Kristin WolgemuthCracking Knuckles
June 27th 2009 10:18
It all started with my older brother. He would crack his knuckles all the time. I think I was about 15 years old when I noticed him doing this (he was 17). I decided to try it. Now, almost 12 years later, I cannot stop.
I’ve tried stopping this annoying habit. I’ve been able to go days without cracking, and if I don’t think about it, I’m not likely to do it. However, I have not yet been able to stop completely. It is a habit I do out of boredom or nerves. It haunts me wherever I go. Maybe that’s one of the problems- it’s a portable addiction.
Why do knuckles crack? Check out this explanation: “Joints are the meeting points of two separate bones, held together and in place by connective tissues and ligaments. All of the joints in our bodies are surrounded by synovial fluid, a thick, clear liquid. When you stretch or bend your finger to pop the knuckle, you're causing the bones of the joint to pull apart. As they do, the connective tissue capsule that surrounds the joint is stretched. By stretching this capsule, you increase its volume. And as we know from chemistry class, with an increase in volume comes a decrease in pressure. So as the pressure of the synovial fluid drops, gases dissolved in the fluid become less soluble, forming bubbles through a process called cavitation. When the joint is stretched far enough, the pressure in the capsule drops so low that these bubbles burst, producing the pop that we associate with knuckle cracking.”
Studies are unclear and contradictory as to whether or not cracking the knuckles (or other body parts) causes arthritis. So, for now, I’m not going to worry about arthritis. Irritating people is another story.
Source: Really Long Link
I’ve tried stopping this annoying habit. I’ve been able to go days without cracking, and if I don’t think about it, I’m not likely to do it. However, I have not yet been able to stop completely. It is a habit I do out of boredom or nerves. It haunts me wherever I go. Maybe that’s one of the problems- it’s a portable addiction.
Why do knuckles crack? Check out this explanation: “Joints are the meeting points of two separate bones, held together and in place by connective tissues and ligaments. All of the joints in our bodies are surrounded by synovial fluid, a thick, clear liquid. When you stretch or bend your finger to pop the knuckle, you're causing the bones of the joint to pull apart. As they do, the connective tissue capsule that surrounds the joint is stretched. By stretching this capsule, you increase its volume. And as we know from chemistry class, with an increase in volume comes a decrease in pressure. So as the pressure of the synovial fluid drops, gases dissolved in the fluid become less soluble, forming bubbles through a process called cavitation. When the joint is stretched far enough, the pressure in the capsule drops so low that these bubbles burst, producing the pop that we associate with knuckle cracking.”
Studies are unclear and contradictory as to whether or not cracking the knuckles (or other body parts) causes arthritis. So, for now, I’m not going to worry about arthritis. Irritating people is another story.
Source: Really Long Link
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