Everyone has been told at least once that they should not crack their knuckles because knuckle cracking can cause arthritis. Many people are wondering is what they say really true or is it just one of those old wives tales that parents use to scare their children so they will not do it anymore. Well the answer is no, knuckle cracking does not actually cause a person to have arthritis. There have been enough studies to say with confidence that there is no connection between cracking your knuckles and having arthritis.
Now you are probably wondering what happens inside the joint when we crack our knuckles, right? Well in order to understand what happens inside the joint when the cracking sound occurs you need to first know how the joint works and is put together. First of all, we all know that the joint is the place two bones connect to each other. The ends of the bones are covered in cartilage, which stop the bones from rubbing together.
The cartilage is encircled by a joint capsule that contains a liquid known as synovial fluid, which acts as a lubricant to the joint allowing it to move smoothly. The fluid also has all kinds of nutrients that are needed by the cells that keep the cartilage from breaking down. The fluid contains gases - oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, which are released very suddenly when you "crack" your knuckles. When the gases are released under pressure they make the cracking sound you often hear when cracking your knuckles.
Arthritis usually occurs in older adults but there are different types of arthritis and it can occur in people of all ages, it does not discriminate. Arthritis can happen due to many reasons, old age is most common but other reasons include injury to a joint or certain illnesses. Gout, viral hepatitis and lupus are a few of the common illnesses that can cause arthritis.
However, just because it is true that cracking your knuckles does not directly lead you to having arthritis it does not make it any less harmful. There are a few different problems that can come from cracking your knuckles that were found during the studies to show whether or not the theory was fact or fiction. In one study knuckle cracking lead to an increase in the swelling of the hands and less grip strength.
There was another study that showed more, even less appealing things that can result from cracking your knuckles. Even there was no link between arthritis and knuckle cracking there was a connection between knuckle cracking and ligament damage which could cause easy dislocation of tendons. It is thought that cracking your knuckles could be linked to damage and injuries to the soft tissues such as tendon, ligaments and muscles in the fingers.
It's your decision to be properly informed about your arthritis and I'm glad you're making it!
For more detailed arthritis diet information and advice, see other important articles like this one as well as what causes arthritis. Also discover how to recognize and relieve your arthritis symptoms.
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