I regret to say that I have a habit of cracking my knuckles. I’ve read somewhere that it does no harm, but I am still far from convinced. Could it be damaging in the long run? If so, why?
• There are a couple of theories regarding what causes the “pop” heard in knuckle cracking. The common view is that it is caused by bubbles of gas within the synovial capsule of the metacarpophalangeal and phalangeal joints. These bubbles form when these joints are stressed – a process called cavitation – and then collapse as the pressure changes within the…
