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Expressions of disgust, expressions of pain, and even challenges over the supposed health consequences all come at once when a person cracks their knuckles.
Despite the large number of myths surrounding this behavior, specialists say it is not necessarily harmful to health, but rather its real effect will depend on the pressure exerted on the joints.
What experts say about cracking your fingers
“Research tells us that there are no definitive reasons to believe that cracking your knuckles can have negative consequences”, says sports medicine specialist Wesley Baker, in an article by the Cleveland Clinic.
According to the expert, what matters is not feeling pain or swelling after doing it.
What happens in the body when a person cracks their fingers
A 2015 study published in Plos One and cited by the institution contradicted the established idea that the sound caused by the typical crack occurs as a consequence of the change in pressure in the stretched joints. This research suggests that when the joint is separated, a gas-filled cavity forms and that process produces the “crack”.
However, the fact that it is not always harmful does not mean that it cannot have consequences. Applying more pressure than you should can cause injuries and even dislocations.
The expert’s recommendation is not to induce the sound by stretching the fingers or applying too much force on the bone.
Cracking your fingers: what Harvard says about this practice
An article written by Robert H. Shmerling, former clinical chief of the rheumatology division at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and member of Harvard Medical School, explains that one of the “most convincing tests” that cracking knuckles has no consequences is based on an experiment carried out by a California doctor.
Throughout his life he cracked the knuckles of only one of his hands so that x-rays could be reviewed for decades of this behavior. There were no differences between the hand that had been cracked and the one that had not.
“If you want to crack your knuckles, it is unlikely to harm you. But if you want someone to stop cracking their knuckles, you will need a better reason than telling them they are wrecking their joints,” says the expert.