I have a chiropractor question......?

Question

They say " don't pop your knuckles" because it causes stiffening of the joints and/or arthritis. My question is, if a chiropractor "Pops" all you joints, aren't you increasing the chance of developing arthritis in the future or am I wrong? Would someone please explain this to me?????? Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Hi Laurielooh. I am a retired Chiropractor. "They say..." is a classic example of 'an old wives tale'. When you hear someone say this, ask them for the scientific proof. There is none because it is not true.

Joints must move freely (within their normal ranges of motion) to remain healthy. Properly manipulating a joint ('popping it') returns normal joint motion, thereby returning the joint to a more healthy state.

Chronic loss of joint mobility will lead to degeneration of the joint, a condition commonly called 'arthritis'.

Hope this was helpful. Best wishes.

Answer 2

First of all, a chiropractor does not "pop" the joints. They realign bones. Sometimes there is scar tissue on top of the bones, that develops bubbles and tension, which is released as the bones are set back in place. That is why you may here a popping sound, but not always.

Answer 3

not necessarily, often when someones goes to a chiropractor, they may already have some stiffening of the joints and/or arthritis, its not likely that it can be a direct cause of stiffening of the joints. however, any manipulation of the joints combine with, aging and/or underlying diseases can lead to stiffening of the joints and/or arthritis