[net.bio] Knuckle-cracking : how does it work?

sadoyama@PAVEPAWS.BERKELEY.EDU (Eric Sadoyama) (05/13/86)

This has been bugging me for months.

I often `crack' my joints -- not just knuckles, but toes, elbows, knees,
and especially my neck and spinal vertebrae. The resulting noise is 
startling. I do it because it relieves tension in my joints (or at least
it feels that way).

What makes the noise? And why would this relieve tension? Also, is this
(as my mother repeatedly told me) bad for the joints and will it cause
any problems?

Please MAIL responses to me and I will summarize for the net. Thanks.

sadoyama@PAVEPAWS.BERKELEY.EDU (Eric Sadoyama) (05/13/86)

Oops. I forgot my .signature file. Here it is.

Eric Sadoyama / 2033 Haste St. #107 / Berkeley CA 94704 USA
{backbone}!ucbvax!pavepaws!sadoyama or sadoyama@pavepaws.BERKELEY.EDU