h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Re: bubbles in joint fluids

That's all well and good, but the thing is, there aren't *supposed* to be bubbles in said fluids.
example: When, years ago, I started to crack my knuckles (all the cool kids were doing it) it didn't make a sound. Not one.
But in the course of the next few weeks (just pausing here to tell you I just cracked my knuckles without even thinking about it) they started to pop. Then snap. Then CRACK.

Now I crack: knuckles, toes, neck, back (my favourite), shoulders and hips. But never my knees. I love skiing too much.

I'm glad you people aren't chiropractors, except the normal crackers like me

It isn't bad for you! That's just a tale "they" tell you to get you to stop. Just because someone's grandmother cracked their knuckles and got arthritis doesn't make it the rule... that's like saying "Well once my cousin looked at a cat and she's blind now"... the two facts are not necessarily related, you see.

Well, you may want to think it's all just a fairytale and won't harm you, but from personal experience....

Now I just crack my back, and sometimes my neck when I really have to. But before I used to crack my fingers a hell of a lot. Now they are NOT strong at all. I don't crack them anymore because I know it's not doing wonders to them. I hardly have an urge anymore, but "quitting" was a bit difficult.


Seriously, the sole cause of my weak fingers is the cracking I used to do. I honestly feel this. It's not from anything else.

Now I just wonder what I'm doing to my back

True, before I started doing martial arts my joints didn't crack either.

And I never felt it weakened my fingers. Never. Of course, I don't do it every five minutes.

Methos

My boyfriend cracks his neck...on purpose! He just grabs his head, twists it to one side like he's about to unscrew it....and CRUNCH. Sometimes he moves it from side to side as well, if it didn't crack satisfactorily the first time.

He claims it feels better once it cracks, but it's still disturbing to watch.

Me? Not a compulsive joint cracker....but my hips often click of their own accord just through me moving, and that's bad enough for me!

Cracking knuckles is not bad for you, I've been cracking various joints in my body since I started school and had no problems up to yet. I even asked a doctor a couple of years ago cause Mum started with arthritis, and I wanted to check it out. Doc said it's an old wives tale.

And yes. I crack my neck.

I never cracked my kneck until I started reading that all of you did...

Dear lord, what have we done?

Now I need a lumbar pillow

I just found that if I sit on my office chair, keep my hips still and then twist round to one side, I can get my back to crack in three places!

I just wish I could say it felt better......

Any more lumbar pillows out there?

Another good one is sit on your office chair, put your arms on the top of the back rest behind you and push forward. Crrrunch!

Sprout

Ps - disclaimer - Sprout cannot be held responsible for any temporary or permanent damage caused as a result of following this advice. Please seek the advice of a medical professional before attempting, etc, etc...

Well, it actually makes me feel better to stretch my arms above then my shoulder cracks and - so much better. Really.

Methos

I only purposely crack when I "need" to, when I know it'll make this joint or the other feel better. I rarely do my neck or fingers, as tehy simply don't want to pop most of the time, but my left knee and ankle readily pop, and always feel better afterwards. My back, too, after a long day at work... I just grab hold of something and either twist or bend myself as far back as I can go (pretty far, actually), and those pops feel soooooo good.

The weirdest ones, though, are the ones I don't try to pop. I'm almost always popping something, usually my shoulders or hips (you know that joint where the spine meets the pelvis? the one that isn't even supposed to move? yeah, that joint.). I'll be sitting with my boyfriend, chatting or something, and I'll shift position and pop a few times. It's rather humorous.

Really, it is just the movement of fluid in your joints, and this is coming from 2 separate anatomy teachers and my doctor, all of whom I personally asked. It doesn't give you arthritis, that is an old wive's tale!