Dd has a question for the Hive. Do you think popping your....

[Juniper]

knuckles is bad for your phalanges? Yes, those were her words. :rolleyes: I cannot pop mine, so I really have no idea. She can, and it is LOUD!!!!!

[SJ.]

I don't know, I don't pop mine and it seems to me it would be very painful. You hear a similar sound when you are adjusted by a chiropractor, maybe it is like "adjusting" your phalanges? :laugh:

[twoxcell]

I don't know if it is bad, but it totally grosses me out.

[Maela]

Great question. I have been popping my knuckles (and back, neck, toes, ankles) since the 6th grade, and I have often wondered if I'm doing damage. It's such a habit, I hardly notice I do it anymore until DH says something about the noise.

[Farrar]

I've always heard it is, but I have no scientific evidence to back that up.

[SJ.]

I don't know, I don't pop mine and it seems to me it would be very painful. You hear a similar sound when you are adjusted by a chiropractor, maybe it is like "adjusting" your phalanges? :laugh:

 

To clarify, it seems like forcing *my* knuckles to crack/pop/adjust would be painful. I would have edited but that function hasn't worked for me today.

[Parrothead]

I think if one is prone to joint issues it may be a problem.

[Mrs_JWM]

I just tried to post that it grosses me out, too! Keep her and her cracky knuckles away from me! ;)

[justLisa]

My mother always said it gives you fat knuckels. I have no idea where she got this

[Jean in Newcastle]

My chiropractor says that popping them in and of themselves is ok and can relieve pain at times. The idea that cracking knuckles (or other joints) causes arthritis is not supported by research. (People who did and did not crack joints got osteoarthritis in equal amounts.)

[meggie]

I've been cracking my thumbs since fifth or sixth grade and my toes, ankles and knees for almost as long. It's a terrible habit that I've tried to break many times, but the pressure builds in the joints and I just can't break the habit. Heck, sometimes I'll just be walking and my toes crack with every step.

 

Mostly, it's not painful. There have been several times when I could crack my neck just by turning it to the side. Doesn't hurt. However, even though I didn't do anything different, I can no longer crack it. The pressure to do so just isn't there. Same with my lower back. If I were to force it, it probably would hurt.

[Maela]

I've been cracking my thumbs since fifth or sixth grade and my toes, ankles and knees for almost as long. It's a terrible habit that I've tried to break many times, but the pressure builds in the joints and I just can't break the habit. Heck, sometimes I'll just be walking and my toes crack with every step.

 

Mostly, it's not painful. There have been several times when I could crack my neck just by turning it to the side. Doesn't hurt. However, even though I didn't do anything different, I can no longer crack it. The pressure to do so just isn't there. Same with my lower back. If I were to force it, it probably would hurt.

Wow! So nice to hear from someone like me. I could have written this!

[meggie]

Wow! So nice to hear from someone like me. I could have written this!

 

Solidarity, sistah!

[Matryoshka]

I hope not. Dd11 pops hers all the time. I don't think I could pop mine if I tried - I think my fingers would break first. I don't know anyone else in the family that pops their knuckles - wonder where she got it! She loves grossing me out by doing that... and yes, it's loud!

[Giraffe]

I don't think it does damage. I pop and crack just by moving - back, knees, ankles, toes, fingers, neck. Yes, it's gross, but I honestly can't help it sometimes. I just pop, especially at night when my ankles are extremely "poppy" and painful.

[medawyn]

I've been cracking my thumbs since fifth or sixth grade and my toes, ankles and knees for almost as long. It's a terrible habit that I've tried to break many times, but the pressure builds in the joints and I just can't break the habit. Heck, sometimes I'll just be walking and my toes crack with every step.

 

Mostly, it's not painful. There have been several times when I could crack my neck just by turning it to the side. Doesn't hurt. However, even though I didn't do anything different, I can no longer crack it. The pressure to do so just isn't there. Same with my lower back. If I were to force it, it probably would hurt.

 

 

Wow! So nice to hear from someone like me. I could have written this!

 

 

I'll third this! I know it's a habit that drives people crazy (or grosses them out), so I try to be conscientious about when I pop, but most of my joints will go ahead and do it themselves. It doesn't hurt, because I don't force it, but my joints do begin to ache if they don't pop. Guarantee then that the next time I flex there will be a nice ricochet!

[redsquirrel]

http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/guide/joint-cracking-osteoarthritis

[Truscifi]

I'll third this! I know it's a habit that drives people crazy (or grosses them out), so I try to be conscientious about when I pop, but most of my joints will go ahead and do it themselves. It doesn't hurt, because I don't force it, but my joints do begin to ache if they don't pop. Guarantee then that the next time I flex there will be a nice ricochet!

 

 

Same here - I generally don't *try* to pop them, they just pop when I move.

[Elinor Everywhere]

I'll third this! I know it's a habit that drives people crazy (or grosses them out), so I try to be conscientious about when I pop, but most of my joints will go ahead and do it themselves. It doesn't hurt, because I don't force it, but my joints do begin to ache if they don't pop. Guarantee then that the next time I flex there will be a nice ricochet!

 

 

I feel the same way. I do try not to be obnoxious about it, but once my knuckles (or neck, or whatever) decides they want to be cracked, I have to do it....like trying to ignore an itch!

[GraciebytheBay]

My anatomy & physiology professor said that it is not harmful. He said it was just air that pops through the synovial fluid surrounding the joints. Since I tend to do this occasionally, I was glad to hear that!

[Joker]

I start to hurt if I don't pop. I pop my fingers, wrists, elbows, neck and back. I start to feel pressure that is only relieved by popping. My back is the worst. I can't imagine not popping it when it starts to hurt.

 

My mom always told me it would lead to fat knuckles, but I still have very tiny fingers and arms. :tongue_smilie:

[swellmomma]

I crack my knuckles , toes(just curl them while sitting at my desk and they all crack), my knees, and elbows lock up if I don't crack them sometimes, back and neck crack just by turning, or if I tilt my head to my shoulder on each side it usually cracks. My ankle crack everytime I rotate my ankle. It must run in the family because my sister's ankle crack with every step she takes, she can not sneak up on people because of it. My kids get the buildup of pressure too and crack their own joints or ask me to.

[Pink Fairy]

This is one of those things my mom used to say, along with, "don't cross your eyes or they might stay that way" and, "don't watch tv in a dark room, it will hurt your eyes." Oh, and, "don't stand in front of the microwave while it's running, it will give you cancer."