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 article provided in the initial response to this claim is excellent. Joint popping in general (not just in the knuckles) introduces more gas into the joint, which takes a while to be dissolved in the fluid of the joint (synovial fluid). According to the University of Texas at Austin, joint popping is generally considered safe, though there are no real benefits, aside from momentarily improved mobility. https://uthealthaustin.org/blog/is-cracking-your-joints-really-bad-for-you

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You have provided a thorough and accurate fact-check on the assertion that arthritis is caused by knuckle cracking. I like how you explained that the popping sound is caused by gas bubbles forming and bursting in the joint fluid and that there is no evidence linking this practice to an increased risk of arthritis.

Additional credible sources that back your results might be used to bolster your case even further. For example, cracking your knuckles does not cause arthritis, but if you do it too often, it may produce transient swelling or a decrease in grip strength, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Likewise, the Mayo Clinic affirms that frequent knuckle cracking may irritate surrounding tissues but does not damage joints or induce arthritis.

Your fact-check is comprehensive overall and well backed up by reliable sources. Incorporating these more sources can offer a more thorough comprehension of the consequences of knuckle cracking.


Congratulations on your fact-check!

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The belief that cracking your knuckles leads to arthritis is a pretty common myth. According to the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center, there is no evidence that knuckle cracking causes arthritis or other joint damage. Similarly, the Department of Orthopedics at UAMS Health states that while knuckle cracking may cause temporary joint soreness, it does not and will not lead to arthritis. Therefore, cracking your knuckles does not cause arthritis.

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The belief that cracking your knuckles leads to arthritis is a pretty common myth. According to the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center, there is no evidence that knuckle cracking causes arthritis or other joint damage. Similarly, the Department of Orthopedics at UAMS Health states that while knuckle cracking may cause temporary joint soreness, it does not and will not lead to arthritis. Therefore, cracking your knuckles does not cause arthritis.

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

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

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After reading this fact and learning about it in the link included, I learned that arthritis doesn't come from cracking your knuckles. But it can cause injury. I saw that your headline was a false headline but your evidence to go with it was all true.

Answer 1

This claim is false, cracking your bones does not cause arthritis. The noise that you hear is simply coming from bursting gas bubbles that sit in between one's joints. 

https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/can-you-get-arthritis-from-cracking-your-knuckles#:~:text=Updated%20March%202023,any%20type%20of%20health%20problem. 

Answer 2

The claim that cracking your knuckles leads to arthritis is false. There have been many studies done on knuckle cracking and hand function, and while it can slightly affect things like grip strength and certain functions, it does not lead to arthritis. Knuckle cracking is a cracking of the joint, releasing bubbles of air, but it has not been proven to cause any kind of arthritis.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2344210/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30080300/

Answer 3

This is an extremely common myth that has been around for an extremely long time. There is no evidence that points towards knuckle cracking being a root cause of arthritis. This myth could have simply been started by some trying to stop the annoyance of the sound of knuckle cracking. Donald Unger, an American doctor, once devoted 50 years of his life to this study. Over the half century, he cracked the knuckles of one hand every day, but never on the other hand. At the end of his studies, he found that there was no difference in his two hands. There is some research that shows there may be a small correlation between the act of knuckle cracking and a weaker grip strength, but that data is limited. The science of what a knuckle crack actually is has been debated for a long time. Many attributed it to nitrogen bubbles collapsing, while more recent studies show that it may be due to a collapse in the finger cavity. Regardless, the idea of it causing arthritis is simply a myth with no scientific backing.

Cracking Your Knuckles: Is It Bad for You?

Answer 4

As someone who cracks their knuckles throughout the day every day, I have had concerns about what risks I am putting my body at for the future.  I have heard rumors of arthritis being caused, but I have never put in my own time to look into if this is truly a concern.  After seeing this I wanted to put my concerns to rest.  With quick research, I found that this is not true and although cracking your knuckles may not be good for you, it does not put you at any greater risk of developing arthritis.

Answer 5

Cracking your knuckles does not cause arthritis, though most would argue that it does. That popping sound when cracking your knuckles is basically gas bubbles forming and bursting in the fluid of your joints. This is completely normal, and it doesn't hurt your bones or cartilage. Scientists have researched this for many years, and no research has been found to connect the cracking of knuckles to arthritis. However, while it does not cause arthritis, cracking them too often may have minor effects. Various studies say that people who crack their knuckles frequently might have slightly weakened grip strengths over a period of time. That means your hands might not be that strong in performing tasks like opening jars or just carrying heavy things. Also, frequent knuckle cracking may annoy the tissues around the joint, causing some swelling or pain. Knuckle cracking does not cause injury; however, some people do find the associated sound rather repulsive, and so consideration of when and where the behavior occurs is appropriate. So, in the end, if you like popping your knuckles, you have nothing to fear from arthritis, but if your hands start aching, then you may want to cut back a little bit.

Answer 6

The claim that cracking your knuckles causes arthritis is a common misconception. Multiple reputable sources confirm that there is no scientific evidence linking knuckle cracking to the development of arthritis. For instance, Harvard Health Publishing states that "cracking your knuckles may aggravate the people around you, but it probably won't raise your risk for arthritis." 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/does-cracking-knuckles-cause-arthritis?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Answer 7

Before deciding if this claim is true of false I clicked on the provided article "Knuckle Cracking Q & A", by Arthritis Center. In the article they state that there is no evidence cracking your knuckles causes arthritis, but they do state cracking your knuckles can result in injury of the ligaments surrounding the joint. There is no where in this article that states where they got their information from so I decided to look at two different sources for this claim. The first source I looked at is titled "Does Cracking Your Knuckles Cause Arthritis?" from the Houston Methodist website. One of the things they state is there are no detrimental factors to cracking your knuckles, but it can cause swelling or weakness of the fingers. They then provide information on what actually does happen when you crack your knuckles which is that "...the pressure applied to knuckles 'causes vapor pockets' within the fluid inside the joints". The other source I checked was from the UAMS Health website. They also stated that cracking your knuckles doesn't cause arthritis, but can cause soreness of the joint, and the popping sound comes from the breaking of the adhesive seal in the joint. After carefully evaluating the claim, and looking at all my sources I believe the claim to be false, that cracking your knuckles doesn't cause you to develop arthritis. I chose to fact check this claim because I have a tendency to crack my knuckles multiple times throughout the day, and I've heard that it's not good. I wanted to see if cracking your knuckles was this severe. 

Answer 8

Cracking your fingers has shown no connections to arthritis. In a HealthBeat article, Dr. Eric M. Ruderman claims that, "when you crack your knuckles, the popping noises or "crepitus" are caused by bursting gas bubbles in the fluid that help lubricate your joints". The article states how this action might reduce pain, but does not relate to arthritis at all. Therefore cracking your knuckles does not cause arthritis.

Answer 9

This Johns Hopkins article states that cracking your knuckles will not lead to arthritis. However, they say that knuckle cracking has been associated with ligament injuries and could lead to weaker grip strength, so there are still some side effects. 

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

A rheumotologist at Northwestern Medicine, Dr. Eric Ruderman also says that, "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.

Knuckle cracking may not have any health benefits, but it will not harm your health either, therefore, this Johns Hopkins article is true, but the claim that you will develop arthritis if you crack your knuckles, is not.