Effects of Cracking Knuckles - Essay Example

"Effects of Cracking Knuckles" is a wonderful example of a paper on the musculoskeletal system. Many consider cracking knuckles as a dangerous thing while many others regard it as an activity that involves little risk. Popping our knuckles or back may relieve the pain temporarily. However, there is another view that says cracking knuckles can cause more danger than a little comfort. According to this view, (as cited in Knuckle cracking side effects, n. d.), cracking knuckles deteriorate the cartridge between our joints if we do it regularly. When we crack knuckles repeatedly, it puts stress on the joint capsule. It stretches out the ligaments that connect the bones and sometimes harm us. We hear the popping sound as the pressure on the synovial fluid in the joints release. The sudden release of pressure from synovial fluid is never advised to be good for health. Many are of the opinion that cracking knuckles causes arthritis too. Sometimes, as cited in the above-said article, this habit leaves us an inflammatory joint as the ligaments in the joints injure at the attempt to crack knuckles; and it is possible that dislocation of the joint may happen in our violent attempt to crack knuckles.

However, there is not much evidence to support aforesaid views. As Cowley (2010, p. 87), when the pressure in the joints gets reduced, the energy freed is estimated at 0.07millijoules per cubic millimeter. This figure is not sufficient to cause damage to the joints. It was the same with arthritis. In a study (as cited in Cowley, 2010, p. 87), conducted among knuckle crackers no evidence was obtained to support those arguments. Through the release of pressure from the joints what we usually get is obviously release from acute pain.

So, it is clear that popping knuckles do not impose any serious harm or injuries on our fingers or back. What we have to do is avoid repeated attempts to crack knuckles as it is possible to dislocate the joints or injure the ligaments.

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