How (un)healthy is it to crack your fingers or other joints? | My guide: Health

We call these types of sounds “crepitus,” Latin for rattling, and for the culprit we have to look at our joints. These are the places where the bones of our skeleton come into contact with each other. We can divide them into three categories. One type of joint – the one we discuss in this article – is movable and can bend and stretch. When we move these “synovial joints” they can crack, burst or grind.

Martijn: “When you stretch a part of the body, the space between the bones increases. This lowers the pressure in the synovial fluid, which you can think of as the lubricating oil in our joints. The gases in this liquid then form a bubble which implodes at some point and causes that typical crackle.

Your knees, ankles, knuckles, neck and lower back are particularly susceptible to these bubbles. But sounds can also be caused by other means. “Just think of tendons in the knee that pop out and snap back into place when you’re climbing stairs, or ligaments that stretch too quickly. And when you get a little older, you can also hear it because the bones start rubbing together. against each other.

But often people cause these sounds themselves. For example, almost half of us sometimes break our fingers. “At this point, there is no scientific evidence that cracking your joints, or cracking a joint in general, is harmful.” said Martin. “But if you crack too aggressively, you can cause tendon dislocations or injuries. In addition, it somewhat alters your cartilage in the long term. If you experience swelling or pain as your joint cracks, there is likely an underlying problem and you should see a doctor.

To put a stop to this deliberate squatting, Martijn offers another piece of advice: “Stretch your hands, wrists and arms several times a day. To do this, hold your hands in front of your face in a prayer position and slowly bring them to your navel. Don’t stop until your elbows are wide apart and you feel a firm stretch. Repeat every hour. It can be even simpler: make a fist with your hand and stretch again. Also repeat this movement regularly.

Learn more below the picture.

Martijn: “Unconscious cracking of the joints is more difficult to prevent, but movement is a lotion. Exercise prevents muscle stiffness and keeps things well lubricated. Our advice: get up from your office chair more often and get moving!

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