“Why do we crack our knuckles?”
Many of us in times of stress, pressure, and nervousness get this
urge to crack our knuckles. Or maybe when we just get this feeling
to just want to kickback, relax, and stretch our joints and muscles
to complete stress relief. But have you ever wondered of
this strange phenomenon? Have you ever wondered why
we crack our knuckles? Ever wonder why is it that when you
always raise your arm or bend your fingers you get this great
comfortable crack in the bones. Cracking knuckles can be
something perfectly natural but some of us might say it’s a ‘bad habit’.
The sound of it as you might have noticed annoys those that
are surrounding you. Just what is that sound made from?
Well for those of you who never really thought about it here are
a few facts that just might interest you.
Your joints can make a variety of sounds. Joints that “crack”
(as you might say) are the knuckles, knees, ankles, back, and neck.
There are different reasons why they do this strange process here are some of them:
· Escaping gases: it’s been comprehended by many scientists
that this fluid inside the joint called synovial fluid acts as
a substance capable of reducing friction by making surfaces
smooth or slippery. This fluid contains gases such as oxygen,
nitrogen and carbon dioxide. When you crack your joint, you
stretch the joint capsule, the layer that protects the joint,
and that is when the gas is released and thus forms bubbles.
So when you hear a ‘pop’ that’s you popping the bubble.
· Joints are where two separate bones meet. Ligaments
and connective tissues hold them together, in a kind of
a bath of thick fluid. When you pull apart a joint, it creates
space for the fluid hence forming a bubble.
When this bubble appears, the liquid pushes back on the
ligaments, snapping them back into place.
· Rough surfaces: arthritic joints make sounds caused
by the loss of smooth cartilage and the roughness of
the joint surface.
If you’re asking yourself if joint cracking is harmful, I myself
would say “it depends”. Many studies show that knuckle
cracking does not cause serious harm but other studies prove
that repetitive knuckle cracking can cause damage to the soft
tissues of the joint. This may lead to a weak grip and
a swelling hand.
My advice: treat your hands kindly and give them a break!
It’s your decision whether popping your knuckles now
is worth having a tough time holding things or opening
food jars in the near future. Maybe even opening the doors
(لا سمح الله) to the possibility of having arthritis which
was proved slightly untrue but we would still all love
to be safe than sorry.