Knuckle cracking

[GreatUserName]

Do you do it?
Please can you explain what it does for you?
It makes me wince when someone does it near me 😖

Knuckle cracking could be stimming where it helps someone to self regulate. I agree it makes me feel sick hearing it.

Sometimes the bones in my fingers get all stiff so I have to crack them

As @ThatFairy says, our joints get stiff. If your fingers are "locked" you have to release them to, you know, use your hands.

It's not like we're doing it to deliberately offend you. It's the same as how sometimes your knees crack when you stand up, or your neck cricks when you turn your head. Do you find that sickening as well? Perhaps the age old MN advice of "don't look listen then" should apply 😉

(and no, before anyone tediously rolls it out, it doesn't cause arthritis)

The noise is gas bubbles popping inside the synovial fluid. They make themselves, you can't just do it on demand like a party trick.

My daughter does

I used to do it a lot. It's just releasing gas built-up in the fluid between the joints. My DH does it a fair amount because if he doesn't, his joints seize up. I don't mind the sound if it's freeing things up, but otherwise it can be a bit annoying.

My children all do it on command!!! It’s really bloody annoying when we’re sitting down watching a movie and they’re all it!

My mum hates it, she's always asking me to stop but I feel so uncomfortable if I don't do it

It's really unpleasant but it obviously relieves discomfort for some people. A bit like farting I think - releases gas, relieves discomfort, probably better done away from other people

Editing to fix typo

I crack my finger, toes, back and occasionally neck I’m just a cracky person. Without doing it i feel stiff and it’s uncomfortable. I’m hyper mobile and I think it’s possibly linked. It’s not loud and I can’t think of hearing other people round me doing it, you must be sensitive to the sound if you’re hearing it regularly

I certainly can. Fingers, ankles, knees and neck. My big toe does it every single time.

I crack my knuckles because as others have pointed out it relieves discomfort in my joints. I can control it to some degree but I wouldn’t move away from others when I need to do it, it isn’t like farting! The only person I know who comments when it happens understands why I need to do it.

My DC do it incessantly - drives us mad! For eldest I think it’s definitely an anxious habit like nail biting (which she also does). The youngest just seems to like how it feels!

I know why people do it.
But. Please don't do it near me.
The sound makes me feel sick.
If it's a person I know, I tell them.

The more you do it, the more you need to do it.
I used to have to do my hands and my neck a lot or it would bother me, but I've managed to mostly stop except for occasionally.

Having taught secondary for 20 years, they really can. In the last two years it progressed to "needing" to crack their back, or neck, performatively, sometimes with the assistance of a friend who would pick.them up under the arms and stretch them. I hated it.

I just find it fun to wind people up with it. It’s not that bad

Hypermobility causes joint pain and stiffness. Cracking (any joint, not just knuckles) eases it. I don't do it to be annoying.