This doctor explains the science behind finger joints and debunks myths – Reuters
A number of people seek extraordinary pleasure from the click of their fingers and the sound of this flying sound. However, not much is known about the cause of this sound and its effects on our long-term health. Australian scientist, Dr. Karl Kruzelnicki, explained this phenomenon, and he highlighted the common habit through a TikTok video. According to a report from the Daily Mail, the 73-year-old doctor explained the science behind the crackle in the viral video. He said that when someone pulls a finger to break a joint, it essentially creates a space between the bones. “The space between the bones – it’s bigger and absorbs the ligaments and creates a gas bubble,” he added.
Debunking the common myth that cracking your knuckles can cause arthritis, Dr. Carl said that while it doesn’t cause arthritis, the habit isn’t entirely harmful. He claimed that people who develop this habit tend to gradually lose their grip strength. This can cause a person to lose up to 75% of their grip strength, which can cause problems with simple activities such as opening jars.
But Dr. Carl also noted that the energy released in cracked joints “is only about seven percent of what you need to damage cartilage.” Citing a study, Dr. Carl shared the case of a doctor who fractured his joints in his left hand for fifty years. He later revealed that there was no difference between arthritis in his left and right hand.
Dr. Carl noted that one case study may not be enough, and cited another study with a larger sample of 300 people. According to him, these people also cracked their joints in both hands for 35 years. He revealed that the people in the study had mild swelling in the joints, but no other cases of arthritis were observed. In addition, the grip strength of individuals was reduced by a quarter.
At the conclusion of the educational video, Dr. Karl points out that there is no concrete evidence that cracking joints can cause arthritis, but it certainly can make it difficult to open a jar.
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