So why do so many people find relief in cracking their knuckles? Cracking your knuckles "feels as if it relieves tension in the joints," Dr. Fackler says. "When that phenomenon happens, it causes a distraction of the joint and separates the joint for a brief second.
When you crack your knuckles, you pull the joint apart and expand the joint capsule. It forces gasses to release, resulting in that satisfying pop sound you hear when you've cracked your knuckles. The reason why cracking your knuckles feels good is because it stretches the joint and stimulates the nerve endings.
The behaviour can become addictive because of the immediate feelings of relief in the joints and increased range of motion it elicits. According to Harvard Medical School, when the knuckles are cracked, bubbles of air burst in the synovial fluid—this is responsible for lubricating the joints.
Myth: You Need to Stop Cracking Your Joints
Up to 54% of people crack their knuckles. Some like the sound or the way it feels. Others find that it helps relieve stress or anxiety. For some people, it can become a habit.
Why does cracking your knuckles and joints feel good? Cracking our joints releases chemicals called endorphins which can ease pain and induce a sense of pleasure. As a result, it feels as though tension dissipates in our joints.
“Knuckle cracking over the years will cause repetitive trauma to the joints and cartilage,” Oskouian said in a telephone interview. Studies he cited in his review suggest that long-term knuckle cracking can cause significant damage short of arthritis, stressing and ultimately degenerating cartilage.
Cracking your knuckles in particular can be linked to nervousness and anxiety in some people. “Just like some people bite their nails, they also might crack their knuckles to temporarily ease nervousness or anxiety,” says Brian Katt, M.D., hand surgeon at Hackensack Meridian Health.
"Since it stretches the ligaments, cracking your back could also potentially also lead to joint instability over time if you do it frequently enough — which, in turn, could increase your risk of developing osteoarthritis," says Dr. Palmer.
Do you crack your back? Sometimes there is nothing more satisfying than the release of tension followed by that little “pop.” But as great as it might feel, back adjustments are best left to medical professionals. By cracking your own back, you can make back issues worse and cause more pain, muscle strain or injury.
When done carefully, cracking your neck isn't bad for you. It has some benefits, including easing joint pressure, which may relieve pain or stiffness. But when done too often or forcefully, it can lead to more neck pain and injuries. Experts recommend gentle stretches when popping your neck.
Not everyone can produce a knuckle crack. “Some people cannot crack their knuckles because the spacing between their knuckles is too large for this to happen,” said Barakat.
If you are constantly cracking your neck, pressure will build up in the joints. This causes the surrounding ligaments to stretch to unstable levels and the cartilage in your vertebrae to wear down. This can cause osteoarthritis, which is serious, irreversible and painful. It also causes even greater stiffness.
It is completely normal and not a cause for concern. Injury—cracking toes may be due to an old injury re-aggravated or the sign that a new injury has occurred. Cracking or popping sounds, especially if accompanied by pain and swelling in the same toe, can be a sign of a broken toe.
Cracking your neck can feel good because it releases tension in the joints and muscles of the neck, which can improve range of motion and decrease pain. If tension has built in your neck from sleeping in a bad position or hunching over a desk, cracking it can help to make it feel better.
There are various reasons why a chiropractor may crack your back, but the main one is to move your spine beyond its everyday range of motion which in turn creates more space and freedom of movement. This will then provide a measure of relief from whatever discomfort you were feeling previously.
It is generally not good to walk on someone's back because you will loosen all of the joints instead of just the joints that are tight. There are self treatment exercises that are a great alternative to having someone walk on your back.
Sufferers with misophonia can't bear to hear people chewing food or cracking knuckles.
Numb tingling tingly hands description:
This anxiety symptom is often described as a numb and tingling sensation in the hands and fingers, a numb feeling, or that your hands and fingers feel tingly, pins and needles feeling, or 'crawly. ' This sensation can occur in one hand, both hands, or alternate between each hand.
It's difficult to say why such habits form, but this body-focused repetitive behavior likely has some psychological influence. It's possible that knuckle cracking is an adaptive behavior to regulate emotions. This might be explained when someone cracks their knuckles when they feel bored or anxious, for example.
Swelling: If you crack your knuckles and twist your fingers or palm all the time, there's a high chance of swelling. 3. Weak grip: Cracking knuckles creates cavities between the joints that can have an impact on your grip.
Knuckle cracking is probably a good habit to break. Besides possibly causing future problems, joint cracking can be annoying to other people.
It is usually rude. Here's the way to do it without being rude. Go into the restroom, turn on the hand drying blower, and crack your knuckles underneath it while it's running. These things are so loud no one will hear the “boom” of your joints cracking and complain.
External tests. Sometimes to know how and where to adjust, a chiropractor will want external tests. Chiropractors may order x-rays, CT scans, or an MRI to make certain that your chiropractic neck or back adjustment is safe and likely to help.