Is Knuckle Cracking Dangerous?

Danger Gif

Since knuckle/joint cracking has become a habitual thing to some people, one would question if doing this could lead to health issues.

One of the most favored beliefs is the cracking your joints can lead to what is known as Arthritis which is inflammation of one or more of your joints with the common symptoms of joint pain and stiffness.(Ref #3)

However there has been no evidence that cracking knuckles causes any damage such as arthritis in the joints.

In 1998, Dr. Donald Unger published a letter entitled "Does knuckle cracking lead to arthritis of the fingers?"
Dr. Unger reported that he had been cracking the knuckles of his left hand at least twice daily over a 50-year period, while the right hand was never cracked and used as a control.(Ref #2)

In the end of his hypothes is he discovered that here was no arthritis in either hand and no differences between the two hands." stating,
"There is no apparent relationship between knuckle cracking and the subsequent development of arthritis of the fingers."(Ref #2)

With that being said, theres no real evidence the proves knuckle/joint cracking will cause major problems for a person. However if a person is feeling they need some form of joint pain relief, this is whats recommend.