Groundbreaking Research Shows What Really Happens When You Crack Your Knuckles

I’ve been cracking my knuckles and p*ssing off my mum for as long as I can remember but I’ve never really known what the hell it is I’m doing to myself… until now.

In the first ever study of its kind, researchers were able to simulatenously record audio and visual evidence of a knuckle cracking.

There were 17 women and 23 men between 18 and 63 years old all examined using ultrasound imaging as they attempted to crack their knuckles.

“It's extremely common for joints to crack, pop and snap. We were interested in pursuing this study because there's a raging debate about whether the knuckle-cracking sound results from a bubble popping in the joint or from a bubble being created in the joint,” said Robert Boutin, Professor of radiology at the University of California.

Orthopaedists who didn’t know the participants’ knuckle-cracking history then evaluated each person for grip strength and range of motion both before and after the ultrasound.

Using a transducer, a sonographer recorded video images of the participants cracking their knuckles.

“What we saw was a bright flash on ultrasound, like a firework exploding in the joint. It was quite an unexpected finding,” continued Professor Boutin.

According to Professor Boutin, there had been several theories over the years about what happens in a joint when it cracks. But now they’re confident that the bright flash and the cracking sound are related to the pressures associated with a gas bubble in the joint.

Despite making a huge leap in research, further tests are needed to determine whether the cracking sound or the flash of light come first.

Physical examinations show no immediate pain or swelling when knuckle-cracking and there is no difference in laxity or grip strength following a knuckle crack.

“We found that there was no immediate disability in the knuckle crackers in our study, although further research will need to be done to assess any long-term hazard - or benefit - of knuckle cracking,” Professer Boutin concluded.

Try and explain that to mum next time she tells you off about it.



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Surprising Vaginal Birth And C-Section Differences. Which one is better?

Giving birth is really an unbelievable and cherished moment in a woman's life and with it comes both pleasure and anxiety. An expecting lady starts researching about the labour, labour pains, delivery methods and what not!

A woman can deliver her baby by either the Vaginal method commonly known as the normal delivery or by the C-Section delivery i.e Cesarean delivery. Both of them have their own pros and cons. While in most cases vaginal delivery is the most natural and uncomplicated way to deliver a baby, more and more women are opting for Cesarean Sections. Let us have a look at both the procedures.

This is how the microbiology comes to action.

The microorganisms derived from the vaginal pathway leads to the production of specific cytokines, which promotes the normal development of a child's immune system. From physiological point of view, post op recovery time is shorter than that of C-section, and the mother can hold and breastfeed the baby soon after the delivery. And from the psychological point of view the mother feels empowered and overwhelmed knowing that she has participated actively in her child's birth.

Two most common methods of normal delivery are by using forceps or vacuum extraction. The decision is made by the Doctor depending upon the case. The only cons of this process is that sometimes the child may get harmed due to the application of forceps or vacuum, but cases like these are rare if the process is performed by a skilled surgeon.

In most of the cases, Surgeons suggest C-section only when one or the other kind of risk is involved in child birth. Although nowadays females opt for this voluntarily as it is comparatively pain free and less time taking. Definitely the labor time and the pain can be avoided by this method but it increases the chances of infections and increased time in recovery.

This is the whole C-section procedure in nut shell.

Both the methods are very different from each other, and both of them have their own share of pros and cons the bottom line of the story is to ensure the safety and health of the baby. Every case and every patient is different, so the ultimate aim of the surgeon is to ensure a safe delivery of the child while keeping the best interest of mother in mind.




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