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

Initially, it's important to note that this article and its claim is relying on a well-known and credible source, which allows us to view this claim through a different lense. This article claims the myth that cracking your knuckles leads to arthritis is just that; a myth. According to Eric M. Ruderman, (a rheumatologist at Northwestern Medicine), there is truly no connection between cracking knuckles and arthritis because it is just the expulsion of gas bubbles.

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While the concern that cracking your knuckles can lead to long lasting effects such as arthritis is valid, there has been no known correlation between cracking your knuckles and arthritis.

"The relation of habitual knuckle cracking to osteoarthrosis with functional impairment of the hand has long been considered an old wives' tale without experimental support. The mechanical sequelae of knuckle cracking have been shown to produce the rapid release of energy in the form of sudden vibratory energy, much like the forces responsible for the destruction of hydraulic blades and ship propellers.

There was no increased preponderance of arthritis of the hand in either group; however, habitual knuckle crackers were more likely to have hand swelling and lower grip strength. Habitual knuckle cracking was associated with manual labour, biting of the nails, smoking, and drinking alcohol. It is concluded that habitual knuckle cracking results in functional hand impairment."

This quote taken from a study by the National Library of Medicine explains what the popping sound in knuckle is caused by, and how knuckle cracking does not cause arthritis, although it can increase chances in developing functional hand impairment.

"Repetitive and intentional joint cracking won't cause cartilage damage or arthritis, but it may lead to other serious issues like instability within the joint and a loss of grip strength or hand function."

This excerpt from CentraCare also explores the possibility of repeated knuckle cracking leading to lower and function.

In short, cracking your knuckles will not lead to arthritis, but can lead to a loss in hand function .

https://www.centracare.com/articles-stories/cracking-knuckles-cause-arthritis
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1004074/

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The source and short description were incredible since they clearly summarized what the claim is and the article being referenced was very trustworthy. The source was from the Arthritis Center at Johns Hopkins, which provides enough authority and background of where most of the information was from. But why did the title seem completely opposite to the claim and the backup source? Is it a way to draw attention? Besides this, the source was also in Q&A form which directly answered each question around the topic of arthritis clearly.

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Many people have the belief that cracking your knuckles can lead to things like arthritis. However, this is not true, and it is simply the popping of joint fluid. Northwestern Medicine states, "There is no connection between cracking your knuckles and arthritis. "
https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/can-you-get-arthritis-from-cracking-your-knuckles#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20truth%20is%20there%20is,cracking%20your%20knuckles%20and%20arthritis.

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This is a great explanation! It's short and concise, and you backed it up with a good and trustworthy source.

Answer 1

According to northwestern medicine, cracking your knuckles does not cause arthritis. Eric M. Ruderman, MD is a rheumatologist at Northwestern and he says “The truth is there is no connection between cracking your knuckles and arthritis — or any other long-term health problem,”

https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/can-you-get-arthritis-from-cracking-your-knuckles#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20truth%20is%20there%20is,a%20rheumatologist%20at%20Northwestern%20Medicine.

According to John Hopkins Arthritis Center, the fluid between the joints of the knuckles creates a gas when it forms. When someone cracks their knuckles they are releasing the gas and creating the signature popping sound. This does not cause arthritis or any other sort of long term issues.

Comments

You did a great job embedding the evidence while making the fact check your own argument. The way you phrased things also doesn't come off as hostile but rather making sure that people aren't being misled by online information.

Answer 2

This claim is false and has been proven scientifically. In the article I researched Dr. Fackler explains how there is no direct coordination to cracking your knuckles leading to an increased risk of arthritis but to remain cautious as this causes air pockets of fluid between your knuckles. The sound of popping is a distraction and gives relief for a quick second but causes more issues. https://www.houstonmethodist.org/blog/articles/2020/jun/does-cracking-your-knuckles-cause-arthritis/

https://www.houstonmethodist.org/blog/articles/2020/jun/does-cracking-your-knuckles-cause-arthritis/

Answer 3

Cracking your knuckles does not cause arthritis according to Johns Hopkins University and other reputable sources when I looked up this question. The news detective headline was false but when I clicked the article I found that it was a reputable source and found out cracking your knuckles does not cause arthritis. 

Answer 4

The claim of this question is saying that "cracking your knuckles can lead to arthritis" comes from the bursting of gas bubbles in the fluid of your joints, but no studies have found an increased risk of arthritis when popping or cracking your knuckles, but cracking frequently can lead too worse grip strength or possibly issues with tissues nearby.

Multiple studies have investigated the link between frequent knuckle cracking and arthritis. the consensus is there is no evident association between one another, an example of this is seen in the research that was published in the "Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases" which found no increase of arthritis when having previous frequent knuckle cracking in comparison to someone who doesn't.

In conclusion cracking your knuckles doesn't increase the risk of possibly developing arthritis, the popping sound is due to the formation of the gas bubbles in the fluid in those certain joints.

Answer 5

Cracking your knuckles does not cause arthritis. The popping sound occurs when gas bubbles in the synovial fluid of your joints collapse as the joint is stretched. Studies have shown no link between knuckle cracking and arthritis. For example, Dr. Robert Klapper from Cedars-Sinai notes, "Cracking your knuckles does no harm at all to our joints. It does not lead to arthritis."

https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/ask-a-doc-is-knuckle-cracking-bad.html

However, according to the John Hopkins arthiritis center, habitual knuckle cracking may lead to other issues such as reduced grip strength or hand swelling.

https://www.hopkinsarthritis.org/arthritis-news/knuckle-cracking-q-a-from/#:~:text=There%20is%20no%20evidence%20that,as%20arthritis%20in%20the%20joints.

Answer 6

This claim states that cracking your knuckles does not give you arthritis, but instead may slightly reduce grip strength or cause irritation of surrounding tissues. According to the article “Will Cracking Your Knuckles Cause Arthritis?” by UAMSHealth (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences) there is no evidence that knuckle cracking causes arthritis. They stated that “repeatedly cracking your knuckles may cause temporary soreness of the joint.” They also mentioned that people who currently have osteoarthritis could worsen their symptoms by cracking their knuckles. There is no mention of correlation between knuckle cracking causing arthritis in the article, which ultimately supports this claim. 

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

Answer 7

The claim that cracking your fingers leads to arthritis does not have any factual evidence that supports it. for example, Dr Donald Unger states, "In1998, Dr. Donald Unger performed an informal study that was published as a letterTrusted Source to the editor in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism. As part of his experiment, the doctor cracked the knuckles on his left hand at least twice a day for 50 years, while leaving the knuckles on his right hand alone to serve as a control. Dr. Unger estimated that the knuckles on his left hand were cracked at least 36,500 times. In his letter, he concluded that after 50 years, neither of his hands showed symptoms of arthritis, and there were no differences between the two hands." Although there isn't scientific evidence or a single study that supports it, the article also states those who crack their joints have a higher risk of inflammation. 

Cracking Knuckles and Arthritis: Is There a link?

Answer 8

This is true! However, an article by UAMS Health states, “The repetitive motion of cracking your knuckles wears down the joints and their protective cushioning… cracking your knuckles plays no role in rheumatoid arthritis, which is caused when a person’s own immune system attacks their joints” (UAMS Health). So while it is true that arthritis cannot be caused by cracking knuckles, there definitely is the possibility of experiencing negative side effects to it. Realistically, I see it as something to be careful about to due to this as well as other reasons (such as using too much pressure as hurting yourself).

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