"Pull my finger," a phrase embraced by school-aged kids and embarrassing uncles the world over, is now being used to settle a decades-long debate about what happens when you crack your knuckles.

Whether it’s one or all of your knuckles, you may wonder what causes the cracking sound. Although interesting, “cracking joints” and “popping knuckles” are not fully understood. In fact, cracking ...

Knuckles crack when a bubble forms in a joint, new high-speed images reveal. The finding, reported April 15 in PLOS ONE, may settle a decades-old debate about the source of the sound. In 1947, two ...

Scientists think they may have solved an old question about the cracking of knuckles: Why does it make that sound? The crack apparently comes from a bubble forming in the fluid within the joint when ...

The popping sound habitual knuckle crackers make may be annoying — or even alarming — but are they actually harming themselves? The research is somewhat limited but generally concludes that ...

Knuckle cracking is a common habit, but many people still believe it weakens the joints. A top arthroscopy and sports ...

The wince-inducing sound of knuckles cracking is caused by a small bubble building up in the fluid of the fingers then ‘popping ‘, scientists believe, and it could even be beneficial to health. For ...

UC Davis Health System research presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago helps resolve two persistent questions about knuckle cracking: What causes ...

From fingers and toes to necks and knees, everyone knows a “cracker.” Up to 45% of people do it. And most habitual joint poppers have heard rumors their habit may cause arthritis. But are those rumors ...

Is it true that cracking your knuckles can lead to arthritis? Knuckle cracking, which stretches the finger joints, is common. People may do it for various reasons — to relieve stress or tension, or ...