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Topic: Cracking knuckles

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	Barnes-Jewish Hospital - Does knuckle cracking lead to arthritis, enlarged knuckles?
		Knuckle cracking is one of those obnoxious sounds comparable to fingernails screeching down the chalkboard.
		"So, if an individual has cracked his or her knuckles all of their lives and then at the age of 70 they have got arthritis in those knuckles, it would be wrong, but it would seem reasonable to conclude that the arthritis developed because of cracking the knuckles," he adds.
		It's believed that when a knuckle is cracked, the bones of the joint are pulling apart to cause a gas bubble to form.
	www.barnesjewish.org /groups/default.asp?NavID=1805 (648 words)

	Medical/knuckle cracking
		The scant literature that is available on this topic indicates that habitual knuckle cracking may have a direct effect on the soft tissue of the hands and there is a case study that indicates it may also cause damage that leads to radiologic change (17).
		Because the average duration of the knuckle cracking habit was 35 +/- 18 years, the habit seems to have little effect on joint cartilage.
		Although the cause of habitual knuckle cracking was not considered in this study, patients admitting to it were more likely to bite their nails, smoke, and drink alcohol, as were members of their families (table 2).
	tafkac.org /medical/knuckle_cracking.html (2148 words)

	Untitled Document
		A different type of cracking is crepitus, which sounds like the crackling of leaves we step on in the Fall.
		The sound usually emanates from around the kneecap and is said to be due the kneecap cartilage rubbing against the underlying cartilage of the femur.
		The various snapping and cracking noises, which occur about the knee, can be helpful to the doctor with regards to making a specific diagnosis.
	www.genou.com /anglais/crackingsounds.htm (494 words)

	Martha Talks Back: Reader Questions Answered - MSN Encarta
		Every day during that time, he cracked the knuckles on his left hand at least twice.
		These things aren't major medical issues, so you have to decide whether popping your knuckles now is worth having a hard time with peanut jars later.
		Next time the urge hits you, consider reading up on the anteater and the ape, the two animals that walk on their knuckles.
	encarta.msn.com /encnet/features/columns/?article=questionknuckles (495 words)

	Cracking joints - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		Cracking joints is the practice of manipulating one's joints such that it produces a sharp sound, likened to cracking (also likened to popping, etc.).
		In many early motion pictures and subsequently parodied in animated cartoons, the gesture of cracking knuckles was associated with a "tough guy" image, especially when accompanied by the implicit or explicit threat of violence.
		However, the common parental advice "Cracking your knuckles gives you arthritis" may be simply a device to deter children from this practice, because many people find the sound annoying.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Cracking_knuckles (572 words)

	Knuckles Toes Ankles Neck Spine Joint Cracking Community Forums-viewtopic-Does Jointcracking lead to arthritis?
		Yet a bioengineering study of cracking joints suggested the potential for significant joint damage.[2] When tension is applied to the joint, cavitation occurs within the synovial fluid.
		They found no relation with osteoarthritis, but noted that 'knuckle crackers were more likely to have hand swelling and lower grip strength' and concluded that 'habitual knuckle cracking results in functional hand impairment.
		The data fail to support evidence that knuckle cracking leads to degenerative changes in the metacarpal phalangeal joints in old age.
	www.jointcrackers.com /ftopict-23.html (2587 words)

	Ask an Expert: Knuckle Cracking and Arthritis
		Some students crack their knuckles after writing a great deal, but cracking knuckles isn't a solution for writer's cramp.
		The "crack" comes because of a change in the synovial fluid, the lubricant that bathes the joints.
		He didn't find a greater tendency toward arthritis in the 74 habitual knuckle crackers, but the knuckle crackers were more likely to have swollen hands and reduced hand strength.
	www.providence.org /Oregon/Health_Resource_Centers/Arthritis/AskAnExpert_Arthritis_knuckles.htm (468 words)

	Howstuffworks "What makes your knuckles pop?"
		When you stretch or bend your finger to pop the knuckle, you are causing the bones of the joint to pull apart.
		When the joint is stretched far enough, the pressure in the capsule drops so low that these bubbles burst, producing the pop that we associate with knuckle cracking.
		The results revealed no apparent connection between joint cracking and arthritis; however, habitual knuckle poppers did show signs of other types of damage, including soft tissue damage to the joint capsule and a decrease in grip strength.
	science.howstuffworks.com /question437.htm (474 words)

	How do you reduce the size of your knuckles after they've been made bigger from "cracking knuckles"?
		By cracking your knuckles, what you are doing is pushing the joint further than its range of motion would normally allow.
		When you "crack" your knuckles, you are actually pushing the joint either back into or out of its normal position.
		By cracking your knuckles, what you are doing is pushing the joint beyond its physiological stop sign, or further than its range of motion would normally allow for.
	www.answerbag.com /a_view.php/48519 (1095 words)

	Knuckle Cracking \| Popping Knuckles \| Bones \| Joints \| Synovial Fluid \| Arthritis (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-13)
		What's really happening when you "crack" your knuckles is that you are either pushing the joint back into or out of its normal position.
		Cracking your knuckles can cause a decrease in your grip but unless you're signing any multi-million dollar contracts as a pitcher, it's not worth giving up.
		No the cracking sound does not make me squeamish, it relieves the tension in my fingers after writing for a while.
	www.kidzworld.com /site/p1438.htm (528 words)

	Cracking knuckles, back, neck.?
		Cracking your knuckles can aggitate the joints and in the long run cause arthritis and crooked and painful joints.
		My uncle is a chiropractor and says that cracking your own joints will NOT make them bigger or give you arthritis later in life.
		When we crack them ourselves, we are pushing air out of joints.
	www.dmt123.com /other-health/739-2-dmt123.html (361 words)

	Problem page – Metallic taste
		I have noticed a lot of people cracking their knuckles recently, and I wonder if the habit is becoming more common.
		Exactly how the cracking noise occurs is a bit of a mystery, but scientists think it is probably caused by the release of bubbles in the fluid surrounding the joints.
		When you stretch or pull your joint to ‘crack’ it, you are stretching the bag of fluid, and this lowers the pressure in the fluid.
	www.embarrassingproblems.co.uk /problems/problempage011105.htm (504 words)

	The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
		Cracking and popping of joints is usually normal and most of the time is nothing to be concerned about.
		Another theory is that nitrogen bubbles in the fluid inside the joint are rapidly brought into or out of solution when the joint is manipulated, such as cracking the knuckles in the hand.
		The only time to worry about cracking or popping of a joint is if there is pain when the joint pops.
	www.hopkinsmedicine.org /orthopedicsurgery/jointcrack.html (314 words)

	Knuckle-Cracking: Good? Bad? How do I stop? \| Ask MetaFilter
		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.
		To investigate the relation of habitual knuckle cracking to hand function 300 consecutive patients aged 45 years or above and without evidence of neuromuscular, inflammatory, or malignant disease were evaluated for the presence of habitual knuckle cracking and hand arthritis/dysfunction.
		Habitual knuckle cracking was associated with manual labour, biting of the nails, smoking, and drinking alcohol.
	ask.metafilter.com /mefi/19577 (679 words)

	The Straight Dope: What's actually cracking when you crack your knuckles?
		I used to consistently reach 30 cracks, but have always wondered whether there was a maximum possible number of cracks or whether there is a standing world record.
		The knuckle (MDs call it the metacarpo-phalangeal joint) is surrounded by the synovial fluid, a clear liquid that lubricates the joint.
		When you crack your knuckles, you tug or twist the finger or toe with a steady effort, creating a low-pressure zone within the synovial fluid.
	www.straightdope.com /classics/a2_305b.html (513 words)

	Probing Question: Does cracking knuckles cause permanent damage?
		They suspect that cracking their knuckles is unhealthy, but it feels so good that they just don't want to stop.
		Naidu explained that the cracking noise is caused by a gas, mainly carbon dioxide, that usually is dissolved in the synovial fluid that encapsulates most joints.
		Although the actual process of cracking a knuckle may take only a few milliseconds, the relief that some people feel from it is palpable.
	www.physorg.com /news64162917.html (578 words)

	[No title] (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-13)
		But it really is a well-drawn line between those who crack their knuckles and those who detest the habit.
		After you '"crack" or "pop" your knuckles, or any other joint in your body, it takes 10-15 minutes for the carbon dioxide to re-dissolve into the fluid.
		While cracking knuckles may not cause arthritis, there is strong suggestion it can injure hands in other ways.
	www.sixwise.com /newsletters/05/10/26/does_cracking_your_knuckles_really_cause_arthritis.htm (837 words)

	Is Cracking Your Knuckles Bad For You? : Fool Moon
		She is 17 and yes it is bad, i heard it isnt good will let you know if i find anything about it.
		Cracking your knuckles forces the joint fluid from one part of the joint to another, and the popping sound is just the result of the high pressured rushing of fluid.
		It's tempting to claim that the high pressure flushing of fluid during a knuckle "crack" can cause damage to the lining, but there simply is no evidence to that effect.
	foolmoon.com /showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/173245 (562 words)

	Is there any reason you shouldn't crack your knuckles?
		Cracking your knuckes isn't necessarily hazardous to your health, but there are plenty of potential reasons you shouldn't crack your knuckles.
		In his letter, he stated that he cracked each knuckle on one hand twice a day for fifty years, and did not crack any kunckle on his other hand (on purpose) during that time.
		when you crack your knuckles, you're causing a bubble of carbon dioxide to go into this bag of fluid, which you have in all of your joints, resulting in the cracking sound.
	www.answerbag.com /q_view/28717 (569 words)

	Knuckles Toes Ankles Neck Spine Joint Cracking Community
		And then when a finger is accidentally bent too far back and cracks, these people scream in subdued pain and disgust as if cracking one's knuckles is a terrible thing to let happen.
		For each joint that cracks one has to wait around ten minutes before the next time it can be cracked, but the longer you wait the better the crack.
		The first crack is always by far the best, with each following crack less fulfilling depending on how long you wait in-between cracks.
	www.jointcrackers.com (1719 words)

	SELF DEFENSE FORUMS: For A Fighting Chance
		In the late 1970's there was a study done in which cineradiographs (x-ray movies) were taken of people's joints when they cracked them.
		Stories about these bubbles bursting or that knuckle popping "releases" gas trapped in the joints or that these bubbles are the sole cause of the cracking noise are unsupported.
		There is no conclusive evidence for cracking as a cause for arthritis.
	www.selfdefenseforums.com /forums/showthread.php?t=6644 (283 words)

	Cracking knuckles >.< How bad is it? - Shinra Online
		Essentially, the "crack" of the knuckle is the release of air bubbles in the fluid between your knuckles.
		I'm sure cracking once a day is no problem, but if you're like me when I was in 6th grade, you crack your knuckles every time they're capable of being cracked (and try to crack 'em even when you can't)
		I hope doing things that cause the cracking sound aren't too bad for your heath, or I won't be able to walk by the time I'm 30.
	www.shinraonline.com /board/showthread.php?t=94257 (1490 words)

	Ask an Expert: Cracking knuckles
		I am not sure about the source of the "cracking" sound when you crack your knuckles, but I assume it has something to do with movement of ligaments, tendons, or the capsule of a joint.
		Consequences of knuckle cracking: a report of two acute injuries.
		We present two cases in which acute injuries were suffered while the patients were attempting to crack their knuckles.
	www.netwellness.org /question.cfm/13475.htm (356 words)

	Knuckle Cracking
		The loud pop of a cracked knuckle is caused by synovial fluid, the thick lubricant that surrounds every joint.
		The rates of arthritis of the hand were similar in both groups, though the knuckle crackers, on average, had reduced grip strength.
		Also, if you crack your neck (like I do quite often), it may cause problems with circulation and result in head aches (there were few people who had strokes as a result of an "adjustment" in chiropracter's office).
	www.museumofhoaxes.com /hoax/weblog/comments/2402/P20 (1804 words)

	Knuckle Cracking Poll comments
		I was wondering why I can't crack my knuckles, and why other people can crack them so easily.
		I constantly crack my knuckles, have been doing since I was a small child...
		Since then I can easily crack my neck and hands and I have developed a mild case of arthritis at the age of 17.
	www.topendsports.com /fun/bodysurvey/crack.htm (296 words)

	stop cracking my knuckles on 43 Things
		crack cracking health i wish i could stop....
		I had tried to stop cracking my knnuckles before, but I just couldn’t help it – but i think this website made me super determined to stop so i could finally check off one of my goals.
		if someone around me is cracking their knuckles i have to crack mine.
	www.43things.com /things/view/45370 (601 words)

	LiveScience.com - Why Knuckles Crack and Joints Creak
		The pop of your knuckles is the sound of gas as it bubbles out of the fluid, scientists say.
		If your knee cracks when you stand up from sitting on the couch, you're likely hearing your tendons and ligaments popping into proper position around your knee's joints.
		However, other studies indicate that around-the-clock cracking may damage the soft tissue around the joints, make your hand swell, and weaken your grip.
	www.livescience.com /humanbiology/060710_mm_joints_crack.html (589 words)

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