05 May 2011
By: APRIL CHONG
Casual cracking of the knuckles is usually harmless and has not been proven to lead to arthritis, said DrJoyce Koh, a consultant at the department of orthopaedic surgery at Singapore General Hospital.
The popping sound is caused by the sudden collapse of air bubbles in the synovial fluid when two joint surfaces are moved in a certain way.
Synovial fluid is found in the most common and movable joints called synovial joints, which include those in the shoulder, elbow, thumb, hip and knee.
Cracking one's knuckles should not lead to them getting bigger.
Knuckles swell only when there are underlying medical conditions or injury which cause swelling, said Dr Teh Kong Chuan, a senior consultant at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital's Sports Medicine Centre.
Still, while there is no evidence that knuckle cracking can cause arthritis, some studies have linked the habit to ligament injury and reduced grip strength.
If the cracking does lead to pain and swelling of the joints, stop the habit as it could mean that an injury has occurred, DrTeh said.
Also, doctors advise against going to untrained therapists who try to manipulate joints, such as that of the neck and back, in a bid to loosen them.
Doing this wrongly can put too much stress on the joints and cause damage.
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