
(Image source from: Can cracking knuckles cause osteoarthritis?})
Cracking or popping knuckles and finger joints is a kind of manipulation of joint. When pressed hard, the knuckles often makes a popping or cracking sound.
No matter how delightful or stress-busting the deliberate activity might seem to provide, cracking knuckles, hips, wrists, elbows, back and neck vertebrae, toes, shoulders, feet, jaws, ankles and Achilles tendon can leave you with osteoarthritis, says health science.
A research carried out by Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA revealed:
1. 20% of all the 215 participants cracked their knuckles regularly
2. 18.1% of those who cracked their knuckles regularly had hand osteoarthritis
3. 21.5% of those who did not crack their knuckles had hand osteoarthritis
4. The researchers said the difference in the prevalence of osteoarthritis between the knuckle crackers and non-knuckle crackers was not significantly statistically different.
The authors wrote:
"When examined by joint type, knuckle cracking (KC) was not a risk for OA in that joint. Total past duration (in years) and volume (daily frequency '- years) of KC of each joint type also was not significantly correlated with OA at the respective joint.
A history of habitual knuckle cracking - including the total duration and total cumulative exposure'"does not seem to be a risk factor for hand osetoarthritis, which is a good news for all those who like to pop their fingers every once in a while.
AW: Suchorita Choudhury