I can crack my thumb twice!

Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
1

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_305b.html

I was able to crack my thumb (start the clock) 20 times(!) in 1 minute (on my windows 98 se clock). Yet Cecil says you won’t be able to crack the same joint for a while.

2

Well there is a minute that you arn’t going to get back. Still, I suppose it was better spent compared with my roughly equal time spent watching “Love Cruise: The Maiden Voyage” or somesuch.

Regardless, the column does also follow up with the statement that not all crackings are caused by the imploding bubbles, but sometimes through ligaments sliding over bones.

One would imagine that this would be your case, so probably no need to alert the media just yet.

   -Lloyd
3

I know this is gonna sound crazy, but I too can crack certain bones and assumed for eons that it was only “I” that held this exceptional talent. Imagine the delight I felt when I found your posting on this very personal issue.

With me it’s my right ankle. Please, don’t ask me even when this started, it was so long ago and to be quite frank about it, well, let’s just say I’m glad the men in my life loved me for more then the sounds I made at slumber…

So my question is: What causes this phenenomen? I know I’ll sleep better just knowing the truth, since I can’t sleep everytime I turn my ankle.

Cracklin Ankle Chrystie

4

Whoa, just the right ankle, not the left? Do you do it by holding your foot a certain way, and straightening your ankle? And the back of your ankle starts feeling a little sore if you do it too much?

I guess I’m not as much of a freak as I thought.

5

I got ya guys beat I can constantly crack my knuckles in this fashion. it’s like I’m going to make a fist but I tighten the hand muscles taught as I start to clench into fists then I clench tight and almost all the knuckles in both hand pop,it’s like I got both fists filled with bubble wrap but it isn’t as loud as bubble wrap though.It’s about as loud as a regular knuckle crack and I can do it indefinately or until my hands get real tired I have never met another person that can do this and when I show some people some think It’s a trick and I’m snapping my fingers or something to that extent.

6

I can do the same trick by squeezing my fists. With me, it’s a result of the tendons that run over the back of my knuckles jumping from one side of the knuckle to the other. Since I have very bony hands, you can see the cords hop over the bone. In fact, I can get very rapid soft pops by clenching my fist, and then slightly varying the tension to make the tendon quiver back and forth.