What Happens When You Crack Your Knuckles Too Much?

Cracking your knuckles everyday does not lead to any harm to your health, but it might result in a hand injury. Particularly when a joint is locked and you crack your knuckles; it will surely lead to injuries to your hand. Tons of researches explain very descriptively that cracking your knuckles does not cause arthritis, but there are some studies which suggest that this habit might not be completely harmless.

According to a case study on knuckles cracking in 1990, there might be chronic effects of the habit on hand health. There were 300 participants in the case study and the researchers found that those people who did chronic cracking of knuckles have a higher rate of weaker grip and inflammation.

The effects of knuckle cracking including weaker hand grip and swelling is a bit controversial. However, the advanced researches depicted in the 2017 publications that there is no evidence of knuckle cracking affecting the grip strength of hand. A person might consult a doctor if he or she is experiencing any complications like swelling, pain, decreased motion and an unusual noise after cracking finger joints. It is also a better idea to consult a professional if the habit of knuckle cracking interferes with your daily life. The general idea is that the cracking of knuckles or any joint must not result in any pain or any inflammation. If you experiences any change in the shape of joint, swelling and pain after cracking, then you should focus on breaking the habit of knuckle cracking immediately.

Although it is practically not so easy but there is a possibility that you might pull your finger out of the joint or hurt your ligaments in the joint if you put excessive pressure on the knuckles. Moreover, an underlying condition of joints like gout or arthritis might cause pain or swelling of the joints if a person tries to crack his knuckles. 

Although there is no apparent harm in cracking your knuckles, but some studies do suggest that repetitive cracking of knuckles can result in some damage to the soft tissues in the joints. In addition to pain or swelling, too much cracking of knuckles might also lead towards weaker grip strength. Weaker grip strength can affect your daily performance of the tasks like lifting objects or even handling a pen.

Knuckle cracking apparently tends to be a harmless habit but it might be lead to some serious hand injuries if you are suffering from arthritis or some other joints condition. However, the doctor discourages the children to crack their knuckles everyday as it might lead to an unexpected accident or trauma.

There are some reports of acute minor injuries when there is too much pressure on the knuckles. A study involving physiology and anatomy specialists examining the knuckle cracking process reveal that there was no direct association of knuckle cracking and arthritis.