# What happens when you crack your knuckles? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [January 27, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-crack-your-knuckles/286937 "2005-01-27T16:12:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chefurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@chefurbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chefurbo)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-crack-your-knuckles/286937/1 "2005-01-27T16:12:15Z")
So what’s really physically going on when you crack your knuckles? Why can some people do it easily and some can’t? Is it unhealthy in any way? Are there any long-term repercussions? ---
**Author:** ![TheBoneyKingofNowhere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@TheBoneyKingofNowhere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoneyKingofNowhere)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-crack-your-knuckles/286937/2 "2005-01-27T19:54:24Z")
> [@chefurbo](#): > > Are there any long-term repercussions? Arthritis —\> Vioxx —\> Death But, hey, it doesn’t stop me (from cracking)… Somebody once told me that this guy broke his neck while “cracking” it, something I’ll inadvertantly do on occasion… ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-crack-your-knuckles/286937/3 "2005-01-27T20:22:41Z")
You get arthritis, like me. I’m 23ish, been cracking my knuckles for about a decade. Trying hard to stop, but its a habit. My hands hurt like a mofo when its cold. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-crack-your-knuckles/286937/4 "2005-01-27T20:45:20Z")
[howstuffworks](http://science.howstuffworks.com/question437.htm): > [@](#): > > Joints produce that crack when bubbles burst in the fluid surrounding the joint. > > [Test] results revealed no apparent connection between joint cracking and arthritis; however, habitual knuckle poppers did show signs of other types of damage, including soft tissue damage to the joint capsule and a decrease in grip strength. This damage is most likely a result of the rapid, repeated stretching of the ligaments surrounding the joint. ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-crack-your-knuckles/286937/5 "2005-01-27T20:45:48Z")
> [@chefurbo](#): > > So what’s really physically going on when you crack your knuckles? Why can some people do it easily and some can’t? Is it unhealthy in any way? Are there any long-term repercussions? Cecil answered this [here](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_305b.html). ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-crack-your-knuckles/286937/6 "2005-01-27T21:15:29Z")
**nivlac** beat me to the Cecil link. I just wanted to add that a good, deep hip crack, though rare, is one of the best feelings ever. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-crack-your-knuckles/286937/7 "2005-01-28T00:55:52Z")
Since this one has been covered by Cecil, let’s shove it over there. Moved by **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![bluezooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@bluezooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluezooky)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-crack-your-knuckles/286937/8 "2005-02-11T08:58:24Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > You get arthritis, like me. I’m 23ish, been cracking my knuckles for about a decade. Trying hard to stop, but its a habit. My hands hurt like a mofo when its cold. This was a big worry for me as teenager but thirty years latter it no worse. You could probably fix the situation practicing biofeedback exercises ,imagining your hands feeling warmer etc, theirs a bit of a knack to it ,it’s either impossible or very easy if you know what I mean . Cheers