A cracking good time

Have you ever sat down next to another person and heard an audible crack, only to look over and see them clicking their fingers or cracking their knuckles in such a way that its perceptible not only to them, but to all those around? For some, this sound can be extremely triggering, but for those doing the cracking, they might not even realise that they are doing it. It is possible that this action is entirely a subconscious act for them. However, there are also people who crack their knuckles and other parts of their bodies entirely intentionally. The real question is, why?

For some it’s a harmless habit or a way to release energy generally associated with nerves or anxiety. This action or habit can bring about a degree of comfort through control. For others, it can be truly annoying to be around. Like most behaviours, the science and psychology behind it has been extensively studied to try and ascertain whether or not habits like these are actually harmful to the body, especially long-term. Cracking knuckles has long been the subject of debate between the medical community and people who believe that the habit or behaviour could cause irreparable damage through conditions such as arthritis. Before these are unpacked however, it’s important to understand what causes the cracking in the first place. Medically, the cracking noise that comes from clicking your fingers, toes (yes, toes – some people can do this too), your knuckles or any other part of your body really is reliant on there being pockets of air between the joints. These little gas bubbles reside in the synovial fluid and when we crack our knuckles, we pop these, very much like we would a balloon that we’ve inflated, hence the cracking or popping sound.

Like a balloon, once popped, we cannot immediately crack our knuckles and pop those same bubbles again; it takes time for them to re-form.  Surely with the sound this makes, it can’t be good for the joints? Well, actually, outside of the very rare cases where people accidentally strain tendons or dislocate fingers from doing this too vigorously, doctors and physicians have found no definitive evidence that cracking your knuckles or clicking your fingers causes arthritis, the only thing it may cause for now, is annoyance for those around you.