What to do if your back and joints crunch

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Cracking in the back and joints can be different. Sometimes, turning your back to a crunch after sitting at a table for a long time makes you feel better, at other times, the crunch may be due to injury. In this article, we will talk about whether crunching your back and knuckles is harmful and what to do if your knees and elbows crackle.

For the past few years, after sitting at the computer for a long time, when my back is stressed or in one position for a long time, I have been performing the same ritual. I smoothly turn my back until it crunches in one direction, and then in the other. And the fatigue goes away.

It's the same with the fingers. Many people love to crunch their knuckles, even suspecting that it annoys others. Gradually, it turns into a habit, which is more and more difficult to get rid of. However, is it worth it? We decided to figure out whether such habits are bad.

Back, elbows and knees

In short, by occasionally causing a crunch in your back in order to get rid of tension, you will not earn any injuries or illnesses. However, if you do this constantly, there is a risk of disrupting the structure of the joints of the back, in connection with which you will have to follow this ritual more and more often.

The risk we are talking about is associated with joint hypermobility syndrome. It occurs and is aggravated when the back and the muscles around it are constantly stretched. Muscles are elastic and, after stretching, return to their normal state. When you stretch them on a permanent basis, they lose elasticity, and it becomes more and more difficult for them to get back into place.

If you are one of the people who often crunch your back, you should contact your doctor and ask him questions about whether you can do this.

The next step is to learn how to crunch your back correctly. Here is a good video on this topic:

Elbows and knees are more likely to be injured than other joints, especially in those involved in strength or running sports. If the crunching of the knees and elbows does not cause pain, then most likely it is associated with the same process of gas release in the synovial fluid. If the crunch is accompanied by pain, you should consult a doctor and find out if the cause is arthritis or arthrosis.

Knuckles

Since childhood, we were forbidden to crunch our knuckles, saying that this habit causes arthritis. In 2009, Donald Unger received the Shnobel Prize that crunching fingers does not lead to arthritis.

The Shnobel Prize is an award that is awarded for unusual and ingenious research to attract attention and spur people's interest in science, medicine and technology.

Unger crunched only his left hand twice a day for 60 years. This did not lead to any consequences. Unger's research has dispelled almost all myths about the dangers of this habit.

However, why do the joints of the fingers still crunch?

The crunch is caused by the sudden movement and release of gas in the synovial fluid. In order to return back, gas needs up to half an hour. During the crunch, the connective ligaments stimulate the nerve endings, thereby creating a pleasant sensation from the process itself.

Despite the fact that crunching in the fingers has nothing to do with arthritis, the process leads to the same consequences as in the back. Frequent crunching of joints leads to hypermobility syndrome. The tissues lose their elasticity, and therefore the hands become weaker and less coordinated. However, this habit will not cause injury or serious health problems.