• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Doctor Explains Why You Shouldn’t Crack Your Knuckles

Home> News

Updated 15:23 7 Mar 2022 GMTPublished 15:21 7 Mar 2022 GMT

Doctor Explains Why You Shouldn’t Crack Your Knuckles

Dr Karl Kruszelnicki says cracking your knuckles might mean you struggle to open things later on in life

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

A doctor has revealed what really happens you crack your knuckles too much. Watch below:

For some, there's no better feeling than cracking your knuckles and for others, just the sound of it is pure cringeworthy.

Advert

Well, posting on TikTok, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki (@drkarl) says cracking your knuckles might cause struggles later on in life.

He claims that those knuckle-crackers could lose up to 75 percent of their grip, which would be a real struggle to open up jars and such.

The doctor said: "Now have you heard people say that cracking your knuckles will give you arthritis?

"Well, when you're putting your finger to crack your joint, you make the joint space, the space between the bones bigger, and this sucks the ligaments in and it makes a gas bubble pop into existence.

"However, the energy released is only about 7% of what you need to damage the cartilage."

Advert

tiktok/drkarl

While potentially debunking arthritis theories, he added: "One study involves the doctor cracking the joints of his left hand for 50 years, half a century, oh my god, at the end, no difference in arthritis between this hand and that hand, but one person is not an adequate sample size.

"Another study looked at 300 people who cracked the knuckles on both hands for 35 years and guess what?

"They had no extra cases of arthritis, but they had slightly swollen joints which of itself is no big deal and the grip strength was about one quarter of what it should have been.

"So there's no strong evidence that cracking your knuckles will give you arthritis.

Advert

"However, it could make it difficult to unscrew a jar of Vegemite."

TikTok/drkarl

One user commented: "Sending this to my mother IMMEDIATELY," while another added: "Brb showing this to my mum to finally prove her wrong,"

A third joked: "I’m gonna get cracking," to which the doctor – rather kindly – replied: "You're funny!!"

Someone else sarcastically quipped: "It may not damage the fingers, but you can get damaged by people hitting you because they hate hearing it."

Advert

Dr Karl simply responded to the comment with a clapping hands emoji.

Featured Image Credit: tiktok/@drkarl

Topics: Health, TikTok, Viral

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

X

@Anish_Vij

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • an hour ago

    Why people get strange white bumps all over their body including private parts

    If you've noticed white bumps on your body and private parts, you've come to the right place

    News
  • an hour ago

    Why most expensive item in the world is worth £49,000,000,000,000 for just one gram

    The most expensive item in the world is said to be worth roughly £49 trillion per gram

    News
  • an hour ago

    US Air Force shares truth behind 'highly unusual' flight from Donald Trump's 'doomsday plane'

    The doomsday plane was spotted in American skies this week and an explanation has finally been given

    News
  • 2 hours ago

    Woman explains why she lives in same house with her husband, ex-partner and their kids in bizarre situation

    A mum is living in a South Carolina home with her children, her ex-husband and her current husband

    News
  • Therapist explains five 'subtle' signs your relationship could be ending soon
  • Doctor explains why some people get frequent or unexplained bruising and when to seek help
  • Relationship coach explains why you should stop saying 'I love you' to your partner
  • Simulation shows sobering reality of what happens to your body when you smoke