For knuckle-crackers, the satisfying “popping” noise may be music to their ears. For those around them, it can be creepy and annoying.
The “pop” is caused by bubbles bursting in the synovial fluid that lubricates your tendons and joints. When stretching the fingers or bending them backward, it causes a stretch also in the capsule containing the synovial fluid. This decreases the pressure in the capsule thereby stretching the gas-filled bubbles. If stretched enough, they burst.
Ever wonder why can’t we crack the same knuckle twice in a row? It’s because you have to wait for gas to once again build up in the synovial fluid.
A lot of people think that knuckle cracking can lead to arthritis. It may seem like a logical connection, but it hasn’t been supported by research. But it is possible that cracking knuckles a lot over a long period of time could cause problems like swelling or reduced grip strength. However, there are at least two published reports of injuries suffered while people were trying to crack their knuckles. Perhaps these people were overly vigorous in their efforts.
On the positive side, there is evidence of increased mobility in joints right after popping. When joints are manipulated, the Golgi tendon organs which is a set of nerve endings involved in humans' motion sense are stimulated and the muscles surrounding the joint are relaxed. Backs, knees, elbows and all other movable joints are subject to the same kind of manipulation as knuckles are.
Knuckle cracking is probably a good habit to break. In addition to the chance that it might cause future problems, joint cracking can annoy other people around you.
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