How to learn to snap your fingers?

Learning to snap your fingers loudly is very useful in everyday life. With this sound you can attract attention, emphasize your point, or beat out the rhythm of your favorite song. The gesture looks simple and understandable, but during practical exercises, not everyone is able to immediately produce a loud and clear sound. To do this you need to know some secrets of the craft.

How to snap your fingers correctly?

Each of us has certain habits. They can be widespread or individual, sometimes harmful and sometimes useful, strange and specific. For example, the habit of smoking or drinking alcohol is definitely harmful and leads to addiction. Many people are familiar with another common habit - snapping their fingers. It is often used to attract attention, to call the staff of some establishment, or simply to make rhythmic clicks with your fingers to the beat of your favorite melody.

Some people can easily perform a click the first time, while others dream of learning this skill. At first glance, snapping your fingers is a fairly harmless activity and does not pose any danger. However, it is worth considering that this habit can provoke not entirely positive consequences.

Causes of pathology

Most often, trigger finger syndrome occurs when there is constant increased stress on the annular ligament of the finger.

In normal condition, the tendon-ligament apparatus produces a special synovial fluid. It performs a protective function, preventing abrasion and wear of ligaments and joints.

But with constant overload in this area, the ligament thickens, the lumen of the canal narrows, and an insufficient amount of this fluid cannot ensure the normal functioning of the finger.

Often this pathology is the result of professional activity or the presence of certain diseases of the body. In most cases, stenosing ligamentitis affects the thumb; this is provoked by the following factors:

If the main work is related to the sewing, plumbing, driving, shoe industry - where there is a constant load on this area.
Joint disease or diabetes.
With congenital anomalies of the development of the phalanx.
During pregnancy, blood circulation may be impaired - this contributes to the development of inflammatory diseases of the bone joints.
Predisposition due to heredity.
In children, this pathology can appear as a result of the rapid growth of individual parts of the hand.

This disease mainly affects middle-aged women, especially those at risk. The problem affects men and children much less frequently.

How does finger snapping occur?

Finger snapping is a habit that has two options. Each of them has its own specific technique. The first option does not pose any danger and does not cause harm to health, it is performed very simply - a rhythmic click, it turns out, from a blow of the palm and middle finger. But you should pay attention to the second option. In this case, snapping your fingers is more like a crunch and is performed systematically, gradually developing into a bad habit. This process can cause significant displacement of the joints in the fingers.

Our fingers are designed in such a way that around the joints there is cartilage, which contains synovial fluid, in other words, a lubricant for cartilage tissue. This liquid contains a large number of chemical elements, since it completely nourishes the cartilage and the cells surrounding it. In addition, it enriches tissues with oxygen, since in addition to chemical elements it contains dissolved oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

The lubricant is contained in a special elastic capsule. During forceful exercise on the joints, gases are released from the synovial fluid, which increases its volume and activity of the entire joint. To restore the chemical composition of the lubricant, a certain time is required for the gases to completely dissolve in the liquid. For this reason, a person does not have the ability to constantly snap his fingers.

Treatment using traditional medicine methods

If stenosing ligamentitis is diagnosed at an early stage, treatment with folk remedies will be highly effective. When used systematically, it will help relieve pain and inflammation in joints and ligaments. The most effective recipes:

Raw potatoes - used as compresses at night, will help relieve symptoms. To prepare it, it should be crushed to a mushy state, after peeling it, and heated to a temperature of 38 degrees. Then wrap it in a clean cloth and apply it to the sore area. Wrap a warm scarf on top. The pain will subside in half an hour. The course of treatment is 10 days.
Propolis. Propolis raw materials and vegetable oil must be mixed in equal quantities and treated with the sore finger.
Aloe - relieves swelling and inflammation inside tissues. It needs to be applied with pulp to the sore area and secured with a bandage. This compress should be done three times a day.
Burdock leaves - quickly relieve pain. To do this, you should lightly stretch the ego and wrap the leaf around your finger. Cover the top with cotton wool or wrap it with a warm cloth.
Bird cherry leaves. A compress from this plant should be applied overnight; it will remove the pain in the morning. To prepare, boil the leaves in a small amount of water, let cool and apply to the sore finger. Wrap a warm scarf on top.
Treatment with folk remedies using jellied beef bone will remove the symptoms of a disease such as trigger finger. To do this, you need to cook it for 5 hours over low heat and drink it warm 4 times a day, 300 grams each. Jellied meat restores articular cartilage and tendons, relieves inflammation and eliminates clicking.
A compress of 3% hydrogen peroxide has a healing and analgesic effect. You need to keep it on the sore spot for 20 minutes.
Eucalyptus decoction is an excellent pain reliever. To prepare, you need to pour boiling water over the raw materials and leave until cooled. Moisten gauze in the prepared broth and put it on your hand, wrap it with a warm scarf and leave it overnight.
Blue clay relieves inflammation well. Make a soft cake out of clay and place it on the sore joint. Cover the top with cellophane and a warm scarf. The procedure must be repeated twice a day for two weeks.
Calendula and baby cream. To prepare, mix the plant and cream and apply to the sore spot before bed. This remedy will relieve inflammation and pain.
Arnica tincture. You need to mix arnica tincture and medicinal clay. Make compresses from the prepared mixture. The first day you need to keep it for 45 minutes, the second - 2 hours, then, if there is no redness, you can leave it on all night. Polymer film and warm pads will enhance the healing properties.
Calendula ointment with antimicrobial agents. In some cases, this disease may cause suppuration. This condition requires taking anti-inflammatory drugs that will destroy the infection and strengthen the immune system. Calendula ointment has excellent antimicrobial properties and helps in healing. Comprehensive treatment of trigger finger syndrome using wormwood tincture and this ointment will remove the disease without leaving a trace.
Raw cabbage leaves are an excellent anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. They must be applied to the problem area at night. The leaves of burdock and coltsfoot give the same effect.

For preventive purposes, you should not overload your hand and fingers during manual work. Work must be alternated with rest.

If the treatment method for trigger finger syndrome is chosen correctly, the functions of the hand will be completely restored. The only exceptions are cases in which complications arose during treatment.

Folk remedies will eliminate the pathology, but provided that the disease is at an early stage of development or as an additional therapy. It is best to consult a specialist before using any unconventional method.

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Benefit or harm

Experts have conducted a number of studies in the field of this area of medicine, but they have not come to a consensus about the benefits or harms of the habit of snapping fingers. Although most scientists still argue that this process causes some harm to health. It has also been established that regular finger snapping, which causes crunching in the joints, increases the risk of early development of acute arthritis.

Clicking fingers is especially dangerous for joints

There are probably many who like to crack their fingers, necks and even elbows, but this habit is not approved by doctors. If previously the very fact of public cracking of joints was condemned as an unaesthetic spectacle, now doctors justify the danger of these actions from a scientific point of view.

Those who like to crack their joints find it difficult to wean themselves from this habit, because in this way, according to avid “crunchers,” they get rid of stiffness. In addition, crunching, according to amateurs in anatomy and physiology, helps strengthen joints. Scientists from the UK decided to check whether joints actually get relief from crunching and what exact processes occur when clicking.

The researchers created a model that simulated the physiological processes that occur during joint loads. It was found that under prolonged static loads, all elements of the joint are closely adjacent to each other.

If a sharp stretch occurs, then the pressure inside the joint cavity quickly decreases, which causes “foaming” of the synovial fluid, which plays the role of a lubricant. At this moment, gas bubbles appear in the synovial fluid, bursting with a characteristic sound as tension is relieved. The acoustic manifestation of this process is the notorious click or crunch.

How to learn to click

You can learn to make rhythmic clicks with your fingers that will not cause harm to your health. But even they should not be performed very often, so as not to irritate others. The main thing is to be patient, since not everyone succeeds in clicking their fingers the first time. However, after a certain period of time, anyone will be able to rhythmically snap their fingers to their favorite musical accompaniment.

There are two main ways to perform finger snaps. Before you start training, you need to decide which option is right for you.

First method. Basic click.

Press the pads of the middle and thumb together. This should be done easily, without pressing hard or squeezing the tops of the fingers, but only their soft part. To simplify this action, imagine that you are lifting something heavy with your fingers. At the first stage, it is better to do the exercise with the dominant hand, namely the one that is more active. Over time, you can confidently click with both limbs.
It is necessary to leave the thumb, as well as the index finger, in the same position, and place the little finger with the ring finger, without straining at the beginning of the thumb, the hand must feel comfortable. The middle finger of the hand snaps its fleshy part at the beginning of the thumb. And the little finger and ring finger support the free area of the limb. This allows you to apply more force and create a loud click.
Create minimal pressure between the thumb and middle fingers, fixing the fingers in the position in which they were originally. Gradually increase the pressure of your fingers until the skin turns red. The volume of the click will depend on how hard you press your fingers. But it must be remembered that when squeezing with your fingers, in no case should pain occur.
Click yourself. Move your index finger down, placing it so that it rests on your thumb. The pressure between your fingers should remain the same. Then the middle finger makes a downward movement, as if sliding off the thumb, slamming into the palm, and an expressive click should sound. This action is not always successful the first time, but repeating it several times can achieve excellent results.
To achieve the desired result, you need to repeat the training regularly. The more experience you have, the more natural your finger snapping will sound. Having achieved the first positive result, do not stop, and after a few days the clicks will turn out better and better.

Second method. Alternative ways to reproduce clicks.

Clicking with your ring finger. Some people find it easier and more convenient to use their ring finger rather than their middle finger to click. In this manipulation, the main thing is to master the basic movement for clicking, described above, with the only difference that the thumb should be shifted one finger lower.
For a more expressive click, you can try shaking it slightly with your hand. Moving the entire arm down produces a rather loud clicking sound. But movements must be careful so as not to damage the wrist or cause inflammation.
You can try to double click. If one click is already good enough, then you can learn how to double-click. To do this, you need to use your ring finger. Press the thumb to the ring finger, and fold the little finger down, aligning the remaining fingers with the ring finger. Move the thumb towards the middle finger, increasing the pressure between them, and then, without stopping, sharply move it towards the index finger. The middle finger and then the index finger should click into the palm one after the other, making clicks with a slight interval.
Perform clicks with both hands at the same time. If the training in basic movements has been successful, you can try to learn how to reproduce clicks with both hands at the same time. Any technique will do, and it’s also a good idea to use different techniques for each hand. As an example: one hand can play a standard click, and the other a double click.

Treatment methods

Crunching in the joints itself cannot be cured. It may be just one of many symptoms of various bone disorders. To eliminate them, complex therapies are used, which are prescribed by a doctor. Usually, after supporting medications for arthritis, arthrosis and other diseases, the crunch goes away on its own.

Drugs

Various groups of drugs are used in the treatment of joints. These can be injections of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory or hormonal drugs in the form of tablets, complexes for the restoration of cartilage tissue.

If an infection occurs, it would be appropriate to use targeted antimicrobials

It is important for the patient to support the body’s defenses with the help of immunomodulatory agents. They can be plant-based or synthetic

To improve the general condition and accelerate metabolic processes, vitamin complexes are used. They can be replaced with an individually selected complete diet.

Physiotherapy

Thanks to such procedures, metabolic processes in tissues and cartilage are significantly increased. Stagnation and sclerotic changes in the structure of the joint are prevented. Radon baths, mud therapy, and paraffin heating are widely used. Physiotherapeutic procedures are prohibited at the time of exacerbation of the inflammatory process and with the addition of concomitant severe chronic diseases.

Home treatment

Non-traditional treatment methods must be approached with caution. The best alternative would be homeopathic treatment with natural medicines and dietary supplements

They contain many components that, when consumed regularly, help restore bone tissue. It is better to start using them as early as possible, because after destruction, bone tissue is not restored.

Additional exercises:

To relax your hands and get rid of the bad habit of constantly cracking your fingers, it is useful to do simple exercises. You can develop them yourself.
It will be useful to clench and unclench your palms folded into a lock.
To strengthen the joints on the arms and elbows, the limbs are raised up, held in a closed position for several seconds and smoothly lowered down, unclenching the lock.
Alternately, at chest level, squeeze and unclench your fingers towards your palms.
Using brushes folded into a lock, make wave-like movements from side to side.
With a palm folded into a fist, make turns around the hand alternately to the left and right sides.

In some pathologies, it is extremely undesirable to expose joints to heat. This can aggravate the inflammatory process or increase the risk of infection spreading deeper.

Consequences and complications, prognosis

Almost all patients recover completely after receiving cortisone injections. Surgery is recommended in rare cases.

The syndrome can be prevented by avoiding activities that strain the flexor tendons in the palms of the hands.

Therapy and physical therapy are considered the most effective and simple methods of treating trigger finger. After treatment of the hand, doctors advise going through a rehabilitation period in order to completely get rid of the disease.

Tests and diagnostics

The clinical examination provides the doctor with most of the information that is important for diagnosis.

It looks closely at the movement of the hand and individual fingers and scans the finger joints individually. It recognizes swelling, nodules and functional limitations of the fingers.

A visual examination is carried out using x-rays. In the pictures, the doctor sees where the cause of the discomfort is, in the bone or joint. Sonography (ultrasound) may also be performed to confirm the diagnosis.

Tips Edit

The level of moisture in your hands can affect your clicking ability. If your hands are too wet or oily to apply proper pressure (for example, if you just applied lotion), you can dry them with a paper towel.

On the other hand, if they are too dry to moisturize them again, you should use a small amount of lotion. Note, however, that some sources claim that the loudest click will be produced by getting your hands wet. When you click, the sound doesn't come from your two fingers rubbing together - it actually comes from your finger hitting the fleshy part of your palm

Essentially you are clapping with just one finger on one hand! To test this, try clicking your palm covered with a napkin. The sound should be much more muted. Don't try to flick your index finger or pinky finger. Technically this is possible, but very difficult.

Rating scales

Digital pain rating scale.
Measuring hand grip strength (using a JAMAR dynamometer).
DASH Questionnaire.

Stages of stenosing tenosynovitis

1 is normal.
2 - painful compaction.
3 - clicks.
4 - the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP) gets stuck during flexion and unlocks during active extension.
5 - The PMS gets stuck during flexion and unlocks during passive extension.
6 - The PMS is fixed in a bent position.

Stage 5 or 6 according to the above classification

An alternative version of the occurrence of crunching in joints

However, there is an alternative version of the occurrence of crunching in the joints. Thus, there is an opinion that the characteristic sounds are produced by the tendons and ligaments themselves, which are subjected to sharp physical impact. At the same time, a crunch is by no means a sign of stabilization of the joint. On the contrary, by constantly exposing joints to such loads, they can be destabilized, which leads to frequent dislocations, pinched nerves, and even increased degenerative processes in tissues.

Scientists explain the danger of osteoarthritis by the fact that with constant, unnatural tension in the joints, there is an increase in the load on the cartilage, which can collapse or wear out, exposing the connective tissue. Since it is thanks to cartilage that the joints function smoothly and painlessly, the loss of this natural shock absorber leads to the development of osteoarthritis.

Similar assumptions were made by the honored figure of medicine, Dr. E.E. Edelman, Chairman of the Union of German Rheumatologists.

Doctors warn that clicking joints is especially detrimental to joint health in people prone to arthritis. In addition, such actions can aggravate existing joint pathologies. According to statistics, more than 40 million people have joint diseases, but only 18% of them go to doctors and receive adequate treatment.

Instructions

What you will need:

Hands and fingers
Patience and desire

1 step

Learning to do this is very easy, the technique is simple. But it may still take you some time. If you want to achieve quick results, train regularly. Effort is the key to success!

Step 2

As I already said, the finger snapping technique is very simple, place your fingers in this main position, press your ring finger and little finger to the base of your thumb. As it is shown in the picture.

Step 3

Next, press your middle finger tightly against your thumb; their pads should touch each other, you can see this in the picture.

Step 6

Having mastered the finger snapping technique, I can make more complex clicks, for example, with two fingers at once, the ring and middle. But I spent years of training on this. Of course, I was joking. To perform this click, simply do everything as described above in the instructions, just start with the ring finger and sharply move the ring finger to the base of the thumb, smoothly move to the middle one, and continue the click in the same way. Everything should work out.

Somewhere on the Internet I came across that the music of Elvis Presley helps you learn the finger snapping technique. Also, as you improve your abilities in this matter, you can start clicking with both hands at the same time.

Improvise, try to come up with something for the index finger.