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You Asked: Does Cracking Your Knuckles Cause Joint Damage?

FitSugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Dear Fit,
I have to admit that I love cracking my knuckles, but my gramma always says that I'm ruining my joints and I'll get arthritis when I'm older. Is she right?
-Cracky Kathy

This is a great question and you are not alone in the love of cracking your knuckles. In order to answer your question, let me explain what's happening when your joints crack. A joint is an area where two or more bones meet. This area is surrounded by joint fluid that protects the bones from rubbing against each other. The gas nitrogen is dissolved in your joint fluid. When you crack or pop your knuckles, you're releasing pressure, which makes the gas come out and form a bubble. Don't worry - the sound is not your bones grinding together. That release of pressure allows a temporary increase in the joint's range of motion, which is why it feels so good. The reason you can't recrack your knuckles immediately after is because it takes a little time for the gas to get redissolved back into the joint fluid.

So is it bad for your joints? To find out read more.

It is sweet of your gramma to be concerned about your joints, but let me assure you that there is no evidence that cracking your joints causes arthritis or any other permanent damage - it just offers relief. The only thing you need to be careful of is if cracking your knuckles causes pain. Actually, those who like to crack their knuckles, back, neck, and knees tend to have healthier joints. No it's not the knuckle cracking that's preventing arthritis, it's the fact that they tend to be more active people. As the old saying goes "move it or lose it."

So the next time you crack your knuckles and your gram says "Stop! You're going to get arthritis!" just smile and politely explain that you're releasing the pressure of your joint fluid.

Sprain vs. Strain

FitSugar — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Injuries suck! But it does help to know the name of your enemy and the difference between a strain and a sprain.

Strain: A strain involves injury to a muscle or a tendon, which attach muscles to bones. Strains, aka "pulled" muscles, are caused by over stretching or tearing a muscle or a tendon.
Common strains: hamstring and back injuries.
Sprains: A sprain occurs at a joint and is the tearing of ligaments, which connect bones to bones. Ligaments are tough and fibrous bands, and can gradually stretch over time decreasing the structural integrity of a joint.
Common sprains: Ankle and knee.

Fit's tip: To avoid both of the above injuries you should stretch after working out to ensure flexible, responsive muscles so your ligaments and tendons have less chance of being pushed beyond their natural limits and tear.

Source

Taking it To the Streets After Running On a Treadmill

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 10:15:00 -0700

It is that time of year when folks move their workouts outside since the weather is so dang nice. If you have been running indoors on a treadmilll and are looking to move your runs outside there are a few things to take into consideration.

The surface of the treadmill is more forgiving to your joints so suddenly shifting all your runs outside can be jarring to your ankles, knees and hips. Try just taking one run outside per week for 2 or 3 weeks. Then add one run outside every 2 weeks. If you are training for a road race it is really important to start planning ahead and hitting the streets.
Running outside will have to run against wind resistance and the elements, which in the summer means heat, which requires more energy to run at the same speed as on a treadmill.
Keeping your pace outside might feel really different since stride for stride, running on the road requires more energy output to propel your body forward since on a treadmill, you are keeping up with the treadmill as it moves under your feet. Plus, on a treadmill the machine keeps you running at a certain pace and now you will have to monitor your own pace. I suggest using a heart rate monitor to help you keep track of your heart rate and time.
The smooth, flat surface of a treadmill is very predictable. Running on roads or trails trains your neuromuscular system to deal with unpredictable terrain like hills, banked surfaces, trails and uneven surfaces. Chances are high you will be looking down much more when running outside, especially if you are trail running.

Have fun taking your running to the streets. Remember, when running outside you need to be more aware of your surroundings since people, dogs, bikes and cars might be out on the road or trail too.

Chi Running: Use Your Mind to Run, Not Just Your Feet

FitSugar — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 14:00:00 -0800

Chi Running (or Mindful Running) is the latest trend to quietly hit the streets, literally.

WebMD got the basics of Chi Running from Danny Dreyer, an ultra-marathon runner and author of the book Chi Running: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running.

Focus Your Mind: Your mind instructs your muscles to start working or relaxing. Your mind orchestrates the perfect run, starting out slowly, finding the perfect tempo, he adds. Your mind takes in the beauty of your surroundings so that you finish relaxed, and full of energy.

When you begin running, your mind must also push against the body's natural inertia. "Your body is like a dumb animal," Dreyer tells WebMD. "It will stay at rest until acted upon by an outside force like your mind. You have to train it."

Sense Your Body: Pay close attention to what your body is doing. Practice listening to any little nuances that you can detect. Feel your foot hitting the ground. Feel your posture.
Is your body moving in the way you intended it to? Is your movement easier or more difficult? Are there subtle changes you should make? As you begin running, you must develop body sense. Then you will become your own best teacher and coach, says Dreyer.

There's 4 more basics, so read more

Breathe to Tap Into Chi: The more efficiently your body can take in oxygen, the easier running will feel, Dreyer explains. If you're not breathing deeply into your lower lungs, you're not getting as much air as you could -- a common problem when people begin running.
To belly-breathe, stand or sit and place your hands over your belly button. Now purse your lips as if you're trying to blow a candle out, and exhale, emptying your lungs by pulling in your belly button toward your spine. When you've blown out as much air as you can, relax your belly and the inhale will occur naturally. Practice breathing out for three steps, breathing in for two steps. Try matching your breath with your cadence.

Relax Your Muscles: Tight muscles can't get the oxygen they need. The cure is easy: Just relax! Don't take yourself so seriously. Drop your shoulders. Smile. Relax your glutes. Float like a butterfly... lighten up, says Dreyer.
When muscles are loose and relaxed, the oxygen carried in your blood can enter the muscle cells much more easily than if your muscles are tense. Keep telling your muscles, "Softer is better!"

Practice Good Posture: Your aligned body has a centerline that runs from head to foot. It is the "steel" that supports your body, which allows your arms and legs to relax. Running with your posture out of alignment creates tension and fatigue.
Stand in front of a mirror. Straighten your upper body. Then look down at your feet. If you can see your shoelaces, it's a good bet that your dots are connected in a straight line - perfect. Memorize how this feels. Practice it.

Start Slow: When you begin to run, take it gradually, says Dreyer. "Practice your posture. Really memorize what it feels like to have good posture. Feel yourself standing in straight line. Practice alternating do on one foot, then switch. Shift weight back and forth. Feel yourself keeping posture line straight while on one foot a time."
Then, it's time for a little jog. Connect with your posture. Feel your feet down at the bottom of your posture line. Start to jog slowly. When one foot hits the ground, feel it hitting at bottom of your posture line. Practice moving from one foot to the next, taking baby steps. Speed is not a factor here," Dreyer says. "That's the very last thing you should think about. You're working on form -- holding it little bit longer each time. Stretch that over a block, two blocks, three blocks. That's building distance, until you can hold your form over distance."

To read Dreyers book on Chi Running, buy it from Amazon.com for $11.21.

The Skinny on: Cracking Your Knuckles

FitSugar — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 04:00:00 -0800

When someone tells you that cracking your knuckles will lead to arthritis, they're wrong.

What exactly makes that "popping" sound? When you crack your knuckles, or back, or whatever, you are pushing the joint into or out of its normal position. Joints are the meeting points of 2 separate bones. A thick liquid called synovial fluid is found between the bones. When you stretch, twist, push, or pull those bones apart, the pressure is reduced on that fluid, and bubbles form and quickly burst - making that familiar "pop."

Research from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine shows that people who crack their back, neck, knuckles or knees generally have healthier joints than those who don't. Well, actually, people who tend to pop their joints are more likely to be more physically active than non-crackers.

So go ahead and crack away. It may be annoying to others, but at least it's not hurting you.

You Asked: Are Popping and Cracking Joints Harmful?

FitSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:30:00 -0700

Hi FitSugar,

I got a yoga DVD recently and I like it a lot, but every time I do some of the workouts, my joints tend to crack and pop a lot! It doesn't hurt, it actually feels kind of good the same way cracking your knuckles feels, but I'm worried I might be hurting myself without even knowing it. I'm fairly flexible with a dance and martial arts background, but yoga is stretching me in new and interesting ways. Are the sounds my body is making just my body adjusting and will they go away as I do more yoga? I'm also almost 30 so is this just a part of getting older?

- dorisaurus

To find out what I think about popping and cracking while doing yoga read more.

This happens to me too, and has been the entire eight years I've been practicing yoga. My lower back cracks when I do Seated Spinal Twist, my hip pops when I do Open Triangle, and my shoulder pops when I do Bound Wide Squat. I look forward to it because it makes my body feel more open.

The weird sound has to do with your joints. A joint is an area where two or more bones meet, and this area is surrounded by joint fluid that protects the bones from rubbing against each other. Nitrogen gas is dissolved in your joint fluid. When you move your body in new and interesting positions like when you're doing yoga, your bones move, which releases pressure from your joints. This makes the gas come out and form a bubble, and causes the cracking or popping sound you hear. That release of pressure allows a temporary increase in the joint's range of motion, which is why it feels so good.

Don't worry about all the noises your joints make while doing your yoga DVD. It won't cause arthritis or joint pain, just a temporary feeling of openness in your body. As long as you practice yoga, you can expect to hear popping and cracking.

You Asked: Why Avoid Locking?

FitSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 04:00:00 -0700

You're asking and I'm answering.

"Fit, whenever I am reading about how to do a new exercise it almost always says, "Do not lock your knees," or elbows or whatever. Why is locking so bad?"
- Locked Lindsay

That's a very good question! Let me start with a little explanation. Locking your joints is when you are doing an exercise and you fully extend the limb until it can't straighten anymore - it sort of "locks" in place. The problem with locking your joints (knee, elbow, etc.) while lifting weights is that it places an enormous amount of stress on the joint and off the muscles, which can lead to joint problems and/or injury. Furthermore, since locking your joints gives your muscles a rest mid-movement, it makes for a far less effective exercise than if you kept a slight bend in your joints. I don't know about you, but I am looking to get the most out of my time at the gym so it is definitely wise to always keep a slight bend in the arms and legs.

I always like to use the jumping analogy. Would you ever jump up and land without bending your knees a little bit? No. Instinctively you bend them because it is the best way to deal with resistance and avoid injury. Think of this when trying to remind yourself not to lock them.

Source

It's a Wrap For Injured Joints

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:30:00 -0800

Last night my husband was complaining that his wrist was hurting him a little bit and that he thought he may have injured the joint while doing push-ups or something.

Being the stellar wife that I am, I began my quest to find out how to wrap it best if it came down to that. Lucky for me, I found an easy how-to for properly applying an elastic bandage from the University of Michigan Health System:

Start wrapping the bandage lower than the area that is injured.
Continue to wrap upward around the injury.
Fully wrap the entire area that is injured, wrapping securely. But do not wrap so tightly that the bandage causes the area to swell.
If the area or surrounding area begins to swell, turn cold, blue or numb, loosen the bandage.
Continue to use the bandage until the injury has healed.

Source

Does Cracking Your Knuckles Cause Arthritis?

FitSugar — Tue, 22 May 2007 04:00:00 -0700

In order to answer this question, we first need to talk about arthritis. It's the name for a group of conditions where there is damage caused to the joints. Here are some examples:

Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis are autoimmune diseases in which the body is attacking itself.
Septic arthritis is caused by joint infection.
Gouty arthritis is caused when uric acid crystals get deposited in the joints, which causes inflammation.
The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis (also known as degenerative joint disease), occurs after an injury or infection in the joint, or simply as a result of aging.

Hmm, I see that of these 4 examples, none of them are caused by popping your joints.

Now let's talk about knuckle cracking. A joint is an area where 2 or more bones meet. This area is surrounded by joint fluid that protects the bones from rubbing against each other. When you "crack" or "pop" your knuckles or other joints, you are NOT grinding your bones together. Carbon dioxide is dissolved in that joint fluid. The sound you hear is a result of the high pressure being released, when the gas comes out and forms a bubble. That release of pressure allows a temporary increase in the joint's range of motion, which is why it feels so good. The reason you can't re-crack your knuckles immediately after is because it takes a little time for the gas to get re-dissolved back into the joint fluid.

There is no evidence that cracking your joints causes arthritis, or any other permanent damage - it just offers relief.

So the next time you crack your knuckles and someone says "Stop! You're going to get arthritis!," just smile and politely explain that you're just releasing the pressure of your joint fluid.

Source

Trying to Lose Weight? Ask These Questions

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:00:26 -0800

Many of the people reading FitSugar have weight loss on the brain, but are your efforts really necessary? Are those extra pounds putting your health at risk, or are you just carrying around a little harmless fluff? WebMD outlined seven questions you should ask yourself to help decide if you really need to get serious about weight loss.

What is your lifestyle? "Regular physical activity and healthy eating are important," say experts who spoke with WebMD, not just for those trying to budge the scale. If you're not active and eat poorly, you should start making some changes for your overall health, not just because of a weight-loss goal.
What is your family history? If high cholesterol, "high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, or another weight-related ailment" runs in your family then Web MD notes that "it's crucial to be mindful of your weight."
What is your weight history? If the pounds have been creeping up on you over the past several years, you need to watch out since "experts say your BMI should not increase dramatically, even as you age. Even moderate weight gain in adulthood can increase your risk of diabetes."

To see the other four questions read more.

How is your weight distributed? WebMD warns that if your body is "the so-called 'apple' shape," it can put your health at risk. So if this sounds like you, aim to whittle away your middle. If your weight is primarily in your thighs and butt, it's not as crucial to drop the pounds.
What is your waist size? The National Institutes of Health say that a "waist circumference of over 35 inches in women signifies a health risk, particularly those people with BMIs of 25 and 34.9 (the overweight category)." If you're not sure what your BMI is, check out Fit's Calculator to find out.
What is your health profile? "If your cholesterol and blood pressure levels are high and your BMI falls into the overweight or obese category, it's important to lose weight," writes WebMD. So make an appointment with your doc to get yours checked.
How do you feel? "If you're overweight and have joint problems, shortness of breath, or other health troubles that limit your day-to-day living," and interfere with being able to work, then experts quoted in the article suggest that melting away pounds would help improve the quality of your life.