CRACKING KNUCKLES

Do you enjoy cracking your knuckles? Some people are repulsed by it and some are inexplicably drawn to it, but the controversy doesn’t extend just to cracking preferences. Scientists have been fascinated with the cause of the cracking sound for decades, suggesting different theories about the nature and safety of knuckle-cracking. 

One of the oldest theories about fluid in the joint is gaining traction again as researchers have discovered new information about why our knuckles crack. The knuckle is composed of a pocket of fluid between two finger bones, with carbon dioxide and other gases dissolved in the fluid. The liquid cushions the bones to keep them from grinding against each other, but when the bones are pulled apart the pressure drops and a gas bubble forms inside the fluid. When the bubble collapses part or all of the way, it creates that familiar noise. 

The good news is, the sound is not your bones rubbing together, as some people think. But the case of whether this practice is detrimental in the long term has not yet been cracked.

 


The information posted on this blog and website are for general information only and should never be relied on as specific medical advice for an individual reader.  No financial relationship exists between us and any recommended products or persons mentioned. All material contained here is the property of the Sheldon Sowell Center for Health, PC, and cannot be copied, reprinted, or linked to without our express permission.

Phone: 303-789-4949
Fax: 303-789-7495
1780 South Bellaire Street #700
Denver, CO 80222

 

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Denver, CO 80222