Can you crunch your fingers on your hands? Is it possible to crunch your fingers: causes of crunching in joints and ways to get rid of a bad habit.

To find out whether crunching your fingers is harmful or beneficial, you need to know the structure of the joints and be aware of what happens during such a "warm-up" inside.

As you know, the main purpose of the joint is to ensure the mobility of the bones. The joint area of ​​two bones is covered with articular cartilage, which has a special capsule with a viscous substance called synovial fluid.

Thanks to it, the load and friction at the junction of the bones is reduced, and the joint remains mobile and flexible.

However, no one could give an exact explanation of what happens at the moment of the crunch. And more recently, scientists from England conducted an unusual experiment.

A group of 20 people was formed, which voluntarily agreed to take part in this experience.

Using a special mechanism, the participants' fingers were stretched, and at this moment the scientists took x-rays of the joints.

A harmless crunch of fingers is the bursting of gas bubbles formed in the joints during pressure fluctuations

As a result of the experiment, it was found that at the moment of tension of the joint, the pressure in the area of ​​its connection instantly drops.

The synovial fluid begins to oscillate at a high speed and achieves a "boiling" effect. A gas bubble forms in the capsule, which has no access to the exit, since the joint is sealed.

During a change in pressure, the gas enters the synovial fluid, and then the bubble bursts, which leads to a kind of click.

The orthopedic version has its own explanation for crunching fingers.

They believe that this sound is generated in the tendons and ligaments, which, when bent sharply, overcome little resistance and crunch.

Crunching your fingers is harmful

If you omit the depressing look of irritated faces who do not like the sound of crunching joints, this habit cannot lead to serious disruptions in the body. However, most experts and ordinary people believe that crunching your fingers is harmful.

Systematic crunching of fingers leads to fragility of joints, provokes their loosening and destabilization

As evidence of this, there are a number of disturbing reasons why joints can emit characteristic sounds:

• Salt deposits are present in the skeletal system. Their accumulation in the body leads to hardening of cartilage and muscle fibers. This leads to clicks during flexion of the joints, causing discomfort and reducing their mobility.
• The structure of the joint is broken. Sometimes the joints at the junction can extend beyond the articular box, resulting in severe crunching and pain.
• Congenital pathology. Sometimes there are deviations in the structure of the joints, during which their increased mobility is observed. During movement, the bones separate and return to their place, causing a crunch, but without causing discomfort.
• Inflammation of the muscles. In some cases, doctors are inclined to believe that when overwork, overload and inflammation of the adjacent muscles, the joints experience pressure and emit a crunch.
• A dangerous disease is arthrosis. This is an unpleasant bone pathology, in which there is wear and tear of cartilage and joints. In the course of the course of the disease, their ability to flexibility, mobility decreases, which leads to friction and sharp clicks.
• Disruptions in the work of joints after injuries. After fractures, sprains or dislocations, the vessels and tissues surrounding the articular box are damaged. During recovery, there may be build-ups and lumps, resulting in a characteristic sound.

If such pathologies are present in the body, of course, crunching your fingers is harmful. This habit leads to further damage and stretching of weakened muscles, joints and ligaments, which leads to their increased vulnerability.

Is it good to crunch your fingers

It has been proven that a person who systematically crunches his fingers often does so in an attempt to reduce emotional stress, tends to focus on a process or his thoughts. If the process occurs regularly, this leads to the formation of an obsessive habit, without which he can no longer concentrate, and this is already a psychological dependence.

Cracking your fingers can turn into an obsessive habit.

Is crunching your fingers good for you? Of course not.

But if, during long-term work at the computer in one position, the thought comes that a warm-up is necessary, you can crunch your fingers.

However, this must be done correctly, turning a bad habit into a pleasant massage and light joint workout.

The rules for a useful crunch are not complicated:

• Relaxation fingers, light shaking
• Sharp clenching of fists and slow extension
• Crossing the fingers of two hands and rotating in opposite directions
• Alternate massage of each finger and joint
• Squeezing a ball or cube in your hands
• Scissors (softly placing your finger on an adjacent one)

BUT the best option to warm up the joints, there will be light exercises, baths, a relaxing massage with oil or swimming.

Consequences of crunching fingers

At a young age, when any problems seem insignificant, a person does not think about whether it is useful to crunch his fingers and what harm it causes to the body.

However, with age, the situation can deteriorate sharply. European scientists, after a series of experiments, have proven that systematic stretching of the joints of the fingers leads to their fragility.

And this is fraught with frequent dislocations and even infringement of the adjacent nerve endings.

Loads on joints lead to fragmentation and abrasion of cartilage, destruction of their integrity and malfunction.

And this seemingly harmless habit can lead to an unpleasant disease - arthritis.

Although some scientists are inclined to believe that this disease with crunching fingers can occur only if a person has a predisposition to it.

Is it good to crunch your spine

During sports activities, a sharp change in body position or inclinations, you can hear a slight crunch of the spine.

This sound should not frighten if the person does not experience pain and discomfort at this moment.

The crunch of the vertebra may indicate that stretching and warming up of the bones occurs after the transition from a relaxed state to a tense state.

The involuntary crunch of the spine does not cause concern if the person does not experience sharp pain and tension.

Source: http://VredPolza.ru/prochee/item/165-vred-khrusta-paltsami.html

Finger crunching is harmful or not

Among the bad habits, experts identify those that are unsafe and almost harmless to health. Some are annoying, such as crunching your fingers.

This is done "from the nerves" or reflexively. Some people even like to click to focus. There are even supporters of a similar warm-up of the hands.

But what do doctors think about this, where does this sound come from and how does it affect the joints?

Searching for an answer to the question of the cause of the characteristic sound

With a long stationary office work at a computer monitor, you want to periodically somehow warm up.

Talking about the dangers and benefits of the habit of crunching your fingers, it is recommended to understand more thoroughly how the joint works.

This will make it possible to imagine the processes taking place inside the body.

The bones of the skeleton are articulated in the form of joints, which are designed to provide mobility and soften friction.

The roundings at the ends of the bones in the area of ​​the joint are covered with a small layer of cartilage.

They are connected by joints, in which the entire free space is filled with a viscous substance - synovial fluid. Natural "lubrication" is contained in the capsule.

This structure provides the joint with:

• flexion and extension;
• supports the mobility of the fingers;
• gives performance throughout life.

Joint pathologies lead to their deformation and partial loss of grasping functions of the hand.

The structure of the joint looks very simple, but it is this capsule with synovial fluid that creates a crunch when it is excessively displaced. It seems that everything is clear. But long time scientists and physicians have failed to explain the crunching of fingers, even with pictures and other images.

What happens when forced pressure on the joints of the hands

Research by enthusiasts is carried out periodically using an X-ray machine and computer simulation.

But all approaches give only a rough idea of internal processes... Crunching occurs with active warm-up of the neck and spine, as well as the larger joints of the limbs.

But where does the characteristic crunch come from, how harmful is it?

British orthopedists are once again interested in these issues. Twenty volunteers took part in the experiment.

Using a special apparatus, the subjects' fingers were slightly stretched to "look" into the joint through X-ray images.

After that, the joints of the fingers were sharply bent.

Scientists from England noticed a change in the viscosity and pressure of the synovial fluid.

The assumption that instantaneous changes in the shape of the joint capsule are associated with its so-called "boiling" inside did not give a convincing answer.

There is a high probability that a gas bubble forms inside the capsule without going out - the joints are tight. After the completion of the experiments, the versions of the orthopedists were not accurate as to the harm from such actions.

The essence of the conclusion was that when the pressure changes, the gas bubble bursts from the "boiling" of the synovial fluid. This is the main reason for clicking with a distinctive sound.

Therefore, discussions continued on the following topics:

1. Why do your fingers crunch?
2. Is this phenomenon harmful?

Another group of European scientists, comparing the readings from the work of the joints of the spine and extremities, was able to establish that the sound is created by tendons.

It arises from overcoming some resistance, and the flexible capsule itself has nothing to do with this.

The structure of the hands during normal joint work does not imply the occurrence of sounds.

There is also a logical approach to finding an answer to all these questions. It is known that the interphalangeal joints have the simplest structure due to the unique shape of the heads of the bones of the fingers.

The sealed capsule is filled with elastic and viscous cartilage with synovial fluid. It prevents excessive friction of the phalanges of the fingers and reduces stress on the tendons.

Most likely, the characteristic sound is emitted by a temporary deformation of the shape of the joint, which is filled with fluid.

Orthopedists from different groups who experimented on this, agreed that the joints should not be subjected to excessive stress when stretched. Excessive friction and fluid transformation over time can lead to destabilization of the joints on the hands.

Psychologists have their own version - a habit is harmful from the point of view of addiction. At first, the subjects do this out of interest, perhaps they like it. Then the crunching becomes a habit that they don't pay attention to.

But in an office with a lot of people, after a few clicks, it starts to irritate others.

Some survey participants confirm that when someone "rattles bones" at the next table, it is distracting and very annoying.

Possible consequences of crunching your fingers

Stories are known for enthusiasts who conduct experiments on themselves on their own initiative. Such was the Californian physician O. Unger, who was distinguished by his conviction that there was no reason to worry about the health of "crispy" joints. It seemed to him that it was even useful - a kind of warm-up of the hands.

Arthritis, which many fear so much in old age, cannot occur for this reason. Moreover, since childhood, the American doctor O. Unger entertained his friends with his "clicks" by twitching the fingers of his left hand.

It is noteworthy that his right hand did not crunch. He lived for a long 83 years, but both arms remained symmetrical and quite mobile. He was not found to have any orthopedic pathologies.

Doctors identify various pathologies in which the destruction of the integrity of the joints can lead to inflammation and other troubles. For example, if there is a focus of the causative agent of any infection in the body, it can penetrate into a burst capsule with synovial fluid.

This problem will have to be tolerated for many years. This is evidenced by the experience of many people who have damaged joints during sports training or car accidents. Often, with pain in the cartilage area when the bones are articulated, you have to live until the end of your days.

The risk group with the possible appearance of inflammatory processes includes:

• ankylosing spondylitis (ankylosing spondylitis);
• pathology of interphalangeal joints, cartilage and bone tissue;
• poor mobility of the ligaments and joints of the hands;
• rheumatoid deformities of cartilage tissue;
• increased viscosity or lack of synovial fluid in the joint capsule;
• traumatic consequences;
• deforming osteoarthritis;
• age-related arthritis;
• the penetration of air into the joints in case of injury.

Most pathologies begin with "harmless" diseases or inflammation in the body. Swelling or inflammation of the joint gradually occurs.

Over time, the cartilage tissue is destroyed, which is obvious when the functions of the hands are limited. The hands are deformed, the movement of the fingers is accompanied by pain and discomfort, the function of flexion is limited.

With such symptoms, crunching is not only harmful, but often impossible.

Gymnastic finger warm-up

For those who are confident in the usefulness of stretching the hands during sedentary work, a set of useful exercises has been developed:

1. Brushes in the "lock", stretch forward and upward, turning your palms away from you. The back is straightened as much as possible, the body is relaxed.
2. Alternate clenching / unclenching of the fingers into fists. The hands are down. Repeat when fingers seem to be numb.
3. Rotate each finger separately, resting the pads on the palm of the other hand.
4. Lowering your hands to your knees, bringing your relaxed fingers to your thumb, make them move away from yourself, as if shaking off drops of water from your feet.
5. "Scissors" - alternately close 2 adjacent fingers, you can use the second hand.

In some people, joints are so flexible that the fingers twist in the opposite direction, but this does not mean that it is beneficial to perform unnatural actions. It is not known what consequences this will lead to in old age.

For the sake of own health it is worth making an effort to get rid of any harmful or even harmless habit at the moment.

The reasoning about whether the sound from the sharp bending of the fingers in the joints is beneficial should be replaced by real concern for your health.

How to forget about joint pain ...

Joint pains limit your movements and a fulfilling life ...

• You are worried about discomfort, crunching and systematic pain ...
• You may have tried a bunch of folk methods and medicines, creams and ointments ...
• But judging by the fact that you are reading these lines, they did not help you much ...

Source: https://TravmaOff.ru/hrust/hrust-paltsev.html

Can you crunch your fingers on your hands?

Crunching fingers- a common phenomenon in almost all age groups of people. It can be observed from infancy to old age.

The reasons for the crunch are varied, let's name the most common:

• Strong physical activity provokes excessive stretching of the ligamentous apparatus, joints and bones;
• Sedentary lifestyle leads to atrophy not only of muscles, but also of the bone skeleton;
• Joint tension occurs when you are in one position for a long time;
• Congenital joint pathologies when the joints are located freely relative to each other, clicks are heard when the bones separate and return to their original position;
• Immoderate carrying weights;
• A crunch may indicate about joint diseases: bursitis (inflammation of the bursa), tendinitis (inflammation of the tendons), arthritis (inflammation of the joints), arthrosis, rheumatism, etc. in this case, the crunch will always be accompanied by pain;
• Injuries received can also cause crunching;
• Salt deposits, salt promotes cartilage hardening, reduces tissue elasticity;
• Flaw calcium, liquid;
• Bad habit to relieve emotional stress, if necessary, focus on any process, making important decisions;
• Mental disorder of varying severity.

The human skeletal system is designed specifically for movement. But any load should be moderate and reasonable for a particular organism.

Norm

The norm is natural or physiological crunch, which is observed during movements, movements, sharp turns, physical exercises. As a rule, such a crunch is practically inaudible.

And if it arises, This is beneficial for the joints, since the necessary, natural relaxation of the bone skeleton and muscles occurs. If the joints, cartilage, tendons are in a healthy state, then even with stretching and other natural stretching, there should be no crunching.

Crunching can be the norm when it arises at physical activity, or after exertion, if it is not accompanied by pain symptoms, swelling, stiffness of movement, redness and other unpleasant symptoms

Pathology

Pathological crunch delivers pain, swelling appears, swelling is signs of deformation of the joints.

If this is a symptom of a disease, or hereditary pathologies of the development of joints. Only a qualified podiatrist or surgeon can diagnose a disease or pathology.

When crunching your fingers is not a symptom diseases or pathologies, and the crunch lover manifests himself in this way, tries to attract the attention of others or crunches precisely during nervous tension... A person with sore joints is unlikely to show off their fingers crunching.

The desire to crunch for the public testifies about a possible mental disorder. After all, you can find more adequate ways to express your personality. And it is possible that drug therapy will also be shown. Consulting a psychotherapist will help solve this problem.

The mechanism of the crack in the fingers

In 1947, Canadian scientists conducted a study on the mechanism of crunching in the fingers. The tests were carried out on volunteers, whose fingers were stretched to a crunch and at that moment what was happening in the joints was recorded using MRI.

The conclusion was as follows: with natural or artificial stretching of the joints between them, the pressure drops sharply and a cavity is formed, which is filled with gas bubbles, with a sharp bending of the joint, the bubbles burst with a specific pop.

Orthopedic doctors believe that crunching occurs as a specific reaction of joints and tendons to sharp bending.

Crunch benefits

In a medical environment there is no consensus about the benefits or harms of this action. There is no question at all about the benefits. Some scientists and doctors do not speak out about the obvious benefits of crunching, but about its harmless effect on the human body.

Allegedly, crunching lovers in this way relieve stress, relax, and do not bring any threat to health.

There is an example of a Californian doctor who crunched the fingers of one hand for 60 years, and after 60 years did not notice the difference between the hands.

That is, both hands were healthy. But this is an isolated case. It would be unreasonable to draw global conclusions on its basis. The benefits of crunching can be talked about when it accompanies morning stretching and exercise, or after long work in one position.

The stiff muscles and ligaments are stretched and thus tension is relieved. Or, when working on a computer for a long time, you need to relieve your fingers.

Crunch harm

Most doctors and scientists speak out about the obvious dangers of crunching.

Proving that uncontrolled crunching leads to deformation of the hands, loosening of the joints, deficiency of synovial fluid, entrapment of nerve endings, dislocations, subluxations, swelling and edema, inflammatory diseases of the joints.

It is known for sure that systematic crunching leads to fragility of the joints, and this can lead to more serious consequences. But also the aesthetic side of the issue: crunching unambiguously causes a repulsive impression, raises doubts about the adequacy of the lover to crunch incessantly.

Crunch consequences

As you know, each organism lives and develops according to its individual laws. Nobody can guess whether there can be consequences of the crunch or not. If you specifically crunch your fingers several times in your life, then nothing terrible will come of it.

But if it becomes a habit for many years, it can certainly have the most negative effect on the condition of the joints. The constant unnatural load on the articular mechanism cannot pass without leaving a trace.

The articular and ligamentous apparatus collapses very slowly, throughout life: at first it loosens, loses elasticity, cracks appear, there is a shortage of articular fluid, from which the joints rub against each other causing pain

And all this leads to serious inflammatory diseases of the joints.... In young years, no consequences of bad habits are visible; you will have to reap the fruits of your thoughtless actions in mature age.If there is even a small fraction of the risk to health, it makes sense to think about whether it is necessary to ruin your health.

How to get rid of this habit?

If scientists are still arguing about the benefits and dangers of crunching, it would be wise not to experiment on your health. And do not annoy other people with an immoderate crunch.

If doctors diagnosed that crunching is not a symptom of a disease or pathology, but a bad habit, then you need to gradually abandon this habit. The main thing should be desire.

It is possible to replace the crunch with:

• Finger massage, gradually rubbing each finger from tip to base;
• Distracting maneuvers collect a rubik's cube, twirl a pen or balls in your hands;
• Charger for brushes, clenching and straightening of fists, rotation of hands linked together, alternate flexion and extension of fingers, relaxation of the hands by shaking;
• Baths with sea salt or extracts of chamomile, sage, pine;
• Swimming. A wonderful sport, which is indicated for various diseases, primarily of the bone apparatus. It also relieves psychological stress, relaxes muscles, strengthens the immune system.

Preventing finger crunch

A complex of preventive measures is of particular importance for people who have a hereditary disposition to joint diseases, athletes and everyone who wants to maintain painless mobility of the bone skeleton until old age.

Let's designate the main events:

• Healthy food, be sure to include foods rich in calcium;
• Keep track of your weight overweight overloads bones and joints;
• Use the required amount liquids, up to three liters in summer, up to two in winter;
• Move more, movements block stagnation in the skeletal system;
• Safe sports, choose the kind of sport that will benefit the body;
• Avoid injury and heavy physical exertion.

The answer to the question- is it possible to crunch your fingers on your hands, it will be like this: yes, you can, but first assess all the possible risks for your own health and the peace of mind of others.

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Is crunching your fingers harmful: the harm and benefits of crunching

The question of how exactly the crunching of fingers affects the health of joints and tendons does not have a definite answer, because there is a lot of evidence for and against. In such a situation, one can only consider in detail everything that this process carries in itself, and each individually for himself will decide whether it is harmful to crunch his fingers.

What happens during the crunch

Basically, people begin to crunch their joints, because there is a desire to bring them to a normal state, however, with such manipulation, the articular structures are destabilized, despite the comfortable sensations that come after. Also, in the process, nerves can be damaged, pinched, or lead to dislocation and subluxation.

If the need to crackle arises from the fact that there is some tension in the joints, then this is already a sign that they are in an unhealthy state. And in such a situation, manipulation, which seems necessary to relieve the tension of the tired articular structure, leads to a violation of the integrity of the hand.

Based on these reasons, it becomes clear whether snapping your fingers is harmful. In addition, in the process of such stretching of the hand and fingers, liquid is released, and after the release of gas, which produce a click. In some cases, this leads to bruised fingers.

Crunching Fingers Harm

The crunching of the fingers, or rather the need for such and its mere presence, may be signs that there are a number of reasons why such an action seems necessary. In addition, with daily joint clicking in the situations described below, the condition of the hands is aggravated:

1. Increased content of salt deposits. Because of this, the joint tissue becomes hard along with the muscles, therefore, bending the fingers, and characteristic clicks occur. In the normal state, the movement of the fingers is difficult.
2. The inflammatory process in muscle tissue... In such a situation, clicks occur due to the fact that the overloaded muscle fibers are too stiff and hard.
3. Arthrosis itself is characterized by the fact that it is accompanied by clicks, without the application of certain efforts for this, as in previous cases.
4. Pathological disorders of a congenital nature. When stretching the fingers, a crunch is heard if the congenital structure of the skeleton is such that the joints are free enough in relation to each other. The click is heard due to the fact that there is a divergence of the bones and their return to their place.
5. Violation of integrity at the junction of the joints. When trying to stretch the hands in a locked state, a crunch will be heard due to the location of the joints outside the articular box. This phenomenon is accompanied by pain.

Benefits for crunching fingers

To argue that there is some benefit from crunching joints is at least silly, given the processes that occur during such manipulation.

IN best case this action will not in any way affect the body and the articular tissue.

However, if there is a crunch when stretching, then they are unlikely to be in a healthy state.

As for directly stretching the hands and relaxing, which is often carried out in a habitual downward movement, when the fingers of two hands are connected, this can be done in another way.

To get rid of the regular habit of crunching joints, it is better to switch to the correct algorithm for stretching in order to benefit your body. The steps for stretching correctly are as follows:

1. Shake your fingers in a relaxed state for a few seconds.
2. Sharply clench your hands into a fist, then slowly unclench, repeat from five times.
3. Clasp two hands together and smoothly make circular movements. Repeat 5 times in one direction.
4. Massage each finger in sequence, first from the last phalanx to the tips, and then vice versa.
5. Grasp two balls completely with your hands and squeeze slowly.
6. Finish the exercise with "scissors", ie. fingers alternately cross over each other.

A good way to relax your brushes will be any baths with warm water, and the addition of salt, essential oils or vitamins. In this way, you can not only improve the condition of the joints, but also take care of the beauty of the skin.

Whatever the evidence is that there is no harm in crunching your fingers, there is no evidence that it is beneficial.

In this case, why repeat a meaningless action every day, when you can replace it with correct and useful exercises.

Moreover, the hands and fingers of each person need relaxation, you just need to do it wisely.

The question of the dangers of crunching in the fingers causes a lot of controversy and disagreement even among doctors.

If you want, you can find a lot of evidence that this is a completely innocent habit. Or vice versa - a dangerous manipulation, the consequences of which will surely overtake a person closer to old age. Crunch or not crunch - there is no specific answer. The experts' comments were shared almost equally.

Causes of the phenomenon

The situation when it crunches in a joint is quite popular. Many people have such a harmless habit of crunching their knuckles and get undoubted delight from the process. Loved ones, this fact is most likely annoying. They do not understand why the joints of the fingers on their hands crunch. At least one person will express the opinion that an innocent procedure will inevitably cause arthritis. For a long time, this myth has become a reality.

Several hypotheses explain the root cause of the crunch. A variant of the norm is a condition when the crunch appears no more than once every 15-30 minutes. When the crackling is not accompanied by painful sensations, does not appear after injury, it makes no sense to conduct an examination.

Other reasons:

• hypodynamic lifestyle;
• poor nutrition;
• dysplasia (underdevelopment) of the joints;
• early arthritis;
• deforming arthrosis;
• chronic bursitis - susceptibility inflammatory processes synovial cavity;
• tendinitis is an inflammation of the tendon tissue.

Some other conditions cause crunching of the limbs that require serious therapy. A qualified specialist should determine the severity of the condition and prescribe treatment. Self-medication can only aggravate the situation.

In some people, joint clicks are heard with strong tension on the tendons and ligaments. When the joint capsule is stretched, the joint becomes excessively mobile, the person's fingers become more comfortable.

Video

Is it harmful to crunch your fingers

What happens when there is forced pressure on the joints of the hands?

Curiosity should be drawn about what happens when you crunch your knuckles. A healthy joint always moves silently. Micro-slip is assisted by the synovial surface and special lubrication.

What happens with a crunch is explained quite simply:

• a large amount of static stress accumulates in the phalanges;
• there is a certain amount of liquid and gas (carbon dioxide, O2, nitrogen) in the joints;
• thanks to synovial lubrication, the bone joints do not injure each other, but slide when moving without noise;
• the crunch pulls the joint capsules between the phalanges, while the pressure drops sharply.

The condition causes the appearance of gas bubbles. The characteristic pop and crunch occurs when the bubbles burst. After a few minutes (15-30), the gas again accumulates in the joint fluid, the crackling is easy to repeat. The situation will not bring any harmful or dire consequences.

Whether crunching is harmful to fingers can be said by determining the nature of the crackle. Physiological crackling does not cause pain, does not contribute to swelling of the joints, there is no blockage or tight mobility of the joint.

Physiological crunch is often observed in children and adolescents. Since they grow in leaps and bounds, the ligaments do not keep pace with the rapid growth of bones, or vice versa. The jerky growth disrupts the articular cavity. The hands are deprived of a sufficient amount of joint lubrication, while the joints may creak quietly or a distinct crunching sound can be heard.

Is there a benefit?

Many people feel satisfaction after crunching their joints. So they release their tension, twist their fingers right to the point of crunching.

Is it good to crunch your fingers or is there harm from this activity?

When the phalanges crunch on the hands, the condition does not always indicate pathology. Often, imperfection of the motor-support frame or an error in nutrition creates a grinding, crunching, hypermobility of the joints. Sometimes this happens silently, but often sounds of varying saturation appear. There is no benefit or harm in this, unless other unpleasant symptoms arise.

Is it harmful to crunch your fingers, is it worth taking the necessary measures for treatment, some signs will help answer the question. An increase in the size of the joint, pain, swelling, redness, decreased mobility, loss of sensitivity - all these symptoms, which intensify over time, and do not go away, are a reason to see a doctor.

Consequences of crunching fingers

The world's leading orthopedic surgeons advise against crunching any joints. They explain why it is impossible and harmful to crunch your fingers. This can lead to undesirable complications and serious consequences.

Regular, deliberately induced crunching leads to the following problems:

• loosening of the joint capsule;
• permanent dislocations and subluxations;
• change appearance fingers;
• loss of strength in the fingers and hands;
• pinching of nerve fibers;
• inflammatory ailments of joints and surrounding tissues.

Once crunching will not bring serious complications, but if you crunch your fingers regularly, in the distant future you can feel the unpleasant consequences of crunching. Later, the structure of the entire hand changes, a complete limitation of the mobility of the hand can occur. A person will not be able to perform elementary movements.

How to get rid of this habit?

To avoid side effects, it is better to get rid of the habit of crunching joints as soon as possible. Cracking and crunching in the fingers gradually decreases the strength of the limbs. It is worth changing the methods of your behavior, since crunching your fingers is not always safe.

• squeezing the phalanges of the fingers into a strong fist, then gradual relaxation;
• performing clicks with each finger separately;
• alternating crossing of fingers, shaking hands in the air;
• do self-rotation with brushes and fists;
• shake vigorously with relaxed hands;
• make a lock from two hands, conduct a smooth wave.

Gymnastics should be repeated 8-10 times. During the period when the desire to crunch appears, any one of these exercises is enough. For those who are sure that crunching the phalanges of the fingers is dangerous, classes help to maintain the health of the fingers for a long time.

Points for and against

A scientist from the United States, Donald Unger, is a doctor by profession, to prove to his relative that crunching your fingers is not harmful, he constantly crunched the fingers of only one hand throughout his life. By the time he was 80, both hands were normal. Many years later, the doctor concluded that crunching does not harm the fingers. For the experiment on himself, the doctor received a medical award.

Despite this, another group of experts constantly repeats about the dangers of crackling. The arguments they provide:

1. the crackling of the interphalangeal joints destabilizes the joints, loosens the capsule, which ultimately leads to displacement, causes dislocations, pinching of the nervous tissue;
2. phalanges are vulnerable, sensitive, they are subject to inflammation and rapid destruction and deformation.

Despite evidence-based medicine and research, many medical reference books claim that crunching is harmful to health. However, it can be concluded that constant crunching, which has not caused anxiety and pain since childhood, is not a reason for quitting the habit. When the crunch is accompanied by painful sensations, swelling, limitation of motor function, then there is a pathology. It is worth consulting a rheumatologist.

Many people are extremely annoyed when someone around them crunches their fingers. Most believe that this is an addiction that should definitely be gotten rid of, while adherents of this habit themselves are not completely sure whether crunching their fingers is harmful, and it is possible that these assumptions are deeply mistaken. There is no definite answer to this question, but most orthopedists are sure that this can provoke joint destabilization.

What happens when crunching

All joints serve to provide maximum bone mobility. At the junction of 2 bones, there is articular cartilage, enclosed in a special capsule filled with synovial fluid. Thanks to it, friction and stress at the junction of the bones is reduced. In this case, the joint does not lose its mobility and elasticity.

There is no exact definition of what happens when a person crunches his fingers. However, research in this direction does not stop until now. Not so long ago, scientists in England have done enough interesting experiment, during which 20 volunteers were involved. The patients' fingers were gradually stretched using a special apparatus. At this point, an X-ray was taken of the stretched joint, which was then evaluated by specialists.

It was experimentally found that at maximum tension of the joint, the pressure at the place of its junction drops sharply. At the same time, the movement of synovial fluid is accelerated, achieving the effect of "boiling". At this time, a gas bubble forms in the joint capsule, which is tightly sealed in the joint.

When the pressure changes, the bubble enters the synovial fluid, where it bursts, accompanied by a characteristic click (crunch). As a result of this reason, an imbalance in the fluid occurs, which in turn leads to "loosening" of the hand joint.

Gas bubbles, which are accompanied by popping crunching sounds when they fall off

Doctors say that the desire to crunch joints is due to constant static stress resulting from strong compression of the joint surfaces. During crunching with fingers, there is a sharp drop in the pressure of the inter-articular fluid. Most experts recommend fighting this habit, as with regular stretching of the joints, serious destabilization of the joint will occur.

Of course, crunching does not always represent a serious problem for human health. In one more innocuous case, rhythmic clicks can be performed by striking the middle finger on the palm. Another option is more dangerous, since the crunch occurs due to the movement of the joints.

Cons of crunch

In order to understand why you can't crunch your fingers, you need to compare all the pros and cons of this habit:

• regular crunching provokes loosening and destabilization of the joints;
• salt deposition provokes hardening of muscle fibers and cartilage, which leads to a decrease in the mobility of the fingers;
• in some cases, there are abnormalities in the structure of the joints, accompanied by their increased activity. When moving, the bones can diverge and return to their original position, causing a crunch;
• with a crunch, the bone structure of the joint is disturbed, and they can go beyond the articular box at the joints, which leads to the appearance of acute pain;
• crunching can lead to inflammation of the muscle tissue, as there is strong pressure on them;
• crunching threatens the development of arthrosis, which is characterized by the gradual wear of cartilaginous tissue. At the same time, the flexibility and mobility of the fingers is lost;
• crunching your fingers is very harmful, since accidental injury to the joint is possible, especially after sprains, fractures and dislocations. In this case, the tendon ligaments are stretched and relaxed even more, which increases their vulnerability.

If crunching occurs regularly, then this desire becomes obsessive, which leads to psychological problems.

pros

Despite the many negative aspects that accompany this bad habit, there are certain advantages:

• crunching is useful for people with increased emotional excitability, who, by such an action, relieve tension and put their thoughts in order;
• during the click, the bones are able to return to their normal position, which protects them from excessive loads and associated dislocations;
• systematic reduction of the displaced bones prevents stretching of the articular capsule;
• crunching can prevent local muscle spasms, preparing the hands for the upcoming stress.

This habit has many more negative qualities than advantages, so experts recommend getting rid of it. Snapping fingers occurs on a subconscious level, especially in stressful situations when a person is not able to control their actions.

To enhance self-control, patients are recommended to do auto-training and a set of special exercises that are performed if they want to crunch their fingers.

A set of exercises for the fingers

In order to get rid of the habit of crunching your fingers as early as possible, you need to resort to special gymnastics.

The conditions for its implementation are quite simple:

• fingers relax with light shaking;
• fists clench sharply and slowly unclench;
• fingers interlock in a "lock" and rotate in different directions;
• first, each finger is massaged separately, and then the whole hand;
• the finger of the left hand is gently applied to the opposite hand and massaged clockwise;
• Kneading a small rubber ball or cube in your hands helps relieve tension.

Each exercise is performed at least 5-7 times, and with the regularity of their performance, a person's desire to crunch his fingers decreases. It should be borne in mind that in the absence of own desire it is impossible to achieve a positive result on the part of the patient.

A person should make every effort to combat this bad habit. In order to distract yourself, it is recommended to buy a rosary and sort the beads between your fingers, roll metal balls in your hand, etc.

Do I need to see a doctor

In case of joint crunch, a consultation with a doctor is required, since in some cases such symptoms can indicate very serious diseases, as well as congenital joint pathologies.

First of all, the patient needs to visit an orthopedist, so that he can exclude a number of concomitant diseases of the musculoskeletal system. In some cases, in addition to visual examination, it is possible to carry out a number of diagnostic measures aimed at clarifying the root cause of the pathological condition.

When destructive changes in cartilage and bone tissue are detected on the fingers, specific therapy is prescribed, including taking medications, a complex physiotherapy exercises, dieting, normalization of rest and work.

Potential effects of finger crunching

As a rule, people begin to think about the dangers of crunching with their fingers, at a fairly mature age, which is due to the natural aging of the body and wear and tear of the joint tissues.

European scientists have conducted numerous studies, according to the results of which it is confirmed that systematic crunching of fingers is dangerous and can lead to fragility, frequent dislocations and pinching of nerve endings.

The load on the joint during crunching can lead to chafing and crushing of cartilage with their subsequent destruction and joint pathologies.

Habits such as crunching fingers can trigger the development of arthritis and swelling of the hands, with a decrease in their grip strength.

Crunch prevention

In order for the crunch in the fingers to appear much less often, preventive measures should be observed:

• it is recommended to adhere to proper nutrition, including a large amount in the daily diet fresh vegetables and fruits. It is not advisable to consume foods that contain proteins (milk, meat, etc.);
• it is necessary to observe the drinking regime, drinking at least 1.5 liters of water during the day, avoid physical inactivity and not abuse physical activity;
• it is advisable to avoid stressful situations and emotional upheavals, since this is what leads to the fact that there are psychological problems, during which a person nervously crunches his fingers;
• when in a forced position for a long time, it is necessary to periodically warm up and shake hands.

At a fairly young age, any problems seem insignificant and most people begin to think about the dangers of crunching fingers only when problems with joints appear. The opinion of scientists on this matter is extremely contradictory, but most of them admit that it is bad, especially for the health of the musculoskeletal system, recommending getting rid of this bad habit.

Many people enjoy snapping (crunching) their fingers. They do not even think about how much such a habit annoys and sometimes disgusts the people around them. A fairly loud sound that accompanies clicks can be heard in different places- at work, on public transport, school, at home from their relatives.

For some people, snapping fingers brings incomparable pleasure, while others claim that in this way they get rid of the excessive tension created in the joints. Others have numb hands, and they need to stretch them. It's just not entirely clear how fingers can become numb.

Finger crunch lovers do not think that crunching is really annoying to others. But this is half the trouble, since this action is really dangerous. Any doctor will tell you about it. It is difficult, sometimes impossible, to wean one from a bad habit.

Why do people crunch their fingers? According to doctors, in addition to a psychological habit, there is another explanation. Scientists argue that the urge to snap fingers is the result of static stress, which is generated by pinching the surfaces of the joints. When the fingers snap, the pressure in the inter-articular fluid quickly decreases, which brings specific relief.

What happens when you snap your fingers?

To answer the question whether crunching your fingers is harmful, you need to understand what happens at the moment of clicking. So, what happens inside at the moment of the crackling sound emitted by pressure on the fingers? The main function of the joints is to ensure the mobility of the bones.

The joint area of ​​the two bones is covered with articular cartilage, which is equipped with a specific capsule with a viscous substance. In medical practice, it is called synovial fluid. It is thanks to this substance that the pressure and the degree of friction in the area of ​​bone junction decrease, while the joint itself remains mobile and flexible.

No one can explain exactly what happens when the fingers snap. Recently, a unique experiment was carried out by British scientists. The group of volunteers included 20 people who decided to take part in the study. Through a specific mechanism, the fingers of men and women were stretched, and doctors during this period took an X-ray.

Based on the study, it was concluded that if you snap your finger - with any finger, be it the little finger or the index finger, then pressure drops inside the joint. The synovial fluid begins to fluctuate at different speeds, then "boils". Gas bubbles form in the capsule, which cannot escape in any way, since the joints are sealed. During a load drop, gas enters the liquid, after which it bursts. For this reason, a characteristic crunch is heard during the click.

Chiropractors give another explanation: the sound with a crunch is formed in the ligaments and tendons, which, with a sharp bend, overcome little resistance.

Doctors advise against subjecting fingers to frequent stretching, as there is a high likelihood of destabilization.

How dangerous is it to crunch your fingers?

Is it harmful to snap your knuckle? Definitely yes, this cannot be done. And it's not that this habit annoys the people around you. Constant crunching leads to negative consequences in the future.

Regular clicks of the fingers disrupt the structural structure of the joints, lead to their loosening and subsequent destabilization. This, in turn, provokes various diseases, up to the deformation of an irreversible nature.

Of course, snapping fingers to a healthy person will not cause significant harm, but if there are problems with joints, then the likelihood of complications is high. In support of this information, we give the following reasons:

1. Salts are deposited in the skeletal system. Their accumulation in the human body provokes hardening of muscles and cartilage. With constant crunching of the fingers, there is a decrease in joint mobility.
2. Violation of the structure of the joint. If you crunch constantly, then at one "fine" moment the click of your fingers may end with the exit of the articular box, which is accompanied by a severe pain syndrome and a clear sound.
3. Congenital diseases. In some clinical pictures, the joints are formed abnormally, as a result of which high degree mobility. As the bones move, they disperse and return to their place. Discomfort and painful sensations absent.
4. Inflammatory processes in the muscles. If you snap your fingers against the background of inflammation, you can injure the joint.

When joints crunch without external influence, then one can suspect such an ailment as arthrosis. This bone disease causes wear and tear of cartilage and joints, reduces their flexibility and mobility, and leads to friction and crunching.

When you have a history of these diseases, it is dangerous to snap your fingers. Habit causes more damage and stretching of weakened muscles, ligaments and joints, which increases the risk of finger problems.

Warm up for hands

Castellanos J. and Axelrod D. are two medical professionals who have conducted a full-scale study on finger crunching. When asked whether snapping fingers is harmful, doctors say: the constant habit of crunching leads to swelling of the joints and subsequent deformational changes.

But it is difficult to overcome a negative habit, since it has been proven that people crunch their fingers at moments of strong emotional stress and experiences. Clicks help reduce stress.

Orthopedists / traumatologists offer an alternative: a dedicated finger warm-up. Or sea salt baths. In the latter version, the procedure is done several times a week, the duration of the bath is 10-15 minutes.

The joints of the fingers need a warm-up. You can do a massage at home - knead each finger with light movements. Take oil for manipulation tea tree or another option.

• Bend and unbend your fingers into a fist. During this action, it is necessary to strain your fingers as much as possible. Repeat 5-10 times;
• Before doing the exercise, you need to imagine that someone is clicking a finger on the forehead. Virtual clicks are performed with each finger. Repeat a total of 30-40 times - 3-4 clicks for each finger;
• Squeeze your fingers in turn. Start with your little finger and end with your thumb; then they all repeat, but the other way around. Repeat several times;
• Cross your fingers according to the "scissors" principle. Repeat 10 times;
• Connect the fingers with a lock, then make a "wave".

Light workouts are a great alternative to crunching your fingers. They do not require a lot of time and certain skills. Alas, they will not help to overcome the addiction. If there desire click your fingers, it is recommended to touch small balls, rosary. But the best thing is to buy a Rubik's cube and collect it every time you want to snap your fingers.

There are as many disputes on this issue as there are disputes on the topic "Who was before the chicken or the egg"! If you wish, you can find a lot of articles proving that this is a completely harmless habit or, on the contrary, a dangerous procedure, with the consequences of which you will face in old age. Many can calm you down, while others, on the contrary, scare you with arthritis. "So crunchy or not crunchy?" you ask. Let's take a look at the pros and cons of crunching your fingers together.

You can read the opinion about the harmlessness of crunching fingers of very many elderly, authoritative people, for example, such as the California doctor, Donald Unger. In his books and publications, he mentions that from childhood, day after day, he crunched the knuckles of his left hand. Naturally, very often I heard a warning from my mother that arthritis awaits him in old age. But after reaching the age of 83, he claims that the sensations in his right and left hands are the same. From his point of view, the sound that we hear with the crunch of fingers is just the bursting of gas bubbles. And with this procedure, we stimulate tendons, relax muscles and weaken joints. But then I would like to ask a question to dear Mr. Donald Unger. If, as he claims, crunching with fingers is not only harmless, but also useful, then why in old age are his hands in the same condition? Shouldn't it left hand feel better than the right one? Do not forget that Donald Unger received his award in medicine not for proof of the harmlessness of the habit of crunching fingers, but for an experiment he conducted on himself!

On the contrary, leading orthopedists strongly advise against crunching your fingers... Doctors agree with the conclusion that the sound we hear when our fingers crunch are bursting gas bubbles. But I want to figure out what kind of gas it is and where the bubbles come from. When a person crunches his fingers, he sharply reduces the pressure in the inter-articular fluid and the gas in it emits bubbles, and they, in turn, burst and we hear it. Over time, everything will fall into place, but while this happens, the balance of the inter-articular fluid is disturbed in the joints of the fingers and because of this, the joints are “shaken”. If you “crunch” your fingers a couple - three times in your life, there will be nothing terrible, but if you do it all the time? At first, you may not feel the harm from the “loosening” of the joints, but after 8-12 years of this addiction, you will notice that the joints begin to swell and the fingers take on an ugly shape. With prolonged crunching of your fingers, you can destabilize the joints, and this, in turn, can provoke dislocations and pinching of nerve endings, and then lead to inflammatory processes in the tissues. The next step is the appearance of arthritis.

Famous doctors Castellanos J. and Axelrod D. when writing their book “ Chronicle of Rheumatic Disease”(1990) conducted studies on the effect of crunching fingers, based on X-ray images, proving that this habit leads to swollen joints and deformities of the fingers.

Leading orthopedic specialists and traumatologists, when it becomes necessary to “crunch your fingers”, suggest replacing this procedure with dynamic exercises or pamper your fingers with baths with the addition of sea salt.

Dynamic finger joint exercises:
1. Bend and unbend your fingers into a fist, while performing this movement, do not forget to strain your fingers. This exercise should be done 4-5 times.
2. Imagine that you are clicking someone on the forehead. These virtual clicks should be performed with each finger. This exercise should be done 2-3 times.
3. Squeeze, in turn, fingers, starting from the little finger and ending with the thumb, then do the opposite. This exercise should be done 2-3 times.
4. Cross your fingers in the scissors manner. This exercise should be done 4-5 times.
5. Connect your fingers into a “lock”, lift them above your head and sharply lower them down, each separately. This exercise should be done 3-4 times.
6. Connect your fingers in a “lock” and make a “wave” with them. This exercise should be done 4-5 times.

These simple and painless exercises will replace the crunching of your fingers. But if exercise helps your fingers, unfortunately, it will not help you to get rid of the habit. Try to distract yourself if you feel like crunching your fingers. To begin with, you can simply massage your hands, if this did not help, fingering small balls or a pen between your fingers, or even better, get yourself a Rubik's cube and collect it when you want to crunch your fingers. And it should be remembered that at a young age it is much easier to get rid of a bad habit than in the elderly.

Let us know in the comments if it annoys you when someone clicks your knuckles or if you yourself have this strange habit.