Question

Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis

Answer 1

According to Harvard Health Publishing from Harvard Medical School, the conclusion of several studies they have done is that cracking your knuckles does not raise your chances of arthritis. Although it does not lead to arthritis, it can lead to reduced grip strength because when you crack your knuckles, you are pulling your bones apart and the bubbles between your joints pops.

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

Answer 2

There have been multiple instances of qualified doctors debunking this claim, including but not limited to:

- Eric Ruderman, a rheumatologist at Northwestern Medicine, who states, "The truth is there is no connection between cracking your knuckles and arthritis — or any other long-term health problem."

- Dr. John Fackler, an orthopedic surgeon at Houston Methodist, who states, "There are no known detrimental effects to cracking your knuckles." At worst, knuckle-cracking may cause temporary swelling or a feeling of weakness in the hands — but arthritis, not quite."

- Michael Behr, an orthopedic surgeon, who states, "There are no definitive links between knuckle cracking and arthritis or any other medical condition..."

So to conclude, there is no fear in causing arthritis when cracking your knuckles. Crack away!

Sources:

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.

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

https://www.piedmont.org/living-real-change/myth-buster-is-knuckle-cracking-bad-for-you

Answer 3

This claim is false. Cracking your knuckles does not cause arthritis. In my first source it states that "Michael Behr, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon, says this just isn’t so. “There are no definitive links between knuckle cracking and arthritis or any other medical condition. Some studies imply knuckle cracking may lead to some hand swelling and weakness later in life, but again, there are no studies that prove this direct connection.” " 

My next source 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." They have done several studies that compared knuckle crackers to non knuckle crackers and it proved that it probably doesn't cause arthritis.

My last source states that "However, cracking your knuckles plays no role in rheumatoid arthritis, which is caused when a person’s own immune system attacks their joints." People have been cracking there knuckles for a long long time if cracking knuckles caused arthritis there would be multiple cases or studies that would prove it but everything I've looked up and all the research I've done says otherwise that cracking your knuckles doesn't cause arthritis.

https://www.piedmont.org/living-real-change/myth-buster-is-knuckle-cracking-bad-for-you

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

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

Answer 4

The claim that states "cracking your knuckles causes arthritis" is false. According to the John Hopkins Arthritis Center there is no connection between cracking your knuckles and arthritis in your hands. The article talks on how the sound that is created by cracking your knuckles is from the space of this capsule the synovial fluid is contained which acts as a lubricant and also contains nutrients for the adjacent bone surfaces. A variety of gases are continuously dissolved in this fluid. When one cracks a knuckle, the stretching of the capsule lowers the pressure inside the joint and creates a vacuum which is filled by the gas previously dissolved in the synovial fluid. This creates a “bubble” which then bursts producing the characteristic “popping” or “cracking” sound." They also state that "There is no evidence that cracking knuckles causes any damage such as arthritis in the joints. However, a couple of reports in the medical literature are available associating knuckle cracking with injury of the ligaments surrounding the joint or dislocation of the tendons ( attachments of muscles to bones) which improved with conservative treatment. A study found that after many years of cracking habitual knuckle crackers may have reduced grip strength compared with people not cracking their knuckles."

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