Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Should you stop cracking your knuckles?

bbc.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 153 posts

Re: Should you stop cracking your knuckles?

#91

Post by zdragnar »

refactor_master wrote: post #47
modeless wrote: post #39

This is a bit weird, but I started getting mild wrist pain from computer use in college, and I credit two things with reversing it. One was rock climbing which strengthened my forearms and wrists, and the other was developing a habit of cracking my wrist joints. I stopped rock climbing many years ago but I continue to crack my wrists to this day. The habit causes me to flex and stretch my wrists every so often while…

I get wrist pain as soon as I use anything taller than Apple’s flat Magic Keyboard and touchpad. I’ve used this combo for like a decade now and never experience fatigue. Once, I bought a fancy mechanical keyboard and I returned it within a few weeks as it immediately caused me wrist pain. You can scoff at low travel and membranes all you want, but less movement = less fatigue, so I think they’re amazing. Never though…

I think shoulder height and arm length relative to desk height must play an important role in this.

I went the opposite direction- mechanical keyboard, large trackball- and my pain cleared up. The lack of feedback of the flat keyboard was too maddening to get accustomed to for me.

Re: Should you stop cracking your knuckles?

#92

Post by zdragnar »

Markoff wrote: post #41
modeless wrote: post #39

This is a bit weird, but I started getting mild wrist pain from computer use in college, and I credit two things with reversing it. One was rock climbing which strengthened my forearms and wrists, and the other was developing a habit of cracking my wrist joints. I stopped rock climbing many years ago but I continue to crack my wrists to this day. The habit causes me to flex and stretch my wrists every so often while…

I've had serious issues with my wrist in June (after decades of sitting in front of computer for most of the worktime), it hurt when bent or when using it for almost any load. I tried painkiller cream (don't think it helped), wrist brace (pretty much impossible to use mouse with it), wrist exercises (bending/stretching arm) didn't help. I switched from traditional mouse (HP 255 dual wireless) to my wife's Logitech Li…

> Btw. how do you crack your wrist (you mean sudden movement to left/right/up/down)

Apply a bit of tension to your wrist by closing your fist and squeezing gently as if you were gripping something in your hand, then rotate your hand in a bit. Guaranteed pop for me if I haven't done it in a bit.

The motion follows the wrist's normal movement, which is different to how I crack my fingers- those need to be twisted perpendicular to the normal after curling slightly.

No sudden movement required at all.

Re: Should you stop cracking your knuckles?

#93

Post by tapland »

ofalkaed wrote: post #59

Within a few minutes of picking up a guitar my fingers start to stiffen up, I crack them and then all is well, been doing this for 30 odd years now and the joints of my hands are some of the few which don't cause me problems at this point in my life. I never could crack my knuckles before I started playing guitar and if I stop playing for a few weeks, I cease being able to crack my knuckles. These articles on knuckle…

I can feel some kind of tension after a short bit of using my hands, and cracking my knuckles relieves it and allows me to continue without any issues. Usually I have to crack them before falling asleep, since the feeling of tension keeps me from sleeping. Doctors never thought this was an issue and I have no joint damage (checked for other reasons).

Re: Should you stop cracking your knuckles?

#95

Post by kibwen »

snarfy wrote: post #89
ofalkaed wrote: post #59

Within a few minutes of picking up a guitar my fingers start to stiffen up, I crack them and then all is well, been doing this for 30 odd years now and the joints of my hands are some of the few which don't cause me problems at this point in my life. I never could crack my knuckles before I started playing guitar and if I stop playing for a few weeks, I cease being able to crack my knuckles. These articles on knuckle…

The tension is in the fluid with gas compressed into it. Cracking causes a suction that pops the gas out, and now you have a bubble. Maybe that bubble is supposed to be there.

[dead]

Re: Should you stop cracking your knuckles?

#96

Post by sheepolog »

mft_ wrote: post #71
alt227 wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Get a wrist rest to raise the hight of your wrist to match the keyboard, it does wonders.

Everyone’s anatomy is different: wrist rests give me significant wrist pain and stiffness in minutes. I either need my wrists a touch lower than the keyboard (I’m okay resting on the desk if the keyboard is thin) or I must hold them elevated without resting them at all (if the keyboard thicker) which always makes me feel like an old-fashioned typist :)

That's interesting! I'm curious to know: is there a bend in your wrist while typing (either with or without the wrist rest)? Also, are your arms parallel to the floor? Also also, do you rest your elbows on anything?

Re: Should you stop cracking your knuckles?

#97

Post by hasley »

tapland wrote: post #93
ofalkaed wrote: post #59

Within a few minutes of picking up a guitar my fingers start to stiffen up, I crack them and then all is well, been doing this for 30 odd years now and the joints of my hands are some of the few which don't cause me problems at this point in my life. I never could crack my knuckles before I started playing guitar and if I stop playing for a few weeks, I cease being able to crack my knuckles. These articles on knuckle…

I can feel some kind of tension after a short bit of using my hands, and cracking my knuckles relieves it and allows me to continue without any issues. Usually I have to crack them before falling asleep, since the feeling of tension keeps me from sleeping. Doctors never thought this was an issue and I have no joint damage (checked for other reasons).

I also crack my fingers in the morning, over the day, and before sleeping. I also feel this "tension".

But I am not sure whether it is a real "tension" or something my brain makes up to force me crack my knuckles which gives some perceived relief. Maybe I am just addicted to this relief.

I haven't seen any research on this urge to crack and the possible tension. Is this a physical tension, some psychologically perceived tension due to an addiction, or something else?

Re: Should you stop cracking your knuckles?

#98

Post by arjie »

ofalkaed wrote: post #59

Within a few minutes of picking up a guitar my fingers start to stiffen up, I crack them and then all is well, been doing this for 30 odd years now and the joints of my hands are some of the few which don't cause me problems at this point in my life. I never could crack my knuckles before I started playing guitar and if I stop playing for a few weeks, I cease being able to crack my knuckles. These articles on knuckle…

I do this through the day etc but in my case it feels quite clear that the two are unrelated. The stiffness is in muscles, tendons, and ligaments and feels very similar to that in other parts of my body. In the hand, performing the stretching actions causes cracking. In my ankle etc, it does not but the stretching and twisting has the same effect on the stiffness I experience.

Re: Should you stop cracking your knuckles?

#99

Post by wat10000 »

firebot wrote: post #67
adrianN wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All chiropractors are quacks. The whole thing is based on quackery.

Says a duck like you? > Dr. Blake Meyer is an Iowa native with more than a decade of experience in biomechanics, rehabilitation, and patient-centered care. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Iowa and his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic. > During his training, Dr. Meyer worked with the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics and Sports Medicine Researc…

I wonder why such a great guy has a degree in bullshit.

Re: Should you stop cracking your knuckles?

#100

Post by 2Gkashmiri »

ofalkaed wrote: post #59

Within a few minutes of picking up a guitar my fingers start to stiffen up, I crack them and then all is well, been doing this for 30 odd years now and the joints of my hands are some of the few which don't cause me problems at this point in my life. I never could crack my knuckles before I started playing guitar and if I stop playing for a few weeks, I cease being able to crack my knuckles. These articles on knuckle…

I grew up and around 7-8 I started cracking my neck. It was like an accordian. For years it worked.

Now I get maybe one crack every few weeks but the magic is gone.

Same for my hands. I was "voracious" cracker, now my fingers get 10% of the cracks I used to get.

I still am able to crack my back, lower back by tugging on my belt and that releases a lot of uumpf. For upper back, I lay on my back, put my knuckles below the spine and go down one by one. Satisfying.

I also have a problem. Every time I stand for a long time, do some work standing up, my lower back is like dead. So I get someone to get on my sacro-illiac joint I think and a loud crack and I'm fit as a fiddle. I'm weird

Post reply on HN