 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ben
Date: 2003-02-05 22:33
Although I don't crack the knuckles in my fingers I find that by flexing either of my thumbs, I can crack them repeatedly whenever I want to.
I have heard that cracking knuckles is not good for them, yet I have heard other people say that it doesn't matter. What is correct?
I don't want hand problems later on in life affecting my clarinet playing. Its hard enough to get your fingers to do what you want them to do even when they are working!
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Author: Bob A
Date: 2003-02-05 23:54
What's your problem? If you are really worried STOP cracking your thumbs. If curious, keep on and find out, but make your own decisions. (McDonald's Syndrome--How hot does this coffee have to be to hurt me?).
Bob A
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Author: Ken
Date: 2003-02-06 00:30
Could be a pseudo double jointed trait or something. My uncle constantly cracked his knuckles as a bad/nervous habit and wound up getting arthritis by age 60 (didn't run in the family to my knowledge unless it skipped 3 generations or more). If there's a doubt, try not to fidget. As aptly pointed out, the fingers/knuckles crack naturally on their own and don't need our help.
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Author: Peter
Date: 2003-02-06 00:55
I never gave it any deep thought, but when I was in my teens, and through my twenties, I used to crack my knucles often.
After the casts were removed, following having broken both my wrists for the second time, the orthopedist who treated me saw me cracking my knucles and asked me if I did that all the time, and I told him I did.
He told me to stop, because cracking my knucles would eventually create calcium deposits in the joints, which would seriously affect me later in life. I don't remember him specifically saying it would turn into arthritis, but reading about Ken's uncle I would imagine it could be a possibility, although I'm not a medical doctor and couldn't say for sure.
Cracking my knucles, by then, had become a habit and it took me some time to "remember" not to crack my knucles.
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Author: Julia
Date: 2003-02-06 03:51
Everything in my body cracks--wrists, knuckles, knees, and even my neck. I can't control the knees. The wrists I only do sometimes. My knuckles, well...people say both--you're right--and I'm not sure which is more correct. In my mind, its a nervous habit that you can stop if you want to. I haven't simply because I haven't made it a focus of discipline, but I could. As far as cracking my neck...I definitely see that as possibly having more serious consequences, but the problem isn't simply a habit. I have a shoulder/neck condition (I forget what its called) that causes a lot of pain sometimes. Cracking my neck helps to relieve that pain, usually for at least several hours. I have to use a neckstrap when I play, because I can't support the clarinet because of this condition (which is mostly on the right side), but its just one of those things. to get back to the topic here, I would say that if you're even semi-worried about future problems and you know that this is just a nervous habit for you, take the discipline to stop doing it
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Author: steve
Date: 2003-02-06 10:56
Perhaps this citation from PubMed (the National Library of Medicine) will interest you:
Ann Rheum Dis 1990 May;49(5):308-9
Castellanos J, Axelrod D.
Effect of habitual knuckle cracking on hand function.
Department of Internal Medicine, Mount Carmel Mercy Hospital, Detroit, Michigan 48235.
The relation of habitual knuckle cracking to osteoarthrosis with functional impairment of the hand has long been considered an old wives' tale without experimental support. The mechanical sequelae of knuckle cracking have been shown to produce the rapid release of energy in the form of sudden vibratory energy, much like the forces responsible for the destruction of hydraulic blades and ship propellers. To investigate the relation of habitual knuckle cracking to hand function 300 consecutive patients aged 45 years or above and without evidence of neuromuscular, inflammatory, or malignant disease were evaluated for the presence of habitual knuckle cracking and hand arthritis/dysfunction. The age and sex distribution of the patients (74 habitual knuckle crackers, 226 non-knuckle crackers) was similar. There was no increased preponderance of arthritis of the hand in either group; however, habitual knuckle crackers were more likely to have hand swelling and lower grip strength. Habitual knuckle cracking was associated with manual labour, biting of the nails, smoking, and drinking alcohol. It is concluded that habitual knuckle cracking results in functional hand impairment.
PMID: 2344210 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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