Will cracking my knuckles and neck lead to arthritis?

[Ryan R]

If i crack my knuckles and neck a lot will i be like screwed when im older?

[patricia c]

i say yes . if you do it often,it leads to friction on the joints and in time beaks down the cartilage between the joints which leads to arthritis.

[bookworm]

No, it will not. This is a myth, to discourage cracking of nuckes (the sound disturbes some people). An air (oxygen, nigtrogen, and other gasses [carbon dioxide]) and fluid (synovial fluid for lubrication) bubble forms in the joint, and "cracking" the joint pops this bubble.

The crakking sound comes from these gasses escaping out of the fluid, and is actually a form of equalizing the pressure in your joints. I notice that when I go for long periods of time without cracking my fingers, they seem stiff and hurt to move. After a few cracks, the stiffness seems to go away.

[jpunkin1121]

No, cracking your knuckles and neck will NOT lead to arthritis. I have had arthritis for over 10 years and I did not crack my knuckles all the time, like you hear people do it now. That is an "old-wives tale", and is not true.