I have been cracking my knuckles ever since I was seven years old, when my brother taught me how to push down on my forefinger and my knuckle suddenly made a popping noise. I have been hooked ever since. What has been worrisome almost from the beginning is what will this do to me in the long run? I have asked various people who I think could give me a viable answer, and have not yet received one. I wonder why that is.
You hear people say that their doctors told them to not worry because the popping sound is only air that is naturally trapped in the joint and that as you “crack” your knuckle, you are only releasing that air, so it is not doing any actual damage, but I wonder still. I have also heard that it can lead to arthritis and would want to in no way discredit that or disregard it. I would rather anticipate that it does cause damage then not, so that I don’t find out later that it does cause damage but that I’m too late to start fixing it.
What I do know is that, other than my brother, I am the only one in my family who has been cracking my joints religiously any chance I get. Call it a nervous habit, but with some serious potential consequences. All I know is that my sisters’ knuckles aren’t half as large and knobby as mine are, and we are all very close in age, and I feel such stiffness in my joints that I am compelled to crack them again! Thus exacerbating an already worrisome condition. What I’d like to know is what is the latest theory on this subject and whose opinion is worth trusting?
If you are someone who hasn’t yet to suffer from bone issues, you are not alone, but we all at some point will start thinking about our bones’ health. Whether we are 27 or 97, there will come a time when our bones’ health will be relevant to us. It is inevitable that our bones will, whether earlier or later, become less dense and therefor weaker. This is just part of growing older and it can be treated throughout your life by simply taking care of yourself. The calcium and other vitamins, the exercise, even the sleep you get, will all aid you in assuring good bone health for the short and long run.
What you may not have been as aware of before, is that some of your prescription medications can actually play a part in furthering your loss of bone density. I am being enlightened about this issue at present, due to having to take thyroid medicine for the rest of my life. I have come to find out that there is a controversy worthy of looking into, due to its proximity to my own health, in regards to the question of whether certain thyroid prescription medications enhance bone density loss, through stripping the calcium out of your body. I have heard arguments for both sides, and though I don’t have a definitive answer on the subject as yet, it is something to be aware of with any prescriptive medication. Make sure to look up all of the side effects and contraindications and ask your doctor if it has the potential to do harm to you in another area. You’ll then have to weigh the pros to the cons and come up with what will work for you. But as a precaution, for me and bone loss, I have been advised to take in extra calcium and that is exactly what I will do. I may not know the truth yet, but I can prepare myself in the case that it is found to be doing what it has been accused of doing. And of course you will want to contact a medical professional before starting any supplemental regime that may interact with any prescription medications you may be taking.
Boston University School of Medicine has researchers checking the eating habits of those with osteoarthritis of the knee. The people getting the most vitamin C (over 200 mg a day) were three times less likely to have the disease worsen than those who got the least vitamin C (less than 120 mg a day). Timothy McAlindon, the study leader says, “Vitamin C may also help generate collagen, which enhances the body’s ability to repair damage to the cartilage.” And he also recommends that people get at least 120 mg of vitamin C a day in their diets.
One little red acerola fruit contains 81 mg of vitamin C and is also recommended if you can find out. Ginger has also been reviewed recently in studies for osteoarthritis. It has shown promise in slowing or even reversing osteoarthritis. A Danish study watched 56 people with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis who had fresh or powdered ginger. It gave relief in 55% of the participants in the study for those with osteoarthritis and 74% of those with rheumatoid arthritis. Some say that is because it’s similar to asprin in its chemical structure and may block the formation of inflammation. You can try this by using a mild tea with 3 or 4 slices of fresh ginger in boiling water.
