Why do my hands crunch? When nothing hurts and only clicks


Crunch in the wrist. Symptoms of arthrosis

Let's look at the common and most common symptoms of arthrosis of the wrist joints.
Quite often, with arthrosis, there is local pain on the sides, front or back of the affected wrist. Pain is felt during physical work, when playing sports, when carrying heavy objects, grocery bags, heavy bags. During rest and relaxation, the pain in the wrist goes away. With wrist arthrosis, pain can spread along the forearm towards the elbow joint, as well as down the arm to the fingers.

A fairly early symptom of arthrosis is stiffness and stiffness in the wrist in the morning, after sleep, and also after a long absence of movement in the wrist. The stiffness goes away after some time as you begin to move your wrist. If stiffness and stiffness go away quickly enough, this indicates the very beginning of the disease. However, if the stiffness lasts for quite a long time, then this indicates an advanced stage of arthrosis.

Arthrosis of the wrist joints

Symptoms of arthrosis include a crunch in the wrist, especially if it is rough. A crunch may occur when the hand rotates in the wrist. If the crunch is accompanied by pain in the wrist, this may be a sign of destruction of the articular cartilage.

A significant symptom is decreased range of motion in the wrist. This symptom appears in advanced stages of arthrosis. A person cannot fully straighten and bend the hand at the wrist, and severe pain is felt in the wrist when moving. You can test your wrist at home. Place your forearms on a flat horizontal surface, such as a table, so that your hands are on the edge of the table, palms down. Try to bend and straighten your wrists down and up until it stops. Your hands should bend and extend at almost right angles at the wrist.

If you can do this and there is no pain when moving, then your wrists are fine. If one wrist bends and unbends worse than the other, and there is pain in it, then this may be a sign of arthrosis.

Thus, if you have any of these symptoms of wrist arthrosis, be sure to consult a specialist for an examination and an accurate diagnosis.

Have you ever heard a cracking sound in your knees when you get into a standing position? What about the shoulder joints? Do they squeak when you raise and lower your shoulders? Or perhaps you are familiar with the characteristic clicking sound in your thigh when playing sports? By the way, people who play sports are especially afraid of the “unregulated” sounds that their joints make.

All this “music” makes us nervous and scour the Internet in search of articles on this topic. So what do we find? Terrifying scares of arthrosis (destruction of cartilage) or arthritis (inflammation of the joint, most often infectious) up to bone loss. Of course, you should not believe everything that is written and, in general, follow the main rule: never Google the symptoms of the disease on the Internet, this may end in you fainting from horror!

In fact, if a cracking sound in a joint is not accompanied by painful sensations, there is no need to panic. “Any joint, even a healthy one, can make different sounds. Sound itself is not an indicator of pathology,” says Valery Alpatov, a traumatologist-orthopedist of the highest category. But if the joint is completely healthy, why does it click?

All joints crack at 20 years old. Crunching is not always a pathology

Joint cracking is considered a physiological process. To understand why this happens, you need to have an understanding of the structure and functioning of joints. Almost all joints in the body have a similar structure. They are formed by the articular surfaces of two or more bones. These bones are covered with smooth and even hyaline cartilage, which plays an important role - it provides gliding during movements and reduces friction.

The joint is enclosed in a shell (capsule), which contains a small amount of joint synovial fluid (reduces friction, provides additional lubrication for sliding bone surfaces, and also nourishes hyaline cartilage).


After prolonged and intense exercise, crunching is the norm, especially often observed among athletes

Almost all joints have additional folds of the shell, which are called bags, or bursae, they are designed to provide additional shock absorption during high-amplitude movements. The components are reinforced with each other by intra-articular and extra-articular ligaments.

With any movement, stretching, oscillation, and movement of all components of the joint occur. In this case, noise may occur from it, like from any other mechanical device. It can be a crunch, crackling, clanging, grinding sound. Its intensity can vary - from imperceptible to the human ear to clearly audible. Most often we hear a crunching sound, which in medicine is called crepitus. The most prone to crepitus are the knees, ankles and small joints of the hands, as well as the spine, especially the cervical region.

Joint crepitus does not necessarily indicate health problems. In most cases, this is completely normal and people often experience such sensations in various joints of their body.

Risk factors for crunching:

  • excess weight;
  • wearing high heels and the wrong shoes;
  • age;
  • taking certain medications (glucocorticoids, oral contraceptives);
  • hormonal disorders and metabolic diseases;
  • poor nutrition;
  • heavy physical activity, for example, professional sports;
  • physical inactivity;
  • flat feet.


Excess weight is one of the main causes of joint crepitus, which over time can develop into osteoarthritis.

Symptoms that indicate pathology

If, in parallel with crepitus, you observe the following signs, then this speaks in favor of the disease:

  • joints hurt and crack;
  • accompanied by signs of inflammation - swelling, redness, increase in volume;
  • the normal function of the connection is disrupted, its mobility is limited;
  • you observe periodic swaying in your legs, their instability;
  • the crunch is accompanied by numbness;
  • the joints crunch strongly, and this crepitation is permanent and progressive.

Joints crack throughout the body

My joints are cracking all over my body, why?

Hello, dear readers! Very often I hear a question from my friends and colleagues: why do joints throughout the body crack? In this article I will try to figure out whether cracking in the joints is normal or pathological, and I will also teach you how to get rid of it. I advise you to read the material to the end - it will be interesting and very useful.

Physiological and pathological crunch

First, you need to figure out when crunching in the joints is a natural process, and when its presence should alert you and become a reason to contact a specialist. Basically, this is a physiological phenomenon that should not cause concern.

All human joints have approximately the same structure. They are formed by 2 or more surfaces of bones that are covered with cartilage tissue. Cartilage ensures the sliding of articular bones during movement. Each joint is covered on top with a membrane, its component being synovial fluid. It performs the following important functions:

  • reduces the friction force of joints during movement;
  • nourishes cartilage tissue;
  • is a lubricant for normal gliding of bones.

The joints in the human body are connected to each other using ligaments. During intense movement (running, jumping), the components of the joints move and stretch, which can provoke a specific noise - crunching or grinding. It comes in varying degrees of intensity (barely audible or quite loud). There is no need to be afraid of this. Most often, joints in the knees, hands, feet, as well as the neck and spine crunch, separately or all at the same time.

This process is influenced by the following factors:

  • excess body weight;
  • flat feet;
  • advanced age;
  • incorrectly selected shoes;
  • sedentary lifestyle;
  • the use of certain medications (oral contraceptives);
  • physical overload (for athletes);
  • poor nutrition or strict diet;
  • hormonal imbalance;
  • the presence of diseases that disrupt metabolic processes in the body.

But you should worry if the following symptoms are added to the unpleasant crunch:

  • painful sensations;
  • swelling, swelling, redness;
  • numbness;
  • limited mobility;
  • progression of the crunch.

If you notice that you have at least one of these phenomena, my advice to you is to immediately run to the doctor! Do not delay, as there is a risk of developing all sorts of complications.

What are the reasons for cracking joints?

As I said earlier, crunching throughout the body can be physiological or pathological. Physiological reasons most often depend on the individual structure of the human body. For example, the following phenomena may occur:

  1. Increased extensibility of ligaments. This is a genetic (congenital) feature that is characterized by hypermobility - the range of movements is very high. It is characteristic of adolescents (especially females) and, as a rule, disappears with age. There is no need to treat it
  2. Presence of gas bubbles. The fluid that is around the joint contains, in addition to nutrients, some gases - oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen. During movement, they form bubbles, which tend to burst and produce a characteristic noise.
  3. Increased protein in synovial fluid. This condition leads to its excessive thickness, which limits the ability of the synovium to provide joint gliding. It is most often provoked by excessive consumption of protein foods or inflammatory processes.
  4. Excessive physical activity. Constant physical activity contributes to the waste of synovial fluid, which is replenished after some time. This is why athletes so often experience a crunch throughout the body, which goes away on its own after rest.

Why do my hands crunch? When nothing hurts and only clicks

Have you been trying to heal your JOINTS for many years?

Head of the Institute for the Treatment of Joints: “You will be amazed at how easy it is to cure your joints by taking the product every day for 147 rubles...

Read more "

Crunching in joints without pain is unlikely to be a cause for concern. For the most part, it is interpreted as a physical phenomenon of hydrodynamic cavitation under conditions of creating a rarefied space. This is especially often reflected in crunching in all joints at a young age, when the cartilage is elastic, the ligaments are elastic and there is an irresistible desire to test your body’s strength in endless sports training.

OUR READERS RECOMMEND!

Our readers successfully use Sustalaif to treat joints. Seeing how popular this product is, we decided to bring it to your attention. Read more here...

And if, in such a situation, the question arises: “Joints all over the body are cracking, what to do?”, then giving rest to the overloaded interosseous joints will be a completely sufficient measure.

In addition, it should be borne in mind that most people tend to exaggerate their sensations and, when asking the question: “Why do joints in the whole body creak?”, most likely, they mean only a few large joints that bear the maximum functional load when performing this or that type of physical activity.

The silent operation of joints is determined by the anatomical and physiological properties of cartilage and the qualitative and quantitative indicators of synovial fluid.

When the interosseous joints are overloaded against the background of changes in the properties of the synovial fluid, the prerequisites arise for crunching in the joints during movement. This may mark the beginning of the development of post-traumatic arthrosis.

What you need to know about cracking joints.

How to get rid of crunching knees. Why do my knees crack and what can I do about it?

or the spine, which is not yet accompanied by other unpleasant sensations, but hints that the body is malfunctioning, and the process of tissue degeneration has already begun and is rapidly developing.

Crunching in the knees is no exception. This is a sign that you need to pay attention to and begin treatment depending on the diagnosis. Why do your knees crack, what are the causes of this phenomenon, what to do, what treatment should be taken, which doctor should you consult for advice - you will read about all this in this article.

Causes of crunching knees

It is important to know! Doctors are shocked: “An effective and affordable remedy for joint pain exists...”...

Crunching in the knee can occur in various situations: when walking, squatting, running, turning. One thing experts in the treatment of such problems say for sure is that a crunch in the knee joint simply cannot occur without a reason, unless it is an episodic case. Why can there be a strong crunching sound in the knees, and why is this symptom dangerous for health?

If your knees crack, this is a sign of an incipient disease of the knee joint or the presence of an injury, which may include:

  • arthrosis and
  • age-related changes in bone structure;
  • in the knee joint;
  • lack of calcium in bones;
  • degenerative changes in soft tissues;

This list is specific, which is indicated by the initial, warning symptom. There are also separate reasons that led to the occurrence of this unpleasant symptom. Among them:

  1. Obesity or overweight.
  2. Physical inactivity is a sedentary lifestyle.
  3. Wearing excessively tight, tight clothing.
  4. Wearing uncomfortable shoes (high heels, with uncomfortable lasts).
  5. Heavy loads, heavy physical labor, playing sports, carrying heavy objects.
  6. Poor nutrition, abuse of “harmful” foods (pickles, smoked foods, spicy foods, alcohol).

Why is crunching dangerous for a joint?

Having understood the question, what are the reasons, it is necessary to understand the question of what the danger of the symptom is.

Is crunching really dangerous and is it worth worrying about when it appears, if there is no pain, the movement of the knee joint is not impaired, and the person’s overall health is satisfactory?

A crunch in the knee joint is the first and perhaps the only sign of the onset of the development of destructive processes in the tissues of the joint, which precedes deformation.

If not done in time, irreversible processes may occur:

  1. Partial or even complete destruction of the cartilage tissue of the knee joint (if the cause of the crunch was knee arthrosis).
  2. Deformation of the joint (if the cause is or diseases accompanied by inflammation of the joint).
  3. Immobility of the knee.
  4. Loss of a joint and, as a result, disability.
  5. Serious injury to the knee (with ruptures).

From the above it is clear that the consequences of ignoring a crunching knee joint are quite serious, so the first thing you need to do is seek help from a doctor.

Specialists treating crunch in the knee joint

Many patients, if something bothers them, put off visiting a doctor not because of neglect of their health or lack of time, but because they simply do not know who to turn to.

Treatment of crunching and pain in the knee joints is carried out by the following specialists:

  1. A therapist - most likely, he will be the first one you will have to contact to find out the cause of the clicking in the knee, for which you will need to take the necessary tests and get a referral to a highly specialized doctor who will take on the problem.
  2. A neurologist who will have to be contacted to resolve neurological problems, for example, pinched nerve roots in the knee.
  3. An orthopedist if the cracking in the knee is the result of clubfoot or dysplasia.
  4. Osteopath, if manual treatment is needed (for example, to relieve the tone of the knee muscles).
  5. A traumatologist who will treat injuries (fractures, sprains).
  6. A chiropractor whose function will be recovery after treatment. It will help to complete your knee treatment.
  7. Surgeon, if conservative treatment is not possible. In this case, you will have to get rid of the crunching in the knee joint through surgery (suturing,,).

Crunchy wrist after injury. Crunch in the wrist

Quite a long time ago I had a problem with my wrist: Quite a long time ago (I was still in school less than the 9th grade, exactly, now I’m in my 5th year at the institute) I had a complex fracture of both bones of the forearm (they rolled over one another), was reduced under anesthesia and spent in the hospital. During the recovery, everything went quite normally, except for the fact that there was a crunch when rotating my wrist, then they told me that everything was fine and I just didn’t develop it, then I got used to it and forgot, and now it began to bother me (not because it suddenly became worse because it’s been a long time and without changes). A slight clicking sound is constant when rotating the brush in a circular motion. If I hold my hand in one position for a long time (for example, I stand or carry with this hand, or, ultimately, when I work with a computer), some kind of unpleasant sensation may arise (it’s difficult to describe it, but not pain or squeezing for sure ) and I need to stretch my hand. The crunching noise is much louder, after a couple of rotations it stops and the clicking noise returns. Another symptom is that I cannot turn my hand to the extreme position with the palm up (compared to my left hand, if I clench my fist, then there is even more time left to reach the extreme position), it feels as if it is resting against something and it hurts, but if I try If I take some weight in this position (for example, a French press with a straight bar), then the joint begins to ache, as if my arm was being broken off.

Why do joints crack at a young age? Physiological features


1 Joint hypermobility syndrome.
Caused by weakness of the movable joint. It is more often registered in young children, adolescents, and young girls under 25 years of age. Young patients, accustomed to their anatomical capabilities that go beyond their limits, often have no idea about the diagnosis. Parents are more worried, trying to understand why their child has a crunching sound in all joints. The reason is the imbalance that occurs when bone and muscle tissue are formed at different rates. The situation does not require special treatment other than strengthening the muscle corset. By the way, children with joint hypermobility grow into excellent gymnasts, swimmers, and ballet dancers.

2 Displacement of supporting components.

With a weak muscle corset, physical activity changes the position of the ligaments and tendons that support the joints. The return of connective tissue formations to their original position is accompanied by a feeling that they are cracking.

3 Gas bubbles.

The surfaces of the articulating bones are enclosed in an articular cavity filled with synovial fluid. Biological substance contains dissolved carbon dioxide. When moving, the joint capsule stretches, the chemical element is released and takes the form of a bubble. The collapse of gas bubbles is accompanied by clearly audible clicks, similar to the crunching of bones.

4 Sports activities.

If bones crunch all over the body after strength exercises, it means the person started training incorrectly. Any workout requires a preliminary warm-up and a smooth transition to increased loads.

Crunching in the ankle without pain. What diseases cause crunching in the ankle joint?

The joints in the ankles crack due to:

  • Normal states. Sometimes clicks are of a normal nature and appear due to an increase in gas bubbles in the synovial fluid. At this moment, the articular cavity expands and makes a characteristic sound when walking. In medicine, such a phenomenon is considered normal and does not raise concerns about the development of a pathological process.
  • Hypermobility. Sometimes a person has a small defect in the connective tissue, which is revealed in the weakness of the articular-ligamentous apparatus, i.e. the joints are excessively flexible. Representatives of this category are more likely to suffer from dislocations, subluxations and are at risk of developing arthrosis over time.
  • Joint pathologies. These most often include arthrosis, arthritis, bursitis, which can be suspected if the joints of the legs crunch and click, and pain and stiffness occur during movement.
  • Passive lifestyle. A person needs minimal physical activity to maintain the musculoskeletal system in good shape, otherwise it begins to weaken and the joints on the legs begin to make crunching and clicking noises when rotating.
  • Increased physical activity. Excessive tension is also destructive to the joints of the legs, as is inactivity. Particular stress falls on the feet and knee bone joints, which over time begin to make a crunching sound. The sound may precede a serious disease such as arthrosis.
  • Traumatic factor. If a joint has been subjected to trauma in the past, it remains at risk due to possible recurrence of the injury. Most often, the weak point manifests itself in the ankle or ankle area, since they are more actively subject to dislocations and subluxations.

Crackling joints treatment. Why do all my joints crack?

My joints are cracking all over my body, why?

Hello, dear readers! Very often I hear a question from my friends and colleagues: why do joints throughout the body crack? In this article I will try to figure out whether cracking in the joints is normal or pathological, and I will also teach you how to get rid of it. I advise you to read the material to the end - it will be interesting and very useful.

Physiological and pathological crunch

First, you need to figure out when crunching in the joints is a natural process, and when its presence should alert you and become a reason to contact a specialist. Basically, this is a physiological phenomenon that should not cause concern.

All human joints have approximately the same structure. They are formed by 2 or more surfaces of bones that are covered with cartilage tissue. Cartilage ensures the sliding of articular bones during movement. Each joint is covered on top with a membrane, its component being synovial fluid. It performs the following important functions:

  • reduces the friction force of joints during movement;
  • nourishes cartilage tissue;
  • is a lubricant for normal gliding of bones.

The joints in the human body are connected to each other using ligaments. During intense movement (running, jumping), the components of the joints move and stretch, which can provoke a specific noise - crunching or grinding. It comes in varying degrees of intensity (barely audible or quite loud). There is no need to be afraid of this. Most often, joints in the knees, hands, feet, as well as the neck and spine crunch, separately or all at the same time.

This process is influenced by the following factors:

  • excess body weight;
  • flat feet;
  • advanced age;
  • incorrectly selected shoes;
  • sedentary lifestyle;
  • the use of certain medications (oral contraceptives);
  • physical overload (for athletes);
  • poor nutrition or strict diet;
  • hormonal imbalance;
  • the presence of diseases that disrupt metabolic processes in the body.

But you should worry if the following symptoms are added to the unpleasant crunch:

  • painful sensations;
  • swelling, swelling, redness;
  • numbness;
  • limited mobility;
  • progression of the crunch.

If you notice that you have at least one of these phenomena, my advice to you is to immediately run to the doctor! Do not delay, as there is a risk of developing all sorts of complications.

What are the reasons for cracking joints?

As I said earlier, crunching throughout the body can be physiological or pathological. Physiological reasons most often depend on the individual structure of the human body. For example, the following phenomena may occur:

  1. Increased extensibility of ligaments. This is a genetic (congenital) feature that is characterized by hypermobility - the range of movements is very high. It is characteristic of adolescents (especially females) and, as a rule, disappears with age. There is no need to treat it
  2. Presence of gas bubbles. The fluid that is around the joint contains, in addition to nutrients, some gases - oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen. During movement, they form bubbles, which tend to burst and produce a characteristic noise.
  3. Increased protein in synovial fluid. This condition leads to its excessive thickness, which limits the ability of the synovium to provide joint gliding. It is most often provoked by excessive consumption of protein foods or inflammatory processes.
  4. Excessive physical activity. Constant physical activity contributes to the waste of synovial fluid, which is replenished after some time. This is why athletes so often experience a crunch throughout the body, which goes away on its own after rest.

IS CRACKING YOUR FINGERS HARMFUL?

Click your joints - what do doctors think?

“Killing time” or trying to concentrate with the help of a sharp and loud click of the “knuckles” (phalanx joints of the fingers) is one of the most common habits. All over the planet, regardless of standard of living, political beliefs, health or education. Many people, for example, musicians, stretch their fingers before starting to work with an instrument, and the average person often cracks their fingers before they start typing their “dissenting opinion” on the computer on the Internet. Another reason for clicking is related to the physiological norm of the body, for example, stretching when waking up in the morning may be accompanied by characteristic clicking in the joints that does not cause discomfort. Such “stretches” with a click on the contrary lead to relaxation of ligaments that are tense during prolonged lying and give a feeling of vigor to the body.

The crunching sound in the joints has a “crackling” character: for some it becomes an obsessive desire, for others it causes irritation, for the majority (according to surveys) it gives pleasure. At the same time, there is always a fear that this action may be dangerous, and tension leads to the development of joint problems, in particular the development of arthritis and arthrosis.

The opinions of doctors on this matter are divided: some believe this is a myth on the level of “my grandmother warned me”, others are confident in the negative impact of a bad habit on health, and still others claim that crunching is useful, since warming up the joints of the fingers relieves tension and makes the work of the hands easier.

WHY DOES IT CRUNCH? About the physiology of cracking knuckles.

Surprisingly, the causes of crunching have been the subject of controversy in the medical literature since the 30s of the last century, while agreement between scientists has not been reached almost until today.

In 1947, London doctors hypothesized the appearance of “empty bubbles” in the joints, which lead to crunching in the joints during active movements. Between the articular surfaces there is a capsule with synovial fluid, its consistency reminiscent of egg yolk. Synovial fluid performs the most important function in the joint - it prevents wear and deformation of cartilage during friction. This substance acts as a lubricant for the joints, and it is this substance that creates the characteristic noise.

When the contact between the surfaces of the bones in the joint disappears, the “lubricant” capsule contracts, the pressure of the synovial fluid also drops, and then the gas dissolved in it is released into bubbles (analogous to opening a bottle of champagne or cola). Further studies and radiographs showed that there is a lot of carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas in the synovial fluid, at least 15% of the volume. The click occurs due to the sudden formation of gas cavities, which create the opportunity for a sudden expansion of the amplitude of movement, which generates sound.

However, using a high-speed camera, it was shown that the bubbles collapse again 0.01 seconds after they appear. And for a long time, the medical community believed that it was the collapse of gas bubbles that caused the joint to crack. Since not all gas bubbles collapse, it takes time (about 15 minutes) for it to completely dissolve in the synovial fluid + a certain time is required for the articular surfaces to come together (only then is the cavitation effect possible). In particular, when a finger is extended, a vacuum is created in the metacarpophalangeal joint, gas cavities are suddenly formed, which then instantly collapse, which generates vibrations that are transmitted to the surrounding tissues.

The development of technology and the advent of MRI allowed Canadian researchers in 2015 to much more accurately answer the question of why a crunching sound is heard when you pull a finger. The working title of the study, “Pull My Finger,” reflected its essence. Having developed a special mechanism that lightly pulled the subject’s finger until a crunching sound occurred while the hand was in a tomograph recording the process at a speed of 3.2 frames per second, it was possible to establish that the cause of the sound was a phenomenon called “tribonucleation” by physicists.

Cavitation (or tribonucleation) is the formation of small gas cavities in the joint, which can dramatically increase the volume of intra-articular space. When two solid surfaces are immersed in a liquid containing dissolved gas, their joining and separation can cause small gas bubbles to appear. In technology, tribonucleation is observed in bearings. In the case of finger crunching, bones act as hard surfaces, surrounded by synovial fluid, which fills the joint cavity.

In each case, the crunching and "splitting" of the joint was associated with the rapid appearance of a gas-filled cavity, a bubble in the synovial fluid - an extremely slippery substance that moistens the joints. When the surface of the joint suddenly “spreads”, there is not enough fluid to fill the volume of the joint, so a cavity is created, and this leads to the production of sound.

Scientists compare the behavior of the joint to two wet glass plates placed next to each other; they are extremely difficult to separate, since the water film between them creates strong resistance. Another analogy is the sound made by tape being torn off something.

To find answers, the scientific team needed a “guinea pig” with the talent or gift of cracking knuckles to order. It is worth noting that most people who are able to “crunch” cannot always crunch all their fingers several times in a row. In the study, the crunch was recorded on an MRI in real time every 310 milliseconds. Scientists have proven that it is the moment of formation of bubbles in the synovial fluid that causes a click, and their collapse occurs silently.

MAIN MYTHS and their SCIENTIFIC REFUTATIONS.

It was often stated, and many still believe so, that in the process of “wringing fingers” the phalanges can be damaged, including:

  • The crunch provokes loosening and destabilization of the cartilage, which leads to displacement of the articular element, dislocation or subluxation.
  • Crunching accelerates destruction and leads to inflammation of cartilage with the development of arthritis and arthrosis.
  • Crunching increases wear on the joint and weakens the strength of the ligaments.

Evidence-based medicine has been studying the issue for quite some time, but has still not found clear evidence of the pathological effect of the addiction to cracking joints on human health.

The head of the scientific group that managed to understand the physiology of the crunching process, Professor Gregory N. Kawchuk (University of Alberta, Canada), believes that crunching is a normal phenomenon. What is normality and naturalness of a physiological process? This is no harm, and no benefit. Moreover, the author states that “the very ability to crack your knuckles can be attributed to joint health.”

The idea, popular in society, that deliberate crunching causes arthrosis and other diseases of the musculoskeletal system has also been scientifically refuted. A recent X-ray study of 215 people found that there was no difference in the risk of joint disease between people who crack their knuckles and those who don't. It also does not matter the frequency with which this manipulation is performed. Most orthopedic doctors share their experience that almost every second person in the world (without exaggeration) resorts to this action, but the development of arthrosis or arthritis does not occur. After all, the etiology of diseases lies elsewhere.

There is also a bit of humor in the fact that the well-known Ig Nobel Prize in 2009 was awarded to a certain Donald Unger, who carried out an experiment on his own body, or rather systematically carried it out for not much, not less, but for 6 whole decades: every day for 60 years he crunched the fingers of his left hand and in the end he presented to the world the absence of differences from the right. The laureate was 83 years old at the end of the experiment.

CRUNCH WITHOUT PANIC, BUT...

Do not panic! If a crunch in a joint is not accompanied by pain, swelling, or fever, then there is definitely no reason to worry. However, if “everything crunches” with every movement you make, this should and should alert you.

But even such circumstances do not always indicate pathology. It happens that a person “crunches” from birth without the slightest discomfort; this may indicate dysplasia of the ligamentous-articular apparatus (improper development of bone tissue), or maybe not. Injuries and microtraumas of the joints during the recovery period also often result in a cracking crunch during movements.

If every crunch is accompanied by pain, this indicates pathological changes in the joints, degenerative changes in cartilage tissue or inflammation, including dislocations, acute arthritis, contractures, ostiomyelitis, hardening of cartilage and decreased muscle elasticity due to salt deposition and many other diseases . Is it worth writing what needs to be done in this case? That's right - see the doctor!

If crunching causes discomfort, or the desire to crack a joint arises as a way to relieve discomfort in the joint, it is worth contacting a specialist who can assess the functional state of the joints (usually an assessment of biomechanical chains, not just one joint) and the muscles involved in their movement are needed. Such specialists can be an orthopedist, a physical therapist, a physiotherapist, an osteopath, a chiropractor, or a rehabilitation specialist. It is worth adding that the constant desire to stretch and crunch in general indicates numerous muscle spasms and spinal problems.

Often the habit of cracking fingers is of a neurotic or stressful nature and correlates with smoking, alcoholism, a passion for biting nails, etc. You shouldn’t ignore this moment, and turning to a psychologist or psychotherapist is a great way to help yourself.

All of the above cases are a reason to contact the EVO Specialized Medical Center. We also recommend reading the article “My fingers are going numb” about carpal tunnel syndrome.

EVIL HABITS.

Crunching your fingers will not cause serious problems, but the habit has its negative consequences if abused. For example, it can cause outright hostility and irritation among those around you, weaken the grip strength of your fist, etc.

If, for some of your own reasons and considerations, you want to get rid of the bad habit of snapping your fingers, then the Method of deceiving reflexes with the help of special exercises can help, in particular:

  • Motor skills training (from a set of special exercises for the fingers and hand, to handling small objects in the hands - from rosary beads to pencils). All this reduces wrist tension.
  • Salt baths successfully combat obsessive desires; proper nutrition strengthens the skeletal system.

Source: manualka.com

Rating
( 1 rating, average 5 out of 5 )
Did you like the article? Share with friends:
For any suggestions regarding the site: [email protected]
Для любых предложений по сайту: [email protected]