You may have heard the myth that knuckle cracking will cause arthritis. But is it true?
According to National Geographic, when we pop our knuckles, we’re not actually cracking anything. Instead, we’re popping little air bubbles full of gas that reside within our joints.
According to orthopedic spine surgeon Rojeh Melikian, from DISC Sports and Spine Center, when we pop these gas bubbles, “it can actually provide a physical sensation of release and a temporary increase in joint mobility,” per National Geographic.
Per Harvard, knuckle cracking is, for the most part, harmless, with multiple studies having shown that even if one does pop their knuckles over a lifetime, it did not result in a higher chance of getting arthritis.
One such study was done by a California physician, per Harvard, who cracked his knuckles on only one hand over several decades and continuously took X-rays of said hand. He found that there was no difference in the arthritis that had developed in both hands.
But some people may crack their knuckles more often just to get a “rush just from hearing the sound of popping,” as chiropractor Matthew Cavanaugh told National Geographic. He explains that some people will pop their knuckles habitually just to get a placebo effect of pleasure, even if their knuckles don’t pop.
How to correctly crack your knuckles
So if you crack your knuckles, you’re not at a higher risk of developing arthritis. But experts warn that if you crack your knuckles incorrectly, then you’ll have some health problems.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, you shouldn’t use a lot of force when cracking your knuckles — you’ll know when you’ve used too much force because your knuckles will hurt. When you pop a knuckle correctly, it shouldn’t hurt at all.
If, after popping your knuckles, you notice swelling or crookedness in your finger, you should go to a doctor because you may have injured a ligament or dislocated the finger.
But according to Harvard, these injuries tend to be an exception to knuckle cracking and not the norm.
If you happen to feel pain while cracking your knuckles, per WebMD, you could have loose cartilage or injured ligaments. People with preexisting conditions such as arthritis, tendinitis or bursitis will experience pain if they crack their knuckles because of their irregular and swollen finger tissues.
If you try to crack your knuckles a second time shortly after doing it once before and don’t hear a crack, Harvard says to not worry. There just hasn’t been enough time for the gas bubbles to reappear in your joints.