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Everyone who cracks their knuckles has heard it before, “Cracking your knuckles will give you arthritis.”

So who listens? And how do we know that this is true? Some swear that it is true and will never crack a single knuckle. Others don’t believe a word of it and continue to crack their knuckles time and time again.

Senior Jess Salmon said that she never has thought that cracking your knuckles could cause Arthritis.

“I crack my knuckles a lot. Probably at least 5 times a day. I crack my neck and back too,” she said.

Opposite of Jess, senior Anna Lynn said that she cannot crack her knuckles. It actually grosses her out.

“I hate the noise. It makes me sick,” she said.

Is it really bad to crack your knuckles? Professionals say probably not.  A study done by Annals of Rheumatic Disease looked at a group of 300 knuckle crackers and found that people who repeatedly cracked their knuckles did not experience more cases of osteoarthritis.

There are two common forms of arthritis called Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid Arthritis comes from inflamed joints that can cause pain, redness, swelling and even loss of function. Osteoarthritis is the more common form of the two and is results from wear and tear on the joints over a long period of time, which makes it more common in older adults.

But that’s not what’s happening with knuckle-crackers, according to a study. Instead, the popping sound is the result of a gas cavity that results from the cracking process.

“Cracking your knuckles doesn’t cause arthritis,” said health and Phys Ed teacher Mrs. Nyman, “I don’t crack my own knuckles though.”

History teacher Mr. Burch said he thought that arthritis from cracking your knuckles what simply just an old wives tale and it looks like he is right.

Freshman Tanner Worthing had heard the myth, but said it didn’t really matter either way. He will continue to crack his knuckles.

“It feels good when I crack my knuckles,” he said.