Is it ok to crack bone joints? I mean crack not as in literally cracking it but just bend in such a way that it produces the “CRACK” sound.
I just can’t help it but crack my back bones few times a day and was wondering if its actually bad to do so.
Technically, you’re not cracking anything. The spaces between the bones are filled with a fluid, and when you pull or stretch the joints, you lower the pressure in this fluid, creating a bubble. When this bubble collapses, it creates the popping or cracking sound that you hear.
As for whether or not it’s bad for you, I don’t know if there’s a medical consensus on that. Some say it damages the joints over time, while others say it’s not the popping itself, but the contortions one goes through to produce the sound, while still others say there’s no danger.
Hopefully, some of our more medically inclined Dopers will chime in with more information.
IIRC, sometimes the cracking is also caused by tendons snapping into place as a joint moves (but probably not in the case of the knuckles).