From thecharlottepost.com
Travis Alexander cracks his knuckles to relieve tension.
“It just feels good,” he said. “If I was to give I guess like an equivalent I’ll say like popping bubble wrap. It’s just like you don’t know why you do it, but it just feels good to do.”
Some people like cracking their joints, which often make a variety of sounds such as popping, grinding, and snapping. According to Medical News Today, 25-54% of people are knuckle-crackers, with men more likely to do it versus women. There are also the knees, ankles, back and neck.
People enjoy the habit because it makes their muscles feel relaxed and there’s a release in pressure within their joints, making them feel more moveable. Others may do it because they feel nervous.
Is it a bad habit that can increase the risk of developing arthritis when with age?
Surprisingly, health experts say it is OK if you are a habitual knuckle-cracker.
“The popping sound is actually a gas bubble that's being broken up,” said Dr. Amit Patel, a rheumatologist at Novant Health. “In our joints, we have a little bit of fluid and a little bit of air and when you pop your knuckles, you're actually breaking up that gas bubble.”
Synovial fluid lubricates your joints and when you stretch your fingers or bend them backwards, bubbles are bursting inside the fluid, according to Harvard Medical School. Although gas bubbles form, you don’t necessarily have to pop them. If you want to continue cracking, you must wait until the bubbles return to the synovial fluid.
Health experts say this tendency does no harm to the skeletal system and does not increase your risk of arthritis or other health problems. However, it may aggravate people around you, depending on how often you do it.
One study found that chronic knuckle-cracking could lead to a weakened grip strength, according to Harvard Medical School.
One thing Patel doesn’t find safe is when people get someone to stand on their back as an attempt to crack it.
“I’d personally probably leave that one alone, just because there are so many nerves and so many small little fibres that have passed through the back and honestly, your spinal cord as well,” Patel said.
| Cracking knuckles might annoy others who can hear the popping sound, but it doesn't cause arthritis. STOCK PHOTO |
What about when you hear a popping sound from your joints?
“That's usually a little bit of wear and tear, so more osteoarthritis, the kind of arthritis that is pretty common in the general population,” Patel said. “Again, not causing any damage, natural popping, but it can be painful and that can be a sign that the cushion for example in your knees is starting to wear down and you might need to address that if you do develop more pain with it.”
The only time you should be concerned when your joints pop is if there is severe pain afterwards. This can be a sign of arthritis and you should go see your doctor.
Alexander, 30, also likes to crack his knees, shoulders, back, and sometimes his neck.
“I can actually crack my jaw,” he said. “I'm not sure if it's like a bubble or something and like it happens either when I put in my Invisalign or I'm sleeping, and I wake up. It feels like a certain part in my right jaw kind of locks up for a second. I have to keep moving it around and all of a sudden, you hear a pop.”
Alexander started his popping habit as a teenager, and doesn’t plan on making a change.
“I don't see myself stopping anytime soon,” he said. “I do it so involuntarily or I do it so subconsciously.”
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