and to grasp objects. As for the crack or pop noise you hear after you crack your knuckles, its not bad.
Thats the conclusion of several studies that compared rates of hand arthritis among habitual knucklecrackers and people who didnt crack their knuckles. This is one of those quasimedical issues that is scarcely mentioned in medical school curricula. Knuckles are the joints between your fingers and your hands. Arthritis affects about 10 million people in the uk, according to the nhs its a common condition that causes pain and inflammation in the joints. Is hand arthritis caused by cracking your knuckles. These joints are surrounded and lubricated by synovial fluid, a thick, clear liquid. Find the truth about questions that pique your curiosity in our series, the short answer. While some insatiable knuckle crackers may go onto to develop problems down the road, the occasional painless cracking is probably harmless. If you are in the habit of cracking your knuckles, the evidence available today suggests that it will not cause you to develop arthritis. Chronic knucklecracking may lead to reduced grip strength. To deliberately produce the popping sounds, individuals bend their fingers into unusual positions, such as bending a finger backwards away from the palm into extension, compressing a finger toward the palm into flexion, or pulling a.
There is no medical evidence that knuckle cracking causes arthritis. Most doctors agree what knuckle cracking is aggravating, it wont raise the risk of arthritis. Causes the exact reason for the popping and snapping of joints is not. There is no evidence that cracking knuckles causes any damage, such as arthritis, in the joints, said dr.
A study conducted in 1990 showed chronic knuckle cracking may affect hand health. There hasnt been a lot of research on the effects of knuckle cracking, but the limited evidence shows it doesnt harm your joints. This is why you cant crack the same knuckle twice in a row. Ever wondered if cracking your knuckles is bad for you. Arthritis causes knuckle cracking, not the other way around. According to a number of studies, theres no conclusive evidence that cracking your knuckles damages your joints. The most probable reason why knuckle cracking is linked to arthritis, may be because of the noise produced when you do it. The department of orthopedics noted there is no evidence that knuckle cracking causes arthritis.
As per johns hopkins arthritis center, there is no evidence that cracking knuckles causes any damage such as arthritis in the joints. They found no evidence that finger pullers and poppers are more likely to suffer from arthritis than those who dont crack their knuckles. When you crack your knuckles, youre causing the bones of the. 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 treatment. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, but is variously attributed to autoimmunity, bacterial infection, or viral infection. It would be a gross overstatement, however, to say that the medical literature has thoroughly explored this connection.
Comparisons have even been made with the mechanical wear. Habitual knuckle cracking in children has been considered a cause of arthritis. Arthritis causes one to crack their knuckles reverse causation. Knuckle cracking has not been shown to be harmful or beneficial.
Multiple studies have found that there is no evidence knuckle cracking causes arthritis. The pop of a cracked knuckle is caused by bubbles bursting in the synovial fluid the fluid that helps lubricate joints. Does cracking your knuckles lead to arthritis answers. Jadean anderson recommended that if you routinely crack your knuckles neck, foot, elbow, etc. Cracking your knuckles is a way of releasing air from between your joints that really needs to be released, but doing this as a habit can cause arthritis when your joints keep rubbing together can. Some people who crack their knuckles do it out of habit or boredom. Doctor cracked own knuckles for 60 years to quash links. No evidence has been found to indicate that habitual knuckle crackers are more likely to suffer from hand arthritis than people who dont crack their knuckles. You can understand the answer better if you get an idea of exactly why you hear that cracking sound. Whats really happening when you crack your knuckles is that you are either pushing the joint in. 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. Overthecounter otc pain relievers are easy to buy but can cause. For example, having a family history of arthritis might cause your arthritis and also stress you out, causing you to crack your knuckles.
1320 1490 618 932 461 81 1199 177 88 1321 749 1463 225 165 382 937 107 1410 1392 1057 319 610 14 837 1048 867 646 597 638 1192 569 1218 152 246 631 734 792 19