CRACKING YOUR KNUCKLES

 

You may have heard people say that cracking knuckles leads to arthritis. There is no medical evidence to support that, but it is possible that cracking knuckles a lot over a long period of time could cause problems like swelling or reduced grip strength.

Knuckle cracking is probably a habit to break. Besides the chance that it might cause future problems, joint cracking can annoy other people. Why risk turning off a crush, a job interviewer, or someone you are trying to impress?

How knuckles crack?

Located where the fingers meet the hand, knuckles are sometimes called metacarpophalangeal joints.

• The clicking, cracking, popping, or snapping that occurs when you crack your knuckles is associated with tiny gas bubbles.
• To produce a cracking sensation, a finger is forced forward or backward (doctors call this hyper-flexion or hyper-extension at a metacarpophalangeal joint) or pulled straight away from the hand. Any of these movements can cause a change in pressure in the joint. The pressure change causes tiny gas bubbles to form in the knuckle’s joint fluid.
• It is not clear whether the cracking noise is produced when bubbles form or when the bubbles pop.
• It usually takes 15 or 20 minutes for the gas bubbles to dissipate and for the bones of the joint to return to their normal positions. This is why you cannot crack the same knuckle twice in a row.

It seems logical that habitual knuckle cracking could cause arthritis or other degenerative changes in the hand. But what do medical researchers say?

Conflicting research on knuckle cracking and arthritis

Research studies comparing knuckle crackers to non-crackers have had mixed results. A couple of studies have reported an association between knuckle cracking and hand arthritis. Others found no significant connection.

So, is it fine to continue your knuckle cracking? Well, it is certainly not recommended. Even studies that found no connection between knuckle cracking and arthritis reported other signs of joint changes.

Possible changes in the hand

Research suggests people who often crack their knuckles may have:

• More swelling in their hands.
• A weaker grip.
• A slightly larger range of motion in their hands while this seems like a good thing, hypermobility can put a joint at risk of osteoarthritis and other injuries.
• Signs of cartilage changes in their knuckle joints that indicate possible scarring and a higher risk of developing osteoarthritis.

Like the research regarding knuckle cracking and arthritis, the research regarding these potential effects also shows conflicts. For example, the same study that reported knuckle crackers had cartilage changes but did not find any evidence that they led to weaker grip strength.

Studies examining knuckle cracking tend to be small, ranging from 35 to 300 people. Also, most compare knuckle crackers and non-crackers over a short period of time. Larger, longer-term studies that measure changes in hands over time are necessary to draw clearer conclusions.  

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