By cracking your fingers you start to develop Arthritis

Question

Cracking your knuckles does not give you arthritis. The popping sound is connected to the formation and bursting of gas bubbles in your joint fluid. No studies have demonstrated an increased risk of arthritis, but frequent knuckle cracking may slightly reduce grip strength or irritate surrounding tissues​

Comments

The claim that this article states "Cracking your fingers does not give you arthritis" is a factual claim that is supported by the source that's provided. The article also states the possible risks of cracking your fingers, reduced grip strength and irritated tissue.

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This article's statement that "Cracking your fingers does not give you arthritis" is factual and backed up by the cited source. The article also discusses the potential dangers of infected tissue, limited grip strength, and finger cracking.

Answer 1

The claim of this John Hopkins article is that that cracking your fingers does not in fact lead to arthritis. They state that it may cause reduced grip strength but arthritis is not an effect of cracking knuckles. This claim is supported by a Harvard Study. Harvard Medical School states that "Cracking your knuckles may aggravate the people around you, but it probably won't raise your risk for arthritis. That's the conclusion of several studies that compared rates of hand arthritis among habitual knuckle-crackers and people who didn't crack their knuckles." The John Hopkins article is written by Dimitrios Pappas, who's a trusted Rheumatology Fellow of Johns Hopkins University. After fact checking, I would say this article is factual so therefore, while it may not be great for you, cracking your knuckles should not result in arthritis. 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/does-knuckle-cracking-cause-arthritis 

Comments

Your fact check is thorough and backs up the source with a different study from an established institution. Additionally, I appreciate that you researched the author of the article and their credibility. Good job

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Interesting points! I agree that citing reputable sources like Johns Hopkins and Harvard Medical School boosts the credibility of this claim. However, I’m curious about the specific studies these institutions refer to. Did they look at a broad demographic, and how long did they follow participants? Sometimes smaller studies show preliminary results that don’t always hold up with larger samples or over extended periods.

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Well said! I agree that this claim gains a lot of credibility when reputable sources like Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins are cited. However, I'm also curious about the specifics of the research they're referencing. How long were they tracked, and were a variety of participants included? Early findings from smaller studies may not always hold up when tested over longer periods of time on larger or more diverse groups. Were other factors like age, location, or socioeconomic status taken into consideration in these studies? Did some patterns stand out, or were the results similar for each group? It's also worthwhile to inquire as to whether the techniques they employed can be repeated in order to validate the outcomes.

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This is. great fact check! researching the author and his professional background verifies the legitimacy of the claims in the article that was initially skeptical of. well done!

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Great job on your fact-checking! You've made a strong case by citing reputable sources and providing a well-rounded explanation of the issue. While you mentioned that cracking knuckles "may cause reduced grip strength," it could be helpful to provide a bit more detail on why or how this happens. For instance, some research suggests that cracking knuckles may lead to ligament stretching or temporary discomfort, which could explain the reduced strength, but it’s unlikely to lead to long term damage.

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Overall you did a great job! Your source is credible and you explained what it was saying clearly and throughly. The only thing I would have went deeper into is the claim that cracking your knuckles can have a negative effect on your grip strength. You did a great job and helped clear up the claim.

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This is a great fact check. The original claim was that cracking your fingers leads to arthritis, but you could cite sources from John Hopkins and Harvard Medical School that debunked this theory.

Answer 2

The claim that cracking your fingers leads to arthritis is a common myth. A notable study published in the "Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine" examined the effects of knuckle cracking over a long period and found no correlation between the habit and the development of arthritis. The lead researcher, Dr. Donald Unger, famously cracked the knuckles of one hand for over 60 years while avoiding it in the other, ultimately concluding that it did not result in arthritis. However, habitual cracking can potentially lead to other issues, such as soft tissue swelling or decreased grip strength over time. So, while it may be annoying to some, cracking your knuckles does not appear to cause arthritis. It is generally harmless, but moderation is key!

https://somersethillschiropractic.com/blog/myth-buster-cracking-joints-and-arthritis/

Comments

the point about "soft tissue swelling or decreased grip strength" is interesting, but a bit underdeveloped. Are there any specific studies backing this up or is it more of a theoretical risk? Adding more detail here could make your factcheck stronger.

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This is a good answer as you provide a reputable article and have evidence for your answer to the claim. Multiple other studies also say that cracking your fingers won't cause arthritis it is just the fluid between your joints. I think your answer is clear and concise.

Answer 3

Exactly as you said in your post it is a myth that by cracking your knuckles gives you arthritis. In the John Hopkins article, it goes over the facts that there is no true evidence that suggests a correlation between the two. Also, the Harvard Health article I found goes over the same topic and that knuckle cracking may be a habit to let go of. This is because it is found that people tend to have worsened grip strength and there have been some other related injuries due to knuckle cracking.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/does-knuckle-cracking-cause-arthritis

Comments

Well-corroborated fact check! I also appreciate your notion of other potential risks associated with knuckle cracking, as that nuance is important to the issue at hand.

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I think you did a good job fact checking. You added good evidence on why the claim is true. Claim without evidence is worthless.

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This is a great response and a well-thought-out fact-check. I am intrigued by the other article relating to the topic and how people's grip strength has worsened over time. I am also wondering how someone could injure themselves by cracking their knuckles!

Answer 4

While commonly believed to be true, cracking your knuckles does not cause arthritis, as stated in the claim above. Harvard says several studies show no correlation between the rat e of arthritis and whether or not you crack your knuckles. The sound that is produced comes from the release of air from the bubbles in the synovial fluid. While reduced grip strength is a common side effect, cracking your knuckles will not cause arthritis.

Harvard

Comments

You seem to know what you are talking about but throwing in Harvard with no direct quote or information doesn't make this very reliable. Your information otherwise is good!

Answer 5

Cracking your fingers will not give one arthritis, when once cracks a finger the sound is cause by gas bubbles in the joint collapsing with each other. Dr Donald Unger participated in an experiment of kracking his knuckles on one hand for 60 years and left the other fingers alone and there was still no difference.

Comments

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/crack-research/

Answer 6

According to an article by Dimitrios Pappas, a Rheumatology Fellow at Johns Hopkins University, cracking your knuckles does not actually cause arthritis. While there is some evidence it may slightly reduce grip strength, arthritis isn’t linked to this habit. This claim is supported by research from Harvard Medical School, which states, "Cracking your knuckles may aggravate the people around you, but it probably won't raise your risk for arthritis." Harvard’s findings are based on multiple studies comparing hand arthritis rates between frequent knuckle-crackers and those who don’t crack their knuckles. After verifying the facts, it’s safe to say that while cracking your knuckles might not be ideal, it’s unlikely to lead to arthritis

https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/does-knuckle-cracking-cause-arthritis

Comments

I think this is a very sufficient fact check. I like how you wrote a lot of this information in your own words, while also including a quote. The structure of your prose is solid and easy to understand, and the source you used was reliable, I believe this information to be true.

Answer 7

By Cracking your knuckles you start to develop Arthritis that statement is not True. However the content  in the article is True. When I went to the John Hopkins source it says that There is no evidence of such an association. In limited studies performed there was no change in occurrence of arthritis between “habitual knuckle crackers” and “non crackers.” My source is John  Hopkins Arthritis Center. John Hopkins is a reputable Medical organization.    https://www.hopkinsarthritis.org/arthritis-news/knuckle-cracking-q-a-from/

Answer 8

Cracking finger joints will not cause a person to develop arthritis. Arthritis is a disease in which the immune system attacks the joints, as stated by the University of Arkansas. When a person stretches their fingers, they can pop bubbles in the synovial fluid which creates the distinctive “pop” sound, as explained in the article from Harvard Health. This action might aggravate existing Arthritis but has no connection in causing it. There could be other negative side effects such as weakened grip strength, or simply public disturbance which might be why the rumor was originally started. 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/does-knuckle-cracking-cause-arthritis

https://uamshealth.com/medical-myths/will-cracking-your-knuckles-cause-arthritis/

Comments

Nicely put, I like that you cited your source and explained your answer. Good job! I feel educated, thank you.

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While there is no concrete proof that it causes arthritis, it is also true that the myth most likely developed as a result of popular irritation with the sound and worries about joint health. Your comment makes a lot of sense!

Answer 9

The claim of this John Hopkins article is that cracking your fingers does not lead to arthritis. The article state that it may cause reduced grip strength but arthritis is not an effect of cracking knuckles. This claim is supported by the Harvard Study below. Harvard Medical School states that "it probably won't raise your risk of arthritis." After fact-checking, I would say this article is factual so therefore cracking your knuckles should not result in arthritis. 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/does-knuckle-cracking-cause-arthritis 

Answer 10

There is no scientific evidence that supports the claim that cracking your knuckles will help you develop arthritis. First, according to Harvard Medical School, when you crack your knuckles, the popping noise is cause by "bubble bursting in the synovial fluid". This does not cause arthritis, however the article does say that cracking your knuckles frequently can lead to reduced grip strength. There have also been cases that link knuckle cracking to injuries of the ligaments that surround your joints. This claim is false as there is no link between knuckle cracking and arthritis. 

Articles used:

https://www.hopkinsarthritis.org/arthritis-news/knuckle-cracking-q-a-from/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/does-knuckle-cracking-cause-arthritis