29
August
2022
|
16:53 PM
America/New_York

I Constantly Crack My Joints—Is That Bad?

SELF discusses the habit of cracking joints and what happens to the body when cracking or popping the knuckles, knees or neck, and features guidance from experts including Elizabeth T. Nguyen, MD, physiatrist at HSS.

According to Dr. Nguyen, “Tendons or ligaments gliding over bony surfaces can reproduce a similar type of sound,” She added people who have arthritis may also hear noises sometimes due to bone-on-bone friction.

Dr. Nguyen explained that cracking fingers does not cause arthritis, a common claim that was proven false.

She said feeling regular pressure, tightness, or pain in a certain area of the body and especially if it starts to interference with daily activities, then consider getting evaluated by a medical professional. “In those situations, there may be an underlying issue,” she added.

She noted, “Cracking [the joints] too aggressively might contribute to muscle, tendon, or ligament injuries, but those are very rare scenarios.”

Dr. Nguyen said pain is the main indicator that something is wrong, otherwise continuing to crack joints shouldn’t necessarily prompt a doctor’s visit unless it starts to feel bad instead of good.

Read the full article at Self.com.