Either because we do it as relief or in response to a nervous habit, many of us are familiar with the sound and feeling of clicks that occur when we make the fingers creak. Some people do it by pulling the tip of each finger, one by one or at the same time until they hear the crunch. Others close the fist or bend their fingers back, moving them away from the palm of the hand, and make all the fingers creak at the same time.
Whatever the style that is adopted, and depending on the investigations that we consult, between the 25% and the 54% of people do it, especially The menwhich seems to be more likely than women to chascar their fingers.
It also circulates a belief that says that this habit is responsible for future arthritis over the years. Are we simply facing an annoying habit or is it harmful to our joints? Although it may seem satisfactory experience, doing it too often is not recommended.
What happens in the joints when we creak our fingers?
The joints are wrapped in a synovial capsule with liquid and a certain amount of gases whose mission is to lubricate them so that the bones are not worn. There are several theories that explain what part of the process causes crunch noise. One of them is that within the liquid there are dissolved gases and when we push the joints beyond the normal range, a temporary vacuum inside is created.
The pressure decreases, which allows the gas to leave the liquid and form a small bubble, which is responsible for that ‘pop’ we hear, is that bubble of air that explodes, and it occurs whatever the method used, whether we close the fist and if we stretch our fingers. When making the fingers creak, the space between the joints increases, which causes the gases dissolved in the synovial fluid that bathe the joint forming microscopic bubbles. These bubbles merge in larger bubbles that are then troked with more liquid that precipitates to fill the enlarged space.
Another theory, however, suggests that the noise is due to the breakage of the ‘adhesive seal’ of the fluid between the joint surfaces, something similar to what would happen when taking out a glass of a glass.
Regardless of what is behind the noise, what there is no doubt is that, if we are we have ever made the fingers creak, we will have proven that we cannot do it again immediately. This is because gas bubbles take time to accumulate again in the joint after it has been creak; We will have to wait about 20 minutes to give time to the space in the Board to return to its normal size and for more gases to dissolve in the liquid, therefore, we will not hear that snap sound if we try to make our fingers creak too soon.
Many of the people who creak their fingers can do so or because they like the feeling of released tension or because it responds more to a nervous habit and is done to relieve stress.
The process that is given when the fingers would explain that doing so does not cause wear and tear in the area where it is applied and, therefore, we cannot hold this fact responsible with the appearance of future arthritis. Some studies They point out that there is no evidence of such association, since there are no changes in the incidence of arthritis between those people who creak their fingers regularly and those who do not. We must keep in mind that osteoarthritis, the most common form, occurs when the cartilaginous tissue surrounding the joint is wearing up, which causes inflammation and, therefore, it is much more likely to be caused by aging or injuries than by the crunch of the fingers
Other study He also examined the effect of the usual crunch of the fingers on the grip force and discovered that it was void, that is, that this habit did not affect the force of the fingers.
A hasty habit
In spite of everything, we are facing a habit that is better to abandon, especially if we do it continuously. The physiotherapist schools in Catalunya, Basque Country, Galicia, Madrid and Navarra in this videoin which they indicated that cracking the fingers or any other joint is detrimental because it makes it unfinished, unnecessarily, both the joint and the ligaments or tendons. In addition, we are mobilizing an articulation that, already, has more movement than we should and when we creak our fingers we are increasing that imbalance.
If we encourage this instability, we can have the feeling of needing to creak our fingers more and more. Something that, in the long term, can generate wear in the joint and the other structures that surround it, such as ligaments and tendons. It is possible that the fingers frequently cause problems in the ligaments between the joints, and if we continually stretch the ligaments beyond its limit, we can suffer sprains.
Therefore, and although crunching the fingers are generally considered something harmless, some people may experience temporary discomfort or swelling. This concern is fundamentally for people who become obsessed with it and do it again and again every day. This may be due to excessive stretching of the ligaments or tendons surrounding the joint or the irritation of the surrounding tissues. Over time, this can cause joint instability or weaken strength, especially in people with already very mobile joints, since it is possible that crunch their fingers will cause greater laxity and instability of the ligaments.
To creak your fingers should not be painful either, so, if we feel pain in doing so, it is possible that it is causing or worsening an injury. If the joints of the hand begin to hurt, they swell, they become rigid or numb, or if mobility or grip capacity decreases, it is better to stop crunching the fingers and consult with a specialist to identify the cause of the problem.
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