Is cracking your fingers harmful and how to get rid of this annoying habit? Is it possible to crack your fingers: causes of cracking in the joints and ways to get rid of the bad habit.

To find out whether cracking your fingers is harmful or beneficial, you need to know the structure of the joints and be aware of what happens inside during such a “warm-up”.

As you know, the main purpose of the joint is to ensure bone mobility. The area where the two bones meet is covered with articular cartilage, which has a special capsule containing a viscous substance called synovial fluid.

Thanks to it, the load and friction at the point of connection of the bones is reduced, and the joint remains mobile and bendable.

However, no one could give an exact explanation of what happens at the moment of crunching. And just recently, scientists from England conducted an unusual experiment.

A group of 20 people was created who voluntarily agreed to take part in this experiment.

Using a special mechanism, the participants' fingers were stretched, and at this moment the scientists took an X-ray of the joints.

The harmless crunching of fingers is the bursting of gas bubbles formed in the joints due to pressure fluctuations

As a result of the experiment, it was discovered that when a joint is tense, the pressure in the area of its connection instantly drops.

The synovial fluid begins to fluctuate with high speed and achieves a “boiling” effect. A gas bubble forms in the capsule, which has no access to exit, since the joint is sealed.

During a change in pressure, the gas penetrates the synovial fluid, and then the bubble bursts, which leads to a peculiar click.

The version of orthopedists has its own explanation for the crunching of fingers.

They believe that this sound is formed in tendons and ligaments, which, when sharply bent, overcome slight resistance and crunch.

Crunching your fingers is harmful

If you ignore the depressing appearance of irritated faces who do not like the sound of cracking joints, this habit cannot lead to serious disruptions in the functioning of the body. However, most specialists and ordinary people believes that cracking your fingers is harmful.

Systematic cracking of fingers leads to fragility of joints, provokes their loosening and destabilization

To prove this, there are a number of alarming reasons why joints can make characteristic sounds:

There is salt deposition in the skeletal system. Their accumulation in the body leads to hardening of cartilage and muscle fibers. This leads to clicking when bending the joints, causing discomfort and reducing their mobility.
The structure of the joint is damaged. Sometimes the joints at the junction can extend beyond the joint box, which leads to severe crunching and pain.
Congenital pathology. Sometimes there are deviations in the structure of the joints, during which their increased mobility is observed. During movement, the bones move apart and return to place, causing crunching, but without causing discomfort.
Muscle inflammation. In some cases, doctors are inclined to believe that when overwork, overload and inflammation of the adjacent muscles, the joints experience pressure and produce a crunching sound.
A dangerous disease is arthrosis. This is an unpleasant bone pathology in which wear and tear of cartilage and joints is observed. As the disease progresses, their ability to be flexible and mobile decreases, which leads to friction and sharp clicking.
Problems in the functioning of joints after injuries. After fractures, sprains or dislocations, the vessels and tissues surrounding the joint box are damaged. During restoration, growths and compactions may occur, leading to a characteristic sound.

If such pathologies are present in the body, cracking your fingers is certainly harmful. This habit leads to further damage and stretching of weakened muscles, joints and ligaments, which leads to their increased vulnerability.

Is it good to crack your fingers?

It has been proven that a person who systematically cracks his fingers often does so in an attempt to reduce emotional stress and strives to concentrate on some process or his thoughts. If the process occurs regularly, this leads to the formation of an obsessive habit, without which he can no longer concentrate, and this is already a psychological addiction.

The desire to crack your fingers can develop into an obsessive habit.

Is it good to crack your fingers? Certainly not.

But if, while working for a long time at the computer in one position, the thought comes that a warm-up is necessary, you can crack your fingers.

However, this must be done correctly, turning a bad habit into a pleasant massage and easy joint training.

The rules for healthy crunching are not complicated:

Relaxation fingers, light shaking
Sharp clenching of fists and slow straightening
Crossing the fingers of both hands and rotating in different sides
Alternate massage of each finger and joint
Squeezing a ball or cube in your hands
Scissors (softly placing a finger on the adjacent one)

A the best option To warm up the joints there will be light exercises, baths, a relaxing massage with oil or swimming.

Consequences of cracking fingers

IN at a young age When any problems seem insignificant, a person does not think about whether cracking his fingers is beneficial and what harm it causes to the body.

However, with age the situation can worsen dramatically. European scientists, after a series of experiments, have proven that systematic stretching of the finger joints leads to their fragility.

And this is fraught with frequent dislocations and even pinching of adjacent nerve endings.

Loads on the joints lead to crushing and grinding of cartilage, destruction of their integrity and malfunction.

And such a seemingly harmless habit can lead to an unpleasant disease - arthritis.

Although some scientists are inclined to believe that this disease, when cracking fingers, can only occur if a person has a predisposition to it.

Is it good to crunch your spine?

During sports, sudden changes in body position or bending, you can hear a slight crunching sound in the spine.

This sound should not be frightening if the person does not experience pain or discomfort at this moment.

A crunching sound in a vertebra may indicate that the bones are stretching and warming up after the transition from a relaxed to a tense state.

Involuntary crunching of the spine does not cause concern if the person does not experience severe pain or tension

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Is cracking fingers harmful or not?

Among bad habits, experts identify those that are unsafe and almost harmless to health. Some are annoying to others, such as cracking fingers.

This is done “out of nerves” or reflexively. Some people even like to click to focus. There are even supporters of this kind of warm-up of the hands.

But what do doctors think about this, where does this sound come from and how does it affect the joints?

The search for an answer to the question of the cause of the characteristic sound

During long periods of stationary office work computer monitor I want to warm up somehow from time to time.

When discussing the dangers and benefits of the habit of cracking your fingers, it is recommended to understand more thoroughly how the joint works.

This will make it possible to imagine the processes occurring inside the body.

The bones of the skeleton are articulated in the form of joints, which are designed to provide mobility and mitigate friction.

The roundings at the ends of the bones at the junction are covered with a small layer of cartilage.

They are connected by joints in which the entire free space is filled with a viscous substance - synovial fluid. Natural “lubricant” is contained in the capsule.

This structure provides the joint with:

flexion and extension;
supports finger mobility;
provides performance throughout life.

Pathologies of the joints lead to their deformation and partial loss of grasping functions of the hand.

The structure of the joint looks very simple, but it is this capsule with synovial fluid that, when excessively displaced, creates a crunch. It seems that everything is clear. But for a long time Scientists and doctors could not explain the crunching in the fingers, even with photographs and other images.

What happens when forced pressure is applied to the joints of the hands

Research is periodically carried out by enthusiasts using an X-ray machine and computer modeling.

But all approaches provide only an approximate idea of internal processes. The crunch occurs during active warm-up of the neck and spine, as well as larger joints of the limbs.

But where does the characteristic crunch come from, and how harmful is it?

British orthopedists in once again became interested in these issues. Twenty volunteers took part in the experiment.

Through special apparatus The subjects' fingers were stretched slightly to “look” into the joint through X-rays.

After this, the finger joints were sharply bent.

Scientists from England noticed a change in the viscosity and pressure of synovial fluid.

The assumption that instantaneous changes in the shape of the joint capsule are associated with its so-called “boiling” inside has not given a convincing answer.

There is a high probability that a gas bubble forms inside the capsule without escaping - the joints are sealed. After the completion of the experiments, the orthopedists’ versions were not accurate regarding the harm from such actions.

The essence of the conclusion was that when the pressure changes, the gas bubble from the “boiling” of the synovial fluid bursts. This is the main reason for the clicking sound.

Therefore, discussions continued on the following topics:

Why do my fingers crunch?
Is this phenomenon harmful?

Another group of European scientists, comparing readings from the joints of the spine and limbs, managed to establish that sound is created by tendons.

It arises from overcoming some resistance, and the flexible capsule itself has nothing to do with this.

The structure of the hands does not imply the occurrence of sounds during normal joint operation.

There is a logical approach to finding the answer to all these questions. It is known that the interphalangeal joints have the simplest structure due to the unique shape of the heads of the finger bones.

The sealed capsule is filled with elastic and viscous cartilage tissue with synovial fluid. It prevents excessive friction of the phalanges of the fingers and reduces stress on the tendons.

Most likely, the characteristic sound is produced by a temporary deformation of the shape of the joint, which is filled with fluid.

Orthopedists from different groups who conducted experiments on this matter agreed that it is not worth exposing the joints excessive loads when stretched. Excessive friction and fluid transformation can lead to destabilization of the joints in the hands over time.

Psychologists have their own version - the habit is harmful from the point of view of addiction. At first, subjects do this out of interest, perhaps they like it. Then the crunching becomes a habit that they don't pay attention to.

But in an office where there are a lot of people, after a few clicks it starts to make people nervous.

Some survey participants confirm that when someone rattles bones at the next table, it is distracting and very annoying.

Possible consequences of the habit of cracking your fingers

Stories are full of enthusiasts who conduct experiments on themselves on their own initiative. Such was the Californian physician O. Unger, who was distinguished by his belief that there was no reason to worry about the health of “crispy” joints. It seemed to him that this was even useful - a kind of warm-up for his hands.

Arthritis, which many people fear so much in old age, cannot arise for this reason. Moreover, since childhood, the American doctor O. Unger entertained his friends with his “clicks” by twitching the fingers of his left hand.

It is noteworthy that his right hand did not crunch. He lived for 83 long years, but both arms remained symmetrical and quite mobile. He was not found to have any orthopedic pathologies.

Doctors identify various pathologies in which destruction of the integrity of joints can lead to inflammation and other troubles. For example, if there is a focus of any infection in the body, it can penetrate into the burst capsule with synovial fluid.

We will have to put up with this problem for many years. This is evidenced by the experience of many people who have damaged their joints during sports training or car accidents. Often you have to live with pain in the area of cartilage when articulating bones until the end of your days.

Risk groups with the possible appearance of inflammatory processes include:

ankylosing spondylitis (ankylosing spondylitis);
pathologies of interphalangeal joints, cartilage and bone tissue;
poor mobility of the ligaments and joints of the hands;
rheumatoid deformations of cartilage tissue;
increased viscosity or lack of synovial fluid in the joint capsule;
traumatic consequences;
deforming osteoarthritis;
age-related arthritis;
penetration of air into joints during injury.

Most pathologies begin with “harmless” diseases or inflammatory phenomena in the body. Swelling or inflammation of the joint gradually occurs.

Destroys over time cartilage tissue, which is obvious when the functions of the hands are limited. The hands are deformed, finger movement is accompanied by pain and discomfort, and flexion function is limited.

With such symptoms, crunching is not only harmful, but often impossible.

Gymnastic warm-up for fingers

For those who are confident in the usefulness of warming up their hands during sedentary work, a set of useful exercises has been developed:

Hands in a “lock”, we stretch forward and upward, turning our palms away from ourselves. The back is straightened as much as possible, the body is relaxed.
Alternately clench/unclench your fingers into fists. The hands are down. Repeat when it seems that your fingers are numb.
Rotate each finger separately, resting the pads on the palm of the other hand.
Lowering your hands onto your knees, bringing your relaxed fingers to your thumb, move them away from you, as if shaking drops of water from your feet.
“Scissors” - alternately close 2 adjacent fingers, using your second hand.

Some people's joints are so flexible that their fingers become twisted. reverse side, but this does not mean that performing unnatural actions is useful. It is unknown what consequences this will lead to in old age.

For the sake of your own health, it is worth making an effort to get rid of any harmful or even harmless at the moment habits.

It is better to replace discussions about whether the sound from sharp bending of the fingers in the joints is useful with real concern for one’s health.

How to forget about joint pain...

Joint pain limits your movements and full life...

You are worried about discomfort, crunching and systematic pain...
You may have tried a bunch traditional methods and medicines, creams and ointments...
But judging by the fact that you are reading these lines, they did not help you much...

Source: https://TravmaOff.ru/hrust/hrust-paltsev.html

Is it possible to crack your fingers?

Crunching in fingers- a common phenomenon in almost all age categories of people. It can be observed from infancy to old age.

The causes of crunching are varied, let's name the most common:

Strong motor activity provokes excessive stretching of the ligaments, joints and bones;
Sedentary lifestyle leads to atrophy not only of muscles, but also of the bone skeleton;
Joint strains occurs when staying in one position for a long time;
Congenital joint pathologies, when the joints are positioned freely relative to each other, clicks are heard when the bones move apart and return to their original position;
immoderate carrying heavy objects;
The crunch may indicate about joint diseases: bursitis (inflammation of the synovial bursa), tendonitis (inflammation of the tendons), arthritis (inflammation of the joints), arthrosis, rheumatism, etc. in this case, crunching will always be accompanied by pain;
Injuries received can also cause crunching;
Salt deposition, salt promotes hardening of cartilage, reduces tissue elasticity;
Flaw calcium, liquid;
Bad habit to relieve emotional stress, if necessary, focus on any process, making important decisions;
Mental disorder of varying severity.

Human skeletal system designed specifically for movement. But any load should be moderate and reasonable for a particular organism.

Norm

The norm is a natural or physiological crunch, which is observed during movements, movements, sharp turns, physical exercise. As a rule, such a crunch is practically inaudible.

And if it arises, This is beneficial for the joints, as the necessary, natural relaxation of the bone skeleton and muscles occurs. If joints, cartilage, tendons are in healthy condition, then even with stretching and other natural stretches there should be no crunching.

Crunching may be normal when it occurs physical activity, or after tension, if it is not accompanied by pain, swelling, stiffness, redness and other unpleasant symptoms

Pathology

Pathological crunch causes pain, swelling appears, swelling is signs of joint deformation.

If this is a symptom of a disease or hereditary pathologies of joint development. Only a qualified orthopedist or surgeon can diagnose a disease or pathology.

When crunching fingers is not a symptom illness or pathology, and a person who likes to crunch expresses himself in this way, tries to attract the attention of others, or crunches precisely during nervous tension. A person with sore joints is unlikely to crack his fingers openly.

The desire to crunch for the public shows about a possible mental disorder. After all, you can find more adequate ways to express your personality. And perhaps drug therapy will be indicated. Consulting a psychotherapist will help solve this problem.

The mechanism of crunching in the fingers

In 1947, Canadian scientists conducted a study on the mechanism of the appearance of crunching in the fingers. Tests were carried out on volunteers whose fingers were stretched to the point of crunching and at this moment what was happening in the joints was recorded using MRI.

The conclusion was the following: when the joints are naturally or artificially stretched, the pressure drops sharply between them and a cavity is formed, which is filled with gas bubbles; when the joint is sharply bent, the bubbles burst with a specific pop.

Orthopedic doctors believe that the crunch occurs as a specific reaction of the joints and tendons to sudden bending

Benefits of crunching

In the medical environment there is no consensus on the benefits or harms of this action. There is no talk of benefits at all. Some scientists and doctors speak not about the obvious benefits of crunching, but about its harmless effect on the human body.

Allegedly, those who like to crunch in this way relieve stress, relax, and does not pose any threat to health.

There is a well-known example of a Californian doctor who cracked the fingers of one hand for 60 years, and after 60 years he did not notice the difference between his hands.

That is, both hands were healthy. But this is an isolated case. It would be unreasonable to draw global conclusions based on it. The benefits of crunching can be discussed when it accompanies morning stretching and exercise, or after working in one position for a long time.

Stiff muscles and ligaments are stretched and thus tension is relieved. Or when working on a computer for a long time, you need to relieve your fingers.

The harm of crunching

Most doctors and scientists speak out about the obvious dangers of crunching.

Proving that uncontrolled crunching leads to deformation of the hands, loosening of joints, deficiency of synovial fluid, pinched nerve endings, dislocations, subluxations, swelling and swelling, inflammatory diseases of the joints.

It is known for sure that systematic crunching leads to fragility of the joints, and this can lead to more serious consequences. But also the aesthetic side of the issue: The crunch definitely creates a repulsive impression and raises doubts about the adequacy of the person who likes to crunch incessantly.

Consequences of crunching

As you know, each organism lives and develops according to its own individual laws. No one can guess whether there may be consequences of the crunch or not. If you intentionally crack your fingers several times in your life, then nothing bad will come of it.

But if this becomes a habit for many years, it can certainly have a very negative impact on the condition of the joints. Constant unnatural load on the joint mechanism cannot pass without leaving a trace.

The joint and ligamentous apparatus is destroyed very slowly, throughout life: first it becomes loose, loses elasticity, cracks appear, a deficiency of joint fluid occurs, causing the joints to rub against each other causing pain.

And all this leads to serious inflammatory joint diseases. In your younger years, you don’t see any consequences of bad habits; you will have to reap the fruits of your thoughtless actions in adulthood. If there is even a small amount of risk to your health, it makes sense to think about whether you need to ruin your health.

How to get rid of this habit?

If scientists are still arguing about the benefits and harms of crunching, it would be wise not to experiment on your health. And do not irritate other people with excessive crunching.

If doctors have diagnosed that crunching is not a symptom of a disease or pathology, but a bad habit, then you need to gradually abandon this habit. The main thing should be desire.

It is possible to replace the crunch with:

Massage of fingers, gradual rubbing of each finger from tip to base;
Diversionary maneuvers solve a Rubik's cube, twirl the pen or balls in your hands;
Charging for brushes, clenching and straightening of fists, rotation of hands clasped together, alternate flexion and extension of fingers, relaxation of hands by shaking;
Baths with sea salt or extracts of chamomile, sage, pine;
Swimming. A wonderful sport that is indicated for various diseases, primarily the skeletal system. Also films psychological stress, relaxes muscles, strengthens the immune system.

Prevention of cracking fingers

Complex of particular importance preventive measures useful for people with a hereditary predisposition to joint diseases, athletes and anyone who wants to maintain painless mobility of the skeletal skeleton into old age.

Let's outline the main events:

healthy eating, be sure to include foods rich in calcium;
Monitor your weight excess weight puts excessive stress on bones and joints;
Consuming the required amount liquids, up to three liters in summer, up to two in winter;
Move more movements block congestion in the skeletal system;
Safe sports, choose a sport that will benefit the body;
Avoid injury and heavy physical activity.

Answer to the question- Is it possible to crack your fingers? It will be like this: yes, you can, but first evaluate all the possible risks to your own health and the peace of mind of those around you.

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Is it harmful to crack your fingers: the harm and benefits of crunching

The question of exactly how finger crunching affects the health of joints and tendons does not have a clear answer, because there is a lot of evidence both for and against. In such a situation, you can only consider in detail everything that this process entails, and each individual will decide for himself whether cracking his fingers is harmful.

What happens during a crunch

Basically, people start cracking their joints because there is a desire to bring them to a normal state, but with such manipulation the joint structures are destabilized, despite the comfortable sensations that come after. Also, in the process, nerves can be damaged, pinched, or lead to dislocation and subluxation.

If the need to crunch arises from the fact that there is some tension in the joints, then this is already a sign that they are in an unhealthy state. And in such a situation, manipulation, which seems necessary to relieve the tension of a tired joint structure, leads to a violation of the integrity of the hand.

Based on these reasons, it becomes clear whether snapping your fingers is harmful. In addition, in the process of such stretching of the hand and fingers, liquid is released, and then gas is released, which produces a click. This in some cases leads to bruised fingers.

Damage from cracking your fingers

Crunching of fingers, or rather the need for it and its simple presence, may be signs that there are a number of reasons why such an action seems necessary. In addition, with daily clicking of joints in the situations described below, the condition of the hands is aggravated:

Increased content of salt deposits. Because of this, the joint tissue becomes hard along with the muscles, therefore, when bending the fingers, characteristic clicks occur. In the normal state, finger movement is difficult.
Inflammatory process in muscle tissue. In this situation, clicking occurs because the overloaded muscle fibers are too stiff and hard.
Arthrosis itself is characterized by the fact that it is accompanied by clicks, without applying any certain effort for this, as in previous cases.
Pathological disorders of a congenital nature. When stretching the fingers, a crunching sound is heard if the innate structure of the skeleton is such that the joints are quite loose in relation to each other. The click is heard due to the fact that the bones are diverging and returning to their place.
Violation of integrity at the junction of joints. When trying to stretch the hands in a state interlocked with each other, a crunch will be heard due to the location of the joints outside the joint box. This phenomenon is accompanied by pain.

Benefits for cracking fingers

To argue that there is any benefit from cracking joints is, to say the least, stupid, given the processes that occur during such manipulation.

At best, this action will not affect the body or joint tissue in any way.

However, if there is a crunch when stretching, then they are unlikely to be in a healthy state.

As for directly stretching the hands and relaxing, which is often carried out with the usual downward movement when the fingers of the two hands are connected to each other, this can be done in a different way.

To get rid of the regular habit of cracking your joints, it is better to switch to the correct algorithm of actions for stretching in order to benefit your body. The steps for proper stretching are as follows:

Shake your fingers in a relaxed state for a few seconds.
Sharply clench your hands into a fist, then slowly unclench them, repeat five times.
Clasp your two hands together and smoothly make circular movements. Repeat 5 times in one direction.
Massage each finger in sequence, first from the last phalanx to the tips, and then vice versa.
Completely clasp two balls with your hands and squeeze slowly.
Complete the exercise with “scissors”, i.e. alternately cross your fingers over each other.

A good way to relax your hands would be any baths with warm water, and adding salt, essential oils or vitamins. In this way, you can not only improve the condition of your joints, but also take care of the beauty of your skin.

Whatever the evidence that cracking your knuckles does no harm, there is no evidence that it is beneficial.

In this case, why repeat a meaningless action every day when you can replace it with correct and useful exercises.

Moreover, every person’s hands and fingers need relaxation, you just have to do it wisely.

People are creatures with different habits. The latter can be common or strange, harmful or not. Smoking, for example, can be classified as a clearly harmful addiction. But what about the familiar habit of snapping your fingers? It's quite common. Surely you yourself or someone you know loves to do this. As it turned out, despite the harmlessness, this behavior can lead to not very pleasant consequences. And we are not talking about the people around us, who may simply get on their nerves.

How does a click happen?

Of course, not every case is dangerous to health. First of all, we need to decide what we mean by describing the habit of snapping our fingers. There may be two options here. The first, more harmless, refers to rhythmic clicks to the beat of the music you like. The characteristic sound is achieved by striking the middle finger and palm. But more on that below. The most dangerous thing is considered to be the addiction to clicking, or rather even cracking your knuckles. It occurs due to a sharp movement of these joints.

The fact is that inside each cartilage that surrounds the articular surface there is a special lubricant. In medicine it is called synovial fluid. The chemical composition of such a lubricant is varied, because it must fully nourish the surrounding cells and the cartilage itself. Also, one of its functions is to enrich surrounding tissues with oxygen. Therefore, nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide are dissolved.

The capsule in which it is located is capable of being elastic only up to a certain threshold. When it hits our joints strong impact, (for example, when raising heavy weight), gases dissolved in the lubricant come out of solution. This increases its volume, and therefore the mobility of the joint itself. Quickly restore your chemical composition synovial fluid cannot: this requires time until the gases dissolve in it again. This explains the inability to click too often.

Is it harmful to snap your fingers and knuckles?

Scientists have conducted several studies on this topic. Some remain neutral on this matter. But the majority still admitted potential danger for health. In addition, frequent repetition of activities such as snapping fingers and cracking knuckles has been found to increase the risk of acute arthritis. According to less gloomy forecasts, abuse of the habit leads to swelling of the hands and a decrease in grip strength.

How to learn to snap your fingers

We will not talk about how to crack long-suffering joints, due to the danger of such an action. Here we will talk about something else, namely, beating out the rhythm through clicks. This is a relatively safe action if you do not repeat it constantly. But even in this case, the greatest danger is posed by the irritation of people around, rather than the health of the clicker. However, indirectly, the habit can also affect health. If you know what I mean.

So, to obtain the desired sound, we add a large and middle fingers. Let's rub them together to understand how it all works. During the click, we need to squeeze them harder and move them sharply thumb up, and the middle one, respectively, down. In this case, it is important to know that the sound produced is produced in to a greater extent from the impact of the pad of the middle finger on the palm. It will be most convenient if the little and ring fingers remain pressed to it. Your hands must be dry while you are learning how to snap your fingers. Otherwise nothing will work.

That's it. Maybe the first time you won't get a loud enough sound. But skill comes with experience, and after some training this skill will improve. Don't hesitate, you'll soon be able to click to the beat of your favorite tune!

Or not, there is a huge amount of debate. So is cracking your fingers actually harmful?

Let's crunch!

This is precisely what the American scientist Donald Unger draws us to. He believes that such a hobby cannot lead to anything bad. On the contrary, crunching your fingers only has a positive effect on the body. For this experiment on himself, Winger even received certain awards in the field of medicine. The fact is that throughout his life, despite his mother’s warnings that crunching could give you arthritis, Donald continued to crunch the fingers of his left hand. The right one remained unused in this experiment. Having lived to the age of 83, Winger made a statement that the sensations in his right and left hands were identical, there was no arthritis and everything was fine with him. So this person recommends that everyone not be afraid to crack their fingers, because it is completely harmless. But here the question may arise: why crunch them if there is no benefit from this action? After all, Donald Winger argued that the sensations in the hands are the same.

Stop crunching!

When looking for an answer to the question of whether it is harmful to crack your fingers, readers can find a huge amount of information that you should not do this. Why? Almost all scientists agree with the statement that when you crunch your fingers, the gas bubbles that have accumulated between the bones simply burst. But what kind of gas is this, where did it come from? This is it interesting question. When a person cracks his fingers, he sharply reduces the pressure in the interarticular fluid. Gas is formed in the form of bubbles that burst. At the same time, we hear the corresponding sound. All this, in principle, is not so scary, but not entirely harmless. After some time, everything will fall into place, the pressure will return to normal, but at first the balance of the interarticular fluid in the hand will be disturbed, and this is what causes the finger joints to become loose. So is cracking your fingers harmful? If you do this rarely, then this activity will not harm the body. But if you get carried away with this procedure and expose your joints to such effects every day, you can do harm. At first everything will seem to be normal, but after about 10-15 years you can feel that the joints on the fingers are swollen, and the fingers themselves take on an ugly, crooked shape. Constantly cracking your fingers can loosen your joints so much that it can lead to frequent pinched nerves, various inflammatory processes and, as a result, arthritis.

Exercises

Having figured out whether cracking your fingers is harmful and choosing a suitable theory for yourself, you should also pay attention to the fact that your finger joints can be trained daily by performing various dynamic exercises. So, bending and straightening your fingers, clenching them into a fist and locking them will be useful. You can also make clicks in the air (“clicks”) with your fingers. These are like this simple exercises can perfectly replace crunching your fingers and will definitely benefit the body.

Conclusions

After reading the article, you can draw a logical conclusion that scientists have not yet found a single answer to the question of whether cracking your fingers is harmful. It's up to everyone here. Knowing the consequences of this act, everyone must simply decide for themselves whether it is possible to crack their fingers or whether it is not worth doing.

Many of us experience cracking fingers from time to time. This phenomenon can be observed completely involuntarily when we bend our fingers, for example. And some people like the crunching of their toes and hands, as a result of which a habit develops. Since everyone has different attitudes towards this, the question of whether cracking your fingers is harmful is very relevant. Let's try to find the answer.

So, first of all, it should be noted that today's medicine believes that cracking your fingers is harmful. Indeed, modern doctors persistently present well-founded arguments indicating the unsafety of the phenomenon in question. Frankly speaking, cracking fingers has long been considered a very indecent activity, unacceptable in society. And now medicine is also against it. So what is the reason?

Why you shouldn't crack your fingers

However, it is better to start thinking about whether finger crunching is harmful or not with arguments in favor of crunching, although it would be more correct to say that these arguments justify harmlessness. True fans of cracking fingers say that cracking the joints of the fingers allows one to overcome the stiffness that grips a person, say, in an unfamiliar environment, when there are new, previously unknown people around. Agree, the argument seems absurd to some extent.

Reasons why fingers crack

Therefore, it is very important to clearly determine why your finger joints crack. Research on this issue, were carried out at the very different times. Just recently, German rheumatologists decided to conduct another thorough study. As a result, it was clearly established that crunching in the fingers is in no way associated with the possibility of strengthening these same joints. On the contrary, the situation is completely different.

The crunching that occurs in the fingers is a consequence of the bursting of gas bubbles in the joint cavity. The fact is that the joint contains a special fluid that is susceptible to the formation of gas bubbles due, for example, to sudden movements. In such cases, the pressure established inside the joint decreases sharply and, as a result, the bubbles burst. And what we hear is an acoustic accompaniment of the processes.

Moreover, doctors confidently state that prolonged and regular crunching can lead to joint destabilization. This is why you shouldn't crack your fingers. In such cases, the risk of dislocations and pinched nerve endings increases significantly. Even degeneration processes in nerve tissues are possible.

The question studied by doctors, whether it is possible to crack your fingers, also has a clearly negative answer in cases where a person has a high predisposition to the occurrence and development of arthritis.

How to stop and unlearn cracking your fingers

But how long does the crunching have to last to lead to negative consequences? A specific figure cannot be given here, since for some, the crunch may begin to be accompanied by pain and discomfort after 15-20 years. This is why it is important to know how to stop cracking your fingers.

firstly, all actions must be gradual. For this reason, you can’t just stop snapping your fingers right away. Instead, you should first distract yourself with other activities, for example, buy yourself a Rubik's cube or start doing hand massage. Here's how to stop cracking your fingers and achieve great effect;
secondly, it is necessary to strengthen the body as a whole, and going to the pool contributes well to this;
thirdly, you need to take it daily large number calcium-containing products.

As you can see, when you know why your fingers and toes crunch, the desire to continue crunching disappears on its own. So try to avoid this bad habit.

Maybe you will be interested in articles about crunching of the spine and neck, here are links to them.

Some people really like to crack their knuckles. They do this if their hands are numb, out of boredom, or simply to show off a trick to others. However, do they think about what will happen if they crack their fingers constantly for a long time? After all, at first glance, harmless fun can easily develop into a real disease.

Is finger crunching good for your health?

Constant mechanical impact on the finger joints does not benefit our body. The theory that years of this kind of habit can lead to arthritis is controversial.

Some scientists believe that wear and tear on the joint and exposure to the lubricating fluid within it will invariably lead to inflammation;
Others believe that arthritis is more likely to be caused by holding your hands in the same position for a long time.

Therefore, it is impossible to reliably talk about impending arthritis. Although the very fact that you constantly want to move your joint in this way should already make you think that your joints are not entirely in order.

Additional consequences of finger snapping include:

Possibility of ligament damage;
Reducing the force with which your fingers can grip an object.

Therefore, you should not think that creating a vacuum in the joint fluid will benefit you. Everything in the body is already done as it should be. And between the articular bones there should be only liquid. Any changes in the composition or quantity of this liquid will invariably lead to bad consequences.

This video explains where the habit of cracking your knuckles comes from and how dangerous it is for your joints:

Preventing arthritis and joint mobility

If your fingers often become numb, swollen, and you feel like you just have to click and everything will go away, start taking the following steps:

Assess what position your hands are most often in and what this is connected with;
Try to diversify the position of your hands when working or resting;
Do a light self-massage of your hands whenever you have a free minute;
If possible, rest your hands for a long time.

In addition, there are many recipes traditional medicine. For example, such as:

Grated potato lotions;
Or applying an aloe leaf to a sore joint.

You can use such advice for some time, and if you do not feel relief, you should consult a doctor. You cannot turn a blind eye to the problem, as this can lead to the fact that your hands at some point will not be able to grab objects, which will make your life extremely difficult.

Fingers click when flexed

If the clicking of the fingers occurs when the finger is extended and flexed, this may signal the development of Knott's disease or trigger finger syndrome. A surgeon or orthopedist can confirm the presence of such a diagnosis.

As a rule, such a disease affects women whose work is related to constant voltage hands As a result, the following happens:

The joint fluid ceases to be released in the required volume;
The bones begin to rub against each other;
Tendons become swollen;
Growths appear;
Painful sensations occur;
Difficulty bending and straightening a finger;
Characteristic crunching sound when moving.

Thus, there arises trigger finger syndrome- a serious illness, which is not easy to notice at the initial stage.

As a rule, people turn to specialists when the pain becomes quite severe. However, if at the first stage you can be cured with:

Compresses;
Baths;
Massage.

Severe pain indicates that the tendons have already grown quite strongly; here it is necessary to use a surgical method to restore the functionality of the finger.

Methods for getting rid of a bad habit

In order to break the habit of snapping your fingers, you can use a few simple tips:

Instead of cracking your fingers, try rotating your hands in different directions until your hands get tired, then shake them off and continue working;
Use scissors regularly. You can just cut air, but similar mechanical movements will relieve tension from the joints and the need for clicking will disappear;
Flexing and straightening your fingers with force for several minutes will also help;
Repeat the movement, which is popularly used to click on the forehead, with different fingers several times in a row;
Find something nice to have in your hands, such as iron balls or a Rubik's cube. These items will help you with psychological point vision;
Use relaxing hand baths. Pine oils and sea salt work well.

Thus, the process of weaning will require sufficient attention, concentration and willpower from you. Only by demonstrating all these qualities, after some time, will you help your joints serve you for many years to come.

Is it possible to snap your fingers?

Crunching fingers is a special habit of some people. They like this procedure, which, in their opinion, promotes joint relaxation and good health. However, This habit is not approved by medicine.

The thing is that when you actively work your hands, your finger joints become stiff. In the hope of getting rid of this condition, a person deliberately cracks his fingers. Soon such an action develops into a habit, which is quite difficult to get rid of.

In the body at this time the following happens:

The optimal distance between the joints is violated;
Air bubbles appear inside the lubricant;
As a result of a sudden movement, the air comes out with a clicking sound.

It is obvious that frequent such manipulations lead to loose joints and various joint diseases. Therefore from bad habit It's worth getting rid of as quickly as possible. Its cause lies on both the physiological and psychological planes, which means that in order to get out of the habit, it is necessary to carry out a set of measures to replace the harmful addiction with another, more harmless distraction, as well as carry out therapy for the diseased joints themselves.

Thus, having information about what happens if you crack your fingers, you can make a little effort and adjust your behavior regarding this bad habit. Among other things, take into account that such a procedure may cause discomfort from the people around you.