02/09/2025
Mobility Myth Buster! 🤸♀️
Myth: Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis.
Truth: Cracking your knuckles doesn’t cause arthritis, but the sound can signal something else. 🧐
For a long time, the belief that knuckle cracking leads to arthritis has been a common assumption. However, studies show there’s no significant link. A review of the literature on knuckle cracking and osteoarthritis found that the evidence comes mainly from observational studies that have failed to show an association.
In fact, one cross-sectional study of 300 participants found no significant difference in the prevalence of osteoarthritis between those who habitually cracked their knuckles and those who didn’t. Another case-control study on people with and without osteoarthritis found a similar prevalence of knuckle cracking in both groups. There was also no significant correlation between the total amount of knuckle cracking and osteoarthritis.
So, what causes the sound? The most widely accepted theory is that the “cracking” sound comes from the formation of a bubble in the synovial fluid within the joint. When you pull your joint, it creates a negative pressure, which causes gases dissolved in the synovial fluid to evaporate and form a bubble. Some researchers propose the sound is made by the
inception of the bubble, while others believe it’s caused by the collapse of the bubble.
Although knuckle cracking itself may not lead to arthritis, some studies have noted other associations. One study found that hand swelling and less grip strength were more prevalent in people who cracked their knuckles. Other studies, however, have found no difference in grip strength or hand swelling between knuckle crackers and non-crackers.
So go ahead and crack your knuckles if you like! It’s likely not going to cause arthritis. 💙
Article reference: Rizvi, A., Loukas, M., Oskouian, R. J., & Tubbs, R. S. (2018). Let’s Get a Hand on This: Review of the Clinical Anatomy of “Knuckle Cracking.” Clinical Anatomy, 31(7), 942–945.