NotEinstein
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Knuckle cracking is a common practice that is annoying to some and relieving to others. People crack their knuckles for one or more reasons, such as feelings of increased mobility, relief of stiffness in the fingers, or just out of habit. There is no evidence that cracking knuckles actually increases mobility or relieves stiffness. Mobility and looseness can be created by simply stretching the digits, but most types of finger stretching involve movements that cause the knuckles to crack or pop. It is not the cracking that increases mobility, but the stretching. Knuckle cracking is made possible because our joints are surrounded by what is called a synovial capsule. Inside the capsule is a liquid that helps lubricate the joints as they bend. The fluid also carries nutrients to the bone the capsule surrounds. As a matter of course, gases, mostly nitrogen, become trapped in the fluid. When the joint is stretched, the synovial capsule expands, creating a partial vacuum inside. The gases rush to fill the space in the vacuum, creating one big bubble. As the joint is stretched further, the pressure of the fluid causes the bubble to pop, creating the noise. The gases are then disbursed as smaller bubbles and in 10 – 15 minutes they dissolve back into the liquid and can be popped again.
It has been said that cracking knuckles leads to arthritis, but there is no scientific evidence to support this claim, and almost all doctors agree that there is no connection between cracking knuckles and arthritis. In fact, there appears to be no effects of cracking knuckles at all, either good or bad. For people with arthritis or older people, the act of applying pressure to the joints is not recommended and the pressure can cause ligament injuries, breaks, or dislocations, in rare circumstances, but the actual cracking of the knuckle is quite harmless.
Other joints of the human body can crack, also. This phenomenon is not limited to the joints of the finger. Toes, ankles, wrists, elbows, and knees can all pop too, but it is easiest for most people to create this condition in the fingers.
 Posted 5182 day ago
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