I'm talking about the hypnotist-waking-you-up kind of snap, not cracking your knuckles. She wanted to know what caused the sound. The most plausible answer I could find was that the sound comes from the pad of your finger tip smacking against part of your palm near the base of your thumb. You can see a high speed video of a finger snap and see the palm rippling in slow motion, although it doesn't actually have the sound to go with it.
Some people think the snap comes from the friction of your fingers rubbing quickly. But if you isolate that action by snapping with fingerless mittens or something to dampen the finger smacking the palm, you don't get much of an effect. Some other people think your fingers even move faster than the speed of sound! The crack of a whip or a snapped wet towel does go fast enough, but the dampening test for snapping also applies here.
However, if you experience discomfort while cracking, then there could be a pre-existing condition that is aggravated by twisting and pressing the joint. Skip to content. But the satisfaction is mostly in your head. Were your parents right about arthritis?
It does not lead to arthritis,' says Dr. Click To Tweet. Tags: Expert Advice. The stretching of the joint is soon thereafter limited by the length of the capsule. If you take an x-ray of the joint after cracking, you can see a gas bubble inside the joint. This gas increases the joint volume by 15 to 20 percent; it consists mostly about 80 percent of carbon dioxide. The joint cannot be cracked again until the gases have dissolved back into the synovial fluid, which explains why you cannot crack the same knuckle repeatedly.
But how can releasing such a small quantity of gas cause so much noise? There is no good answer for this question. Researchers have estimated the energy levels of the sound by using accelerometers to measure the vibrations caused during joint popping. The amounts of energy involved are very small, on the order of 0. Studies have also shown that there are two sound peaks during knuckle cracking, but the causes of these peaks are unknown.
It is likely that the first sound is related to the gas dissolving out of solution, whereas the second sound is caused by the capsule reaching its length limit. A common, related question is, Does popping a joint cause any damage?
There are actually few scientific data available on this topic. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors.
Many people can make their fingers pop and snap, often called cracking knuckles. The sound you hear is caused by nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide bubbles moving in the fluid that surrounds your joints. Rest assured that the most common causes of finger-popping are not typically a problem. When there is no pain associated with popping or snapping fingers, it is usually harmless. However, if your noisy finger joints are painful or swollen, you should contact your healthcare provider.
This article explains when snapping fingers and cracking knuckles can be signs of a problem. It will also discuss symptoms to be aware of and potential treatments.
Joints may snap and pop for many reasons. Some of the conditions that cause it include:. The tendons in your hands are like cords that attach to the ends of your fingers.
When your forearm muscles contract, the tendons pull the fingers into a fist. The tendons run through a thin tube called the flexor tendon sheath. This goes from the middle of the palm to the tip of the finger. If you have the condition known as trigger finger , that tendon movement isn't smooth and may feel painful and stiff. This can lead to snapping noises. Because of this, you may also develop some swelling on your palm. The cause of trigger finger is often unclear.
It can occur in multiple fingers, in different locations, and at different times. Trigger finger is about six times more common in women than in men. It is also more common in individuals with diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis.
Genetics and repeated use of the hand may increase the chance of developing trigger finger. Trigger finger can happen if the size of the tendon and the size of the opening of the tendon sheath aren't compatible. This can occur if there is inflammation or swelling on the tendon. This causes a snapping feeling when you are relaxing a fist.
If symptoms get worse, you may need to use your other hand to straighten the trigger finger, or it may not straighten at all. Treatments for trigger finger include steroid injections, rest, anti-inflammatory medications, and possibly surgery.
Ligaments hold joints together and can get damaged when a finger is sprained or dislocated.
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