# how can I sop cracking my knuckles? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 8, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-sop-cracking-my-knuckles/193894 "2003-08-08T20:06:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-sop-cracking-my-knuckles/193894/1 "2003-08-08T20:06:44Z")
I have had this habit ever since I can remember. I crack my knuckles all the time! They ache if I don’t (maybe it’s all in my head). I have tried to stop many times but have never been successful. Are there any negative long term consequences? Any suggestions on how to quit? ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-sop-cracking-my-knuckles/193894/2 "2003-08-08T20:29:16Z")
I’m guessing that lopping your fingers off isn’t an option. Try reading this: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_305b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_305b.html) ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-sop-cracking-my-knuckles/193894/3 "2003-08-08T20:51:09Z")
Great. Thanks for the link. But how to stop??? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-sop-cracking-my-knuckles/193894/4 "2003-08-08T21:02:54Z")
::cracks neck:: Short of wearing boxing gloves all day ::cracks ankles, pops elbow::, I don’t know what to tell you. It just feel so…goooood ::cracks vertebrae::. Hypnosis? ::cracks smile:: ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-sop-cracking-my-knuckles/193894/5 "2003-08-08T23:54:04Z")
When you figure it out, please let **UncleBeer** know. ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-sop-cracking-my-knuckles/193894/6 "2003-08-09T01:28:07Z")
I had the same problem, for 6 years. Then one day I thought “fuck it, I’m going to stop”. It really wasn’t that tough and it keeps getting easier as time goes on. I now haven’t cracked my knuckles for over 2 years. ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-sop-cracking-my-knuckles/193894/7 "2003-08-09T03:12:25Z")
Some interesting suggestions (well, kinda) were brought up in a recent thread named: Help me stop cracking my knuckles ([Click me!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=202645)) ---
**Author:** ![moejuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@moejuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejuck)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-sop-cracking-my-knuckles/193894/8 "2003-08-09T03:26:19Z")
It’s easy, just start biting your fingernails. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-sop-cracking-my-knuckles/193894/9 "2003-08-09T03:30:14Z")
I’ve given up on trying to stop. I enjoy doing it too much. ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-sop-cracking-my-knuckles/193894/10 "2003-08-09T03:32:31Z")
I actually jused to bite my fingernails and managed to give up that habit. Maybe it’s asking too much to have pretty nails _and_ shapley knuckles. ---
**Author:** ![jmizzou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/edb3f5/32.png) [@jmizzou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmizzou)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-sop-cracking-my-knuckles/193894/11 "2003-08-09T04:12:31Z")
My friend tried something odd for biting fingernails, and it worked quite well. I’m sure it would work just as well for this. Get a rubberband that’s fairly thick and fits snugly around your wrist. Make sure it’s not tight enough to pinch all the time, but not loose enough that it flops around a lot. Wear the rubberband around your wrist all day. Every time you start to crack your knuckles (or feel the urge to do it), grab the rubberband from the inside of your wrist (not the outside, you’ll see why), pull it back as far as it will go, and let go. With luck, you’ll start to associate _ouch_ with cracking knuckles, and the urge to crack your knuckles will fade. Pavlov would be proud. ---
**Author:** ![moejuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@moejuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejuck)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-sop-cracking-my-knuckles/193894/12 "2003-08-09T04:13:22Z")
I crack and bite. (What the?) Some habits are just too great to give up. I crack, bite, pace, twiddle, tap, hum, all that stuff that drives people crazy. If you have it narrowed down to just the knuckles, then you should be happy about it.