Is it possible to crack your fingers (and 8 ways to stop doing it)

Habit of crunching

fingers

- a rather unpleasant, but nevertheless common phenomenon. People claim that it helps them calm down, relieve stress, and get comfortable in a new place and among new people. And although at first glance it seems that there is nothing terrible about such periodic crunching of the joints, this is not at all the case.

There is a fairly common

opinion

what a habit

crack your fingers

Not only does it not interfere, but it even helps strengthen the joints. If you are one of these people, then immediately discard

such

belief. The characteristic sound that accompanies your actions is nothing more than bursting air bubbles in your joint. If you fall into this habit

a lot of

years

contract

, this can lead to joint deformation, pinched nerve endings, and also to the development of degenerative processes in joint tissue. That's why use all your willpower to stop crunching.

fingers

If you cannot get rid of this habit right away, then do it gradually. Try to constantly monitor your behavior and as soon as you catch yourself starting to crack your fingers , stop immediately.

Replace finger crunching with something healthier or safer. For example, instead of cracking your knuckles, give yourself a finger massage or manicure. It will be both useful and pleasant.

Buy small balls, a Rubik's cube or an anti-stress ball. Every time you feel like crunching

fingers

, just start kneading the ball or twist it in

hands

cubes.

Try to eat as many foods as possible that contain calcium and phosphorus - they will strengthen your joints and

with time

The crunch will go away. Include cottage cheese, milk, sour cream in your diet,

kefir

, as well as beans, soybeans, walnuts, peanuts, and, of course, fish.

You can get rid of cracking joints by swimming regularly. So if you have the opportunity, be sure to go.

in the pool

. In a month or two, the crunch will pass, and your desire to crunch will disappear

fingers

Every time you catch yourself wanting to crack your joints, remember that in about 10 years they will most likely begin to swell,

get sick

and whine. And don’t flatter yourself with the thought that this is the last time - don’t give your habit a single opportunity to overcome you. And remember that in order to get rid of this habit, you must first want it, since without your own desire you are unlikely to succeed.

Rubik's Cube

is rightfully considered the most popular puzzle in the world, which perfectly trains spatial thinking and visual memory. It is almost impossible to assemble this puzzle on the first try, but knowing a certain algorithm, this can be done in a few minutes.

You will need

Rubik's Cube

Choose which color the assembly process will start with. Let's say you chose orange - this color will be the bottom edge of the cube during the assembly process. Now you need to assemble an orange cross of five squares on the bottom edge. On the four side faces you need to get two squares of the same color, touching

with rays

cross. At the end of the first stage, you should have an orange cross on the bottom edge, and two identical squares on the side edges: the central one and the one below it. Note the fact that the central squares of the edges are stationary and therefore can serve as assembly guidelines, indicating the color of one side or another.

Assemble the pieces into a "T" shape on the sides of the puzzle. At the end of the second stage of solving the Rubik's

you should still have the orange cross on the bottom edge, and on the sides you should have upside down T's. Please note that the “legs” of the “T” are short and consist of only one central square. It is important to know that the squares located at the corners of the puzzle and representing three color segments cannot move inside the edges.

Assemble the horizontal center of the side edges, that is, instead of inverted “T” letters, you should have rectangles adjacent to the bottom edge. At the end of this stage, you should have an orange cross at the bottom and two-thirds of each of the sides of the Rubik's

(bottom and middle rows).

Work on assembling the cross on the top side of the puzzle. At the end of this stage, you should have cross-shaped figures of five colored squares on the top and bottom faces, and on the sides of the Rubik's

The lower and middle rows are kept assembled.

Rearrange the side squares on the bottom and top edges. The top rows on the sides will assemble themselves. That's all!

note

Try solving the puzzle in other ways, because there are many options for solving the Rubik's cube. The shortest assembly process consists of 23 steps, and the record time is 9 seconds.

There is an old folk saying: “The spine is the axis of life,” and it’s good if it doesn’t cause you problems. But with age, it happens that this “axis” is more and more often

crunch

It happens that movements become constrained, and deep bends are almost impossible.

The very principle of crunching is as follows: each joint or vertebra has a small gap between its surfaces, which is filled with synovial fluid. Some of the movements lead to an increase in this gap, and as a result, it decreases

pressure

and microbubbles are formed, making sounds when they collapse

crunch

Very often, when complaining of a crunch in the spine, the doctor diagnoses “salt deposits.” But there are other reasons for this phenomenon.

A characteristic crunch in the spine can be heard in a variety of situations. For example, many people pay attention to it when they do special exercises aimed at stretching various parts of the spine or increasing its mobility. The crunching is especially audible when performing the first movements, then relief is usually felt.

If you have been sitting at the computer for a long time or have held a stationary position while reading a book, and then decide to stretch your neck muscles by moving your head, you may experience a crunch in your spine. There is no need to worry too much; this sound, as a rule, is not associated with any disease.

When performing certain techniques in modern manual therapy, it is desirable for a person to experience a slight crunch in the vertebrae. This characterizes correctly performed influences. In Chinese Wushu gymnastics, there is a section containing exercises to influence the spine and joints; in their case, the main sign of correct execution of the exercises is also the presence of a characteristic crunch.

But if the crunching becomes constant or very often accompanies various habitual movements, such as walking, bending, squats, etc., and is also observed in conjunction with pain in the joints and spine, there is reason to pay serious attention to your health.

There are two main factors that influence the process of formation and deposition of salts in the body: heredity and daily nutrition. Due to “bad” heredity, your metabolism may be impaired. As a result, they are not completely oxidized and salts are formed, which are deposited on the spine and articular surfaces. Due to the predominance of protein, salty, fatty and floury foods in your diet, similar problems may also arise.

the spine crunches

The crunching sensation occurs as a result of friction between the surfaces of the jaw joint. If it is not accompanied by pain and inflammation in the joint, then this is a physiological phenomenon.

At a young age, a crunch in the jaw occurs with increased activity of movements. Most often found in that category

of people

, whose activities are accompanied by long performances - lecturers, teachers, etc. The immediate cause is the increased elasticity of fibrinogen, as a result of which the ligaments of the jaw joint are overstretched. The minor circulatory disorders of the joint tissues that arise are not the cause of pathological changes and disappear with more careful handling, i.e., with a decrease in

loads

A typical constant crunch occurs when joint fluid decreases. In this case, the articular surfaces of the upper and lower jaw experience increased friction with a characteristic sound during chewing or speaking. This decrease in intra-articular fluid occurs as a result of previous inflammatory diseases, operations or injuries of the jaw joint.

The cause of a crunching jaw can be various rheumatoid diseases, such as rheumatism or rheumatoid arthritis. As a rule, the disease affects many joints, often larger ones. As a result of the impact of autoimmune complexes or B-hemolytic streptococcus on the articular cartilage, local inflammation occurs in them, accompanied by thickening of the joint tissues and a decrease in intra-articular fluid. For rheumatism, morning “stiffness” of joint movements is more typical, incl. and for the jaw. By evening, the feeling of discomfort and crunching in the jaw usually decreases or disappears.

Almost any person, even a completely healthy one, can periodically experience a crunch in the jaw. If it does not cause discomfort and does not limit the functional mobility of the jaw joint, it is not dangerous. And if it occurs frequently, interferes with everyday life and is accompanied by pain, this is a reason to consult a doctor.

jaw crunches what to do in 2017

You've probably noticed more than once how often some people turn their heads all the way to relieve tension in their neck, and at the same time a sound similar to a crunching occurs? There are several reasons for this and almost all of them can be eliminated. But forced movements of the neck are far from safe. They can lead to complications such as chronic pain, osteoporosis and even stroke.

Crunch

in the neck resembles the sound that occurs when some people

click

joints

fingers

to relieve stress. The crunch may also be accompanied by a pop, followed by a feeling of relief. Many people do this out of habit and unconsciously. And although it does relieve tension in the neck, it does

do

It’s not worth it, because complications may arise.

Causes of a crunch in the neck

The neck contains six vertebrae supported by muscles, ligaments and tendons. This provides head mobility and support, allowing us to nod and turn without problems. But constant stress can lead to a crunch in the cervical spine. As a rule, this is not dangerous, but if the crunching is accompanied by pain, you should consult a doctor.

A crunch in the neck can also occur due to excessive accumulation of calcium salts in the joints. In this case, it is necessary to eliminate calcium metabolism disorders.

Bone diseases

Diseases such as osteoporosis and arthritis can cause joint loss of elasticity. This leads to bone degeneration in the cervical spine. Cervical osteoporosis, also known as cervical spondylosis, is an age-related disease. After age 50, the porous discs in the cervical vertebrae degenerate and lose their ability to prevent the vertebrae from rubbing against each other. The bone tissue and ligaments thicken, the distance between the vertebrae decreases, and as a result, stiffness and pain occur in the neck. This is why a crunch in the neck often occurs in older people. Cervical spondylosis can also develop in people with poor posture.

Crunch in a child's neck

Children often experience a soft crunching sound in the neck, shoulder blades, and knee joints. This is due to their hypermobility. Sometimes this happens with congenital abnormalities in the development of connective tissue. As a rule, such problems are solved with the help of physical therapy and massage.

Crunching in the neck 9 facts why there may be a crunching and clicking in the neck and shoulder blades

Peeling skin on the fingers is a fairly common problem all over the world. This is explained by the presence of delicate skin in these places, which react quite sensitively to improper care of the skin of the hands.

One of the most common problems that can cause peeling fingers on a person’s hands is their lack of moisture. The first thing you need to pay attention to in this case is soap. Sometimes this may be where the main cause of the problem lies. Most often, deodorizing or antimicrobial soap causes peeling. In this case, dermatologists recommend using soap containing a huge amount of fat, since it is this that brings great benefits to the skin of the hands.

Perhaps the reason why

peel off

fingers, improper hand care may occur: if you have dry skin, you should not limit yourself to just cream. The fact is that already at the age of 25, the skin of the hands begins to dehydrate and age. Therefore, you need to regularly take care of

with your own hands

: cleanse the skin, nourish it and moisturize it. Peeling on the fingers can be caused by a lack of certain vitamins in the human body. This usually happens in winter and spring. It is recommended to eat more fruits and take vitamin and mineral complexes.

The cause of flaky fingers may lie in the irritating effect of certain detergents and cleaning products on them: washing powder, dishwashing liquid, etc. The fact is that household chemicals can damage the epidermis, which protects the skin from the effects of external adverse factors. Sometimes such chemistry can cause skin diseases - dermatitis, eczema. In this case, you should definitely seek the help of a doctor. The next reason is a fungal infection. It is this that causes serious disruption of the integrity of the skin. Here, too, you can’t do without a dermatologist.

The delicate skin of the hands may begin to peel due to exposure to dust, and also be a response to poor nutrition, animal hair, etc. And in winter, this problem can be associated not only with a lack of essential vitamins, but also due to contrasting temperature changes: from cold to warm. Excess moisture also causes fingers to peel. In this case, it arises directly between them. It is recommended to wash and dry your hands thoroughly after each use.

Increased exposure to ultraviolet rays on the skin of the hands can also cause peeling. This problem also arises due to metabolic disorders in the body. Often the delicate skin of the hands suffers due to constant human contact with the ground: a gardener works on the site, a digger digs a trench, etc. Cement and dust also make the skin on your hands rough and flaky. Improper hygiene is another reason for this problem. In addition, if the skin on your hands is especially tender and sensitive, then you should not use terry towels; there are cotton towels for this.

note

Only a qualified dermatologist will be able to determine the cause of flaky fingers with maximum accuracy and prescribe the right treatment.

how to prevent your joints from cracking? Is snapping your fingers harmful?

Print

How to stop cracking your fingers

Surely in your circle there is at least one person who likes to crack their fingers: a family member, a colleague, an acquaintance. Or maybe you yourself love this activity? After all, the habit of cracking fingers is very common: in this way people try to calm themselves down and quickly adapt to a new place or unfamiliar people. However, this habit is not as harmless as it is commonly thought. Not only can it cause negative emotions in others (crackling joints are very annoying for some people), but it can also harm your own health. Therefore, you need to get rid of it, and the sooner the better.

The harm of cracking your fingers

Irritating crunching of fingers is unpleasant to others and many consider this manipulation a bad habit. Although there are also fans of this kind of “warm-up” of joints, who believe that cracking your fingers is an absolutely safe activity that does not cause any harm to the skeletal system. In contrast to the depressing forecasts of orthopedists regarding this habit, the American doctor Donald Unger cracked the fingers of one (left) hand for 60 years and observed the body’s reaction. In old age, he saw no difference between his left and right hands, and neither showed signs of arthritis. Is it good to crack your fingers, or should you get rid of this habit?

What happens when you crack your fingers?

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 at 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 kind of 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. Doctors do not recommend subjecting them to frequent stretching, since regular friction at the point where the bones connect can lead to destabilization of the joints.

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

And the best option for warming up your joints would be light exercise, baths, a relaxing massage with oil, or swimming.

Consequences of cracking fingers

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

You should be wary if the crunching is accompanied by acute pain and occurs regularly. Such symptoms indicate that the muscles are under constant tension and cannot cope with their functions. And even chiropractors strictly prohibit crunching the spine on purpose. Such actions can lead to disruption of the main support of our body, displacement of bones and pinched nerves.

Is it harmful to crack your neck?

If you enjoy constantly cracking your neck, and for this “warm-up” you help yourself with your hands, you will soon become a regular patient of a chiropractor. The impact on the area of ​​the cervical vertebra should be very soft and delicate, and even specialists are very careful when working with it.

Kneading the cervical vertebrae with force can lead to damage to one of the main arteries of the body

The fact is that along the spine and cervical region there are special arteries that supply the brain with blood and oxygen. Sudden jerking and impulsive movements of the neck can easily damage these blood vessels, causing a clot to form, blocking the blood supply to the brain and leading to a stroke.

And although the percentage of development of such a pathology is minimal, you should not tempt fate and contact a trusted specialist to warm up your neck.

Physiology of crunching

Most often, owners of this habit claim that cracking their fingers helps them feel more confident and relaxed in an unusual situation. This process also helps them calm down and regulate their emotions.

Some of them believe in the myth that cracking your fingers helps strengthen your own joints, because... is a kind of training for them. Of course, this opinion is erroneous and directly opposite to reality. The habit of “flexing” your fingers in no way strengthens the joints: on the contrary, it leads to their gradual wear.

What happens to our fingers and joints when we crunch them? By pulling the bones away from each other, we provoke a drop in pressure in the interarticular (synovial) fluid, which enters the joint. It consists of carbon dioxide and a small amount of nitrogen. As a result of its entry into the joint, the gas turns into bubbles that begin to burst: it is these pops that we hear when we begin to crack our fingers.

how to easily get rid of bad habits

Teach your teen what finger cracking is like.

Start with what exactly causes the crunching sound

Explain to your teenager that crunching occurs for a reason. And because a teenager puts physical stress on his joints. In fact, the teenager dislocates them.

Because during the crunching process, the teenager pulls his cartilages a certain distance. And a special gas gets into the spaces between the tissues (scientifically, synovial fluid). When the substance enters the body, it creates a popping sound.

Have you ever noticed that after you crunch your finger, you have to wait a while until it recovers, and then you can crunch it again? This happens because the gas stays in the joint for thirty minutes. After which it again becomes synovial fluid. And you can crunch your fingers again. Explain this point to the teenager.

Tell your teenager about the dangers of cracking your fingers.

Tell your teen that cracking his fingers will negatively impact his health. Scientists conducted an experiment in which they found out the harm from such actions. They found that finger crunching caused people to:

1. Hand strength decreases slightly.
2. My hands hurt regularly. Sometimes they may swell.
3. The joints begin to function worse. Because they are damaged during regular crunching.
4. The performance of the muscles and tissues that are responsible for the process of connecting various parts of human bones deteriorates.

How to help a teenager stop cracking their fingers?

First, you need to get your teen to understand that cracking their fingers is bad. Then, you need him to decide to stop cracking his fingers. When this happens, move on to the next step. Treatment for crunch.

Engage in so-called behavior therapy with your teenager

Explain to your teenager that when he cracks his fingers, certain behavior patterns are activated. Accordingly, other behavior patterns can be applied. With their help, you can quickly and effectively get rid of an unwanted habit.

There are two ways you can treat your teenager. Positive and negative. The difference between them is as follows:

1. The positive path involves giving the teenager rewards for good behavior. For example, if he doesn’t crunch for a day, he gets a certain prize.
2. The negative path means that the teenager will receive punishment for crunching. And also enable a reminder system. As part of them, the teenager needs to be constantly told about his bad habit. And about the fact that he will have to correct it without fail.

Tell your teenager to always watch his hands

It is important that the teenager’s hands are occupied with something most of the time of the day. In this case, he will not have a free minute to crack his fingers. And the problem will go away by itself.

Recommend that your teenager use any thing as a product that will occupy his hand. You can hold a coin. And also a pen or pencil. If a teenager always crunches his hands, then he can use an alternative method. Buy yourself a rosary. In this case, his hands will always be busy. And he definitely won't want to crack his fingers.

Recommend that your teenager pick up a hobby

It is important that it is interesting for the teenager. And also, without fail, it was able to keep his hands busy. And it inspired him. In this case, the teenager will not think about the fact that he needs to crack his fingers. And, as a result, you will feel great during this process.

Recommend that your teenager use the so-called Rubber Band Method

As part of it, the teenager will have to regularly put an elastic band on his hand. And use it as a reminder not to crack your fingers. The product should be used as follows:

1. The teenager needs to put an elastic band on his hand.
2. Pull it back and let go, causing yourself a little pain, every time you really want to crunch your fingers.

This technique will allow the teenager to always control himself. And also to pull back. To avoid crunching your hands again. This is a fairly effective method that has helped thousands of people around the world get rid of their bad habit.

Recommend that your teenager use alternative methods for prevention

It may also happen that the method with an elastic band turns out to be ineffective for a teenager. Then he will be able to use alternative methods. They will allow him to easily cope with any difficulties in the fight against the habit of cracking his fingers. Prevention methods are as follows:

1. Encourage your teen to carry hand lotion with him. Let him put it in his backpack. Or in a bag. Every time a teenager wants to crunch his hands, he should take out the lotion. Apply it to your hands. And then rub it into them. With this method, the teenager will be able to keep his hands busy. And it can even improve their appearance.
2. If a teenager wants to crunch his fingers at home, then let him put socks on his hands. They will make him feel great. And, at the same time, you don’t want to crunch.
3. Recommend that your teenager pick up any other thing that will allow him to be distracted. And stop cracking your fingers. For example, you can buy an expander for a teenager. Or a rubber ball. The main thing is to keep his hands busy. In this case, the teenager will not want to crunch them at all.

Consequences of crunching

Prolonged impact on the joints can result in a number of unpleasant painful conditions:

swelling of the hands or area around the joints; pain even at rest; pinched nerves; the appearance of hygroma; weakness of the hands, loss of previous strength; dislocations, subluxations and much more.

Whether the habit of snapping fingers can lead to arthritis cannot be said with certainty. Some experts speak out about the high probability of such a development of events, while others deny its possibility. However, they all agree on one opinion: cracking their fingers for people who have a genetic predisposition to joint diseases (including arthritis) is categorically not recommended.

how to get rid of the habit of squeezing pimples

How to stop cracking your fingers

Any habit is characterized by the fact that its implementation is brought to automaticity. Therefore, the first thing to do is to recognize the problem and constantly keep your consciousness “on”. Most often, we don't notice that we've started cracking our joints until someone brings it to our attention. For this reason, you will need constant concentration and control over your hands. Whenever you catch yourself starting to “flex” your fingers, stop this action with an effort of will.

Ask family members, friends and colleagues for help: let them reprimand you every time you start cracking your knuckles.

Analyze in what cases the habit gets the better of you. Surely these are stressful, emotionally charged situations, because... Crunching your fingers is in most cases a habit of a nervous nature. To make it easier to overcome it, find other ways to cope with stress: drawing, putting together puzzles, needlework, carving or burning. Sports training will have a good effect: it not only helps to resist stress, but also increases self-confidence.

If you are consistent, then you can record all the times when you start cracking your fingers: write them down in a notepad or, for example, on your mobile phone. Keeping such a diary for at least a week will allow you to identify certain patterns in your behavior and it will be much easier to fight a bad habit.

Help yourself by keeping your hands busy whenever the urge to crack your joints approaches: massage your fingers, squeeze a wrist expander, roll small balls or cubes in your hands. Learn to twirl a coin or pencil with the fingers of one hand - this skill will help take your mind off thoughts of crunching and delight others.

Try to include foods containing phosphorus and calcium in your diet: fish, cottage cheese, nuts, legumes. This will help strengthen and restore your joints.

A person is capable of much, including overcoming his addictions. The main thing is not to rush, because the “older” your habit is, the more time it will take to get rid of it.

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