Preparing for the holidays? Cracking your knuckles may aggravate the people around you, but it probably won't raise your risk for arthritis. That's the conclusion of several studies that compared rates of hand arthritis among habitual knuckle-crackers and people who didn't crack their knuckles.
The "pop" of a cracked knuckle is caused by bubbles bursting in the synovial fluid — the fluid that helps lubricate joints. The bubbles pop when you pull the bones apart, either by stretching the fingers or bending them backward, creating negative pressure.
One study's authors compared the sudden, vibratory energy produced during knuckle cracking to "the forces responsible for the destruction of hydraulic blades and ship propellers. Even if knuckle cracking doesn't cause arthritis, there's still good reason to let go of the habit.
Chronic knuckle-cracking may lead to reduced grip strength. And there are at least two published reports of injuries suffered while people were trying to crack their knuckles. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
All joints are bathed in fluid. Some people claim popping their knuckles or their back brings them relief. Behr says this might be true if in fact the release of nitrogen takes stress off the joints, but then again, relief could also be a result of the stretching that is simultaneously taking place.
During this time, your knuckles will not crack. Get more health and wellness tips from Living Better. Need to make an appointment with a Piedmont physician?
Save time, book online. Close X. Back to Living Better Living Better newsletter. Skip to content. But the satisfaction is mostly in your head. Were your parents right about arthritis? It does not lead to arthritis,' says Dr.
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