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abkaiser
Mar 2, 2002, 2:58 PM
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I crack my knuckles, and have been cracking them since I was about 6. I'm 26 now, and am wondering if any experienced climbers out there have encountered problems with fingers because they crack them?
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rck_climber
Mar 2, 2002, 3:29 PM
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I've been doing the same thing for as long as I can remember, except for nearly ALL my joints.
At nearly 27, the only problems I notice are when the weather changes drastically (a regular occurance in Colorado), they feel stiff and sometimes swell. That's about it - at least for now, sure it'll get worse as I get older, but oh well, I'll live .
Mick
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miagi
Mar 3, 2002, 2:12 AM
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Well, i do the same. the only thing i have heard is that you will get arthritis early in your life. thats about the only thing though.
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darkside
Mar 3, 2002, 3:57 AM
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If you take up ice climbing, use Quarks to stop knucle pain
When you crack your joints, you are stretching a membrane between the bones in the joint. This makes it loose and leads to the onset of arthritis in the joint. Obviously this is not good as in time it will prevent you from climbing.
The obvious conclusion is to stop cracking your knuckles. Your call though.
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gekolimit
Mar 3, 2002, 4:04 AM
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Its a bad habit...DONT DO IT! When you crack your knuckles you break a fluid paket between your joints. This fluid shifts off to the sides. The fluid is responsible for lubrication of the joints. Whats all right is that this fluid paket repairs fast and your body creates new lubricating fluid for you joints.
The reason you might fell stiff after craking them, especialy during drastic weather change is that your body can't rejuvinate the fluid fast enough.
Sometimes you crack a knuckle by accident, doesn't matter...but if you crack them often, in future your body won't be as good and as fast at rejuvinating the joint lubrication...ie....artheritus(how do you spell that?)
So my question is, WHY THE HECK ARE YOU CRACKING THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE>?
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xander
Mar 3, 2002, 6:03 AM
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Knuckle cracking is not a big deal.
My father is a Rheumatologist, (traslation: joint doctor - deals with arthritis) and it has long since been proven that all of the rumors about knuckle cracking - arthritis, fat knuckles, etc., are no more than old wives tales. No truth to any of them.
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upfreak
Mar 3, 2002, 6:04 AM
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UH-OH! I'M IN DEEP s--- THEN...
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upfreak
Mar 3, 2002, 6:06 AM
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Well now Xander... if what u posted is true... then i'm SAVED!
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maddie
Mar 3, 2002, 6:27 AM
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hey can anyone explain to me why you get sore knuckles ice climbing is it because of the cold?
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vaness
Mar 3, 2002, 2:53 PM
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i krack my knuckles
and my wrists and my ankle and my knee and my neck and my back
nothing has happend yet
it IS just a myth
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darkside
Mar 3, 2002, 3:14 PM
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Maddie: I can tell you're no ice climber as this is something every ice climber has experienced
When you plant the tools you are looking for concave areas to reduce the chance of the ice fracturing, bulges fracture easily. This often means planting the tools above a bulge instead of in it. This often means straight shaft tools have the shaft hit the bulge below the pick. Some shafts have bends in the shaft to give clearance and avoid this. Now, picture yourself holding an ice tool, where are your knuckles?
Get the picture now? Ouch!!
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abkaiser
Mar 3, 2002, 3:16 PM
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I guess I'm not so concerned about what I'm doing to them *now*, but more like potential effects when I'm older.
For those interested, I found the following link:
http://www.howstuffworks.com/question437.htm
And in it we read:
"[a study on knuckle cracking] revealed no apparent connection between joint cracking and arthritis; however, habitual knuckle poppers did show signs of other types of damage, including soft tissue damage to the joint capsule and a decrease in grip strength."
...Interesting stuff!
And for the record, the reason I haven't stopped cracking is because I can't. I've tried to stop in the past. It's really a weird nervous habit I have. I crack them without even knowing I'm doing so.
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