Is cracking the joints — be it fingers, toes, your back, or whatever — really bad?
It can give a looser feeling afterwards (back), but many people notice that arthritis or gout can be a result!
I’ve read many conflicting answers, but don’t know what to believe.
Is this true and is there a way to unlearn this?
Answer
The noise associated with the cracking of joints is caused by the escape of gas present in your joint and is not harmful in itself. What can be harmful is the frequent manipulation of joints or vertebrae.
If you allow yourself to be manipulated or “cracked” in your back by a trained manual therapist, osteopath or chiropractor, this happens in a specific position in which your joint capsule is maximally tense. If you frequently “overstretch” this haircut from this position, damage can occur, for example microscopic cracks. This can eventually give rise to what is referred to as “joint instability.” However, it should be noted that little or no research has already verified this.
In other words: cracking your fingers is not harmful in itself, but also not useful from a mechanical point of view if you do not have a blockage. It may be harmful in the long term, but this has not yet been studied.
If you have an acute joint blockage, you can have it released with a manipulation, but not on a regular basis. Rather, regular blockages are a sign of an already existing mechanical instability. In that case, you should rather do specific joint stabilizing exercises.
As for its unlearning, this has to do with psychological factors, in which the unconscious undoubtedly plays a major role. Therapeutic coaching techniques exist to “unlearn” this.
Answered by
Kristof De Mey
Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy
http://www.ugent.be
.