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Chiropractics: Full of Cracks or Full of Crap?

FitSugar — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 10:00:00 -0700

When you think of going to a chiropractor, do you think it's just about getting your back cracked? A visit to a chiropractor can be so much more than that.

Chiropractics is an alternative medicine, like Homeopathy, that treats disorders of the body by manipulation of the spine. It's based on the belief that the nervous system is the mission control to your body. Because the spine houses the spinal cord, chiropractors believe that a misaligned vertebrae, whether it be from injury or how you were born, your range of motion becomes limited.

Also, the nerves that extend out of the spinal cord can be affected, causing pain in other areas of your body. They believe that your misaligned spine is the cause of most medical problems.

When you get your back "cracked," it's called an adjustment. And most people feel a release of tension and pain after they get adjusted.

Chiropractors also help to prevent pain, so they require that you see them regularly, not just when your neck hurts.

Of course, some believe that there is little evidence that spinal manipulation is effective in treating medical conditions.

But like most alternative medicines, chiropractics treats the whole person, which is a lot more than I can say for regular doctors, and could be the reason why it works for so many people.

See for yourself. Find a doctor in your area and talk with them. Most will do a free consultation visit so you can get a good sense if you think it's for you.

Naked + Alligator + Smoking Crack = Wack

GiggleSugar — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 09:38:00 -0800

Crack is wack, but do it naked and add an angry alligator, and you pretty much have this guy's crappy day yesterday.

Responding to calls from his neighbors, police in Florida arrived at 4 a.m. to the murky scene of a naked man struggling in a lake in the jaws of an 11-foot alligator. It took four officers about thirty seconds in a "tug-of-war" with the beast before they were able to pry him away. The man later told police he had been smoking crack, but it's still unclear what he was doing at the lake. In the latest update, he broke one arm and probably lost another. He's in critical condition and of course I hope he pulls through.

I gotta say, though, I'm beginning to agree with Drew Curtis over at Fark: Florida might in fact be a category all its own. Some really, really strange things happen there. Often.

Knuckle Cracking Is A-OK

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:00:48 -0700

I have written about knuckle cracking in the past, exposing the notion that doing so causes arthritis for what it is a health myth - one that is perpetuated by grandmothers all over the US. One doctor took his research on the subject quite personally.

For 60 years Dr. Donald Unger cracked the knuckles of his left hand repeatedly, but used his right hand as the "control group" and left them well alone. After 60 years of cracking, his left hand did not develop arthritis. For his decades long research, Unger was awarded an Ig Noble award, a lighthearted version of the Nobel prizes, which were announced this week. The Ig Noble Prizes "honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think. The prizes are intended to celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative - and spur people's interest in science, medicine, and technology."

Scientific bottom line on your knuckles: keep on cracking.

How-To: Heal Cracked Heels

FitSugar — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Warm Summer weather inspires many of us to wear flip-flops and walk barefoot. When your feet are exposed to air, it can cause dry skin on your feet, which will create calluses. The pressure of pounding your feet on the ground when you run can then lead to heel fissures, or cracks in the skin. They most often occur on your heels, but you can get them anywhere you have extremely dry skin. If you continue to run, the fissures can split open further and become deeper. When that happens, the fissures can bleed and expose the underlying tissue to infection. Plus they're really painful, which makes running downright impossible.

Want to know how you can prevent fissures? Then read more.

Before you go to sleep, soak your feet in water or take a bath or shower. Then lather your feet up with intense moisturizing lotion, salve, or body butter, and wear socks over them.
Wear socks and shoes that cover your feet to help keep the skin moist. I know this can be a pain during the Summer, but it will really help heal your cracked heels.

Drink lots of water throughout your day to help moisturize your body from the inside out.

To get rid of dry skin on your heels, try using a pumice stone in the shower. It gently sloughs off dead skin cells, eventually revealing softer, smoother skin. If you already have small cracks, just be careful not to irritate those areas.
If you live in a dry area, try using a humidifier in your home to help keep moisture in the air.
I know it's tempting to continue running, but if you have a deep fissure, pounding your feet will only make it worse. Switch to walking until your cracked heel is under control.
If you already have a big crack, make an appointment with a podiatrist. They can help get rid of the hard, dry skin on your feet, so that your fissure can heal.

Getty

You Asked: Are Popping and Cracking Joints Harmful?

FitSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:30:00 -0700

Hi FitSugar,

I got a yoga DVD recently and I like it a lot, but every time I do some of the workouts, my joints tend to crack and pop a lot! It doesn't hurt, it actually feels kind of good the same way cracking your knuckles feels, but I'm worried I might be hurting myself without even knowing it. I'm fairly flexible with a dance and martial arts background, but yoga is stretching me in new and interesting ways. Are the sounds my body is making just my body adjusting and will they go away as I do more yoga? I'm also almost 30 so is this just a part of getting older?

- dorisaurus

To find out what I think about popping and cracking while doing yoga read more.

This happens to me too, and has been the entire eight years I've been practicing yoga. My lower back cracks when I do Seated Spinal Twist, my hip pops when I do Open Triangle, and my shoulder pops when I do Bound Wide Squat. I look forward to it because it makes my body feel more open.

The weird sound has to do with your joints. A joint is an area where two or more bones meet, and this area is surrounded by joint fluid that protects the bones from rubbing against each other. Nitrogen gas is dissolved in your joint fluid. When you move your body in new and interesting positions like when you're doing yoga, your bones move, which releases pressure from your joints. This makes the gas come out and form a bubble, and causes the cracking or popping sound you hear. That release of pressure allows a temporary increase in the joint's range of motion, which is why it feels so good.

Don't worry about all the noises your joints make while doing your yoga DVD. It won't cause arthritis or joint pain, just a temporary feeling of openness in your body. As long as you practice yoga, you can expect to hear popping and cracking.

You Asked: Does Cracking Your Knuckles Cause Joint Damage?

FitSugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Dear Fit,
I have to admit that I love cracking my knuckles, but my gramma always says that I'm ruining my joints and I'll get arthritis when I'm older. Is she right?
-Cracky Kathy

This is a great question and you are not alone in the love of cracking your knuckles. In order to answer your question, let me explain what's happening when your joints crack. A joint is an area where two or more bones meet. This area is surrounded by joint fluid that protects the bones from rubbing against each other. The gas nitrogen is dissolved in your joint fluid. When you crack or pop your knuckles, you're releasing pressure, which makes the gas come out and form a bubble. Don't worry - the sound is not your bones grinding together. That release of pressure allows a temporary increase in the joint's range of motion, which is why it feels so good. The reason you can't recrack your knuckles immediately after is because it takes a little time for the gas to get redissolved back into the joint fluid.

So is it bad for your joints? To find out read more.

It is sweet of your gramma to be concerned about your joints, but let me assure you that there is no evidence that cracking your joints causes arthritis or any other permanent damage - it just offers relief. The only thing you need to be careful of is if cracking your knuckles causes pain. Actually, those who like to crack their knuckles, back, neck, and knees tend to have healthier joints. No it's not the knuckle cracking that's preventing arthritis, it's the fact that they tend to be more active people. As the old saying goes "move it or lose it."

So the next time you crack your knuckles and your gram says "Stop! You're going to get arthritis!" just smile and politely explain that you're releasing the pressure of your joint fluid.

I Call It BlackBerry, You Call It CrackBerry

GeekSugar — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 04:07:13 -0800

You all know I love my BlackBerry - so much in fact that even my mother has taken to saying, "do you have your crackberry?" before we go out together.

Clearly, I'm not surprised that CrackBerry.com, which is touting itself as the'Number One Site for BlackBerry Users and Abusers,' was launched this week. Believe it or not, the term "CrackBerry" was Webster's Dictionary New Word of the Year for 2006. Today, some nine million people own BlackBerries. What can you do at CrackBerry.com? read more

New BlackBerry owners will find the help forums and beginner's guide useful in getting the most from their device quickly. CrackBerry addicts will find it easy to always "get their fix," as the site boasts a growing supply of downloads (software, games, e-books, ringtones, themes and wallpapers) and accessories like Bluetooth headsets, carrying cases, and replacement batteries can be found in the CrackBerry.com store. "Crack Team" bloggers are integrated into the smartphone industry and update the site daily with news, rumors, reviews, helpful tips, humor and even celebrity BlackBerry sightings - you know I'm gonna love that.

Registered members looking to make social contact with other BlackBerry owners, can access the CrackBerry Connect portion of the site. There, members can post their CrackBerry profile and search other member profiles, and swap BlackBerry PINs - social networking for the BlackBerry population. For those who have taken their CrackBerry use beyond the point of healthy, the site offers a "Rehab Section" with both serious and humorous hints on cures for things like CrackBerry addiction and "BlackBerry Thumb."

You Asked: My Ankles Crack When I Walk Up and Down Stairs

FitSugar — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:00:00 -0700

You're asking and I'm answering . . .

Dear Fit,
Is it normal for my ankles to make a cracking or popping sound, the same sound my knuckles make when I crack them? It happens when I'm walking around in the morning, but especially when I go up or down stairs. It doesn't hurt at all, it's just noisy, and my boyfriend thinks something is wrong with me. Is it something I should worry about?
- Poppy Polly

If you're wondering too then read more.

What you're referring to is called crepitus, a cracking or grinding sound that can be heard or felt around the lungs, under the skin, or as in your case, in the joints. It usually occurs in large joints such as the shoulders or knees, but can occur in other joints as well. It's not the same as the loud pop you hear when you crack your knuckles (which is caused by the release of gas bubbles in your joint fluid). What you're describing, is caused by uneven cartilage surfaces rubbing together. Since you're not experiencing any discomfort or impaired range of motion, I wouldn't really worry about it. On the other hand, pain could be a sign of injury, cartilage wear, or arthritis, so if you start to notice inflammation, tenderness, or achiness, it's best to get checked by a doctor.

Source

Does Cracking Your Knuckles Cause Arthritis?

FitSugar — Tue, 22 May 2007 04:00:00 -0700

In order to answer this question, we first need to talk about arthritis. It's the name for a group of conditions where there is damage caused to the joints. Here are some examples:

Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis are autoimmune diseases in which the body is attacking itself.
Septic arthritis is caused by joint infection.
Gouty arthritis is caused when uric acid crystals get deposited in the joints, which causes inflammation.
The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis (also known as degenerative joint disease), occurs after an injury or infection in the joint, or simply as a result of aging.

Hmm, I see that of these 4 examples, none of them are caused by popping your joints.

Now let's talk about knuckle cracking. A joint is an area where 2 or more bones meet. This area is surrounded by joint fluid that protects the bones from rubbing against each other. When you "crack" or "pop" your knuckles or other joints, you are NOT grinding your bones together. Carbon dioxide is dissolved in that joint fluid. The sound you hear is a result of the high pressure being released, when the gas comes out and forms a bubble. That release of pressure allows a temporary increase in the joint's range of motion, which is why it feels so good. The reason you can't re-crack your knuckles immediately after is because it takes a little time for the gas to get re-dissolved back into the joint fluid.

There is no evidence that cracking your joints causes arthritis, or any other permanent damage - it just offers relief.

So the next time you crack your knuckles and someone says "Stop! You're going to get arthritis!," just smile and politely explain that you're just releasing the pressure of your joint fluid.

Source

The Skinny on: Cracking Your Knuckles

FitSugar — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 04:00:00 -0800

When someone tells you that cracking your knuckles will lead to arthritis, they're wrong.

What exactly makes that "popping" sound? When you crack your knuckles, or back, or whatever, you are pushing the joint into or out of its normal position. Joints are the meeting points of 2 separate bones. A thick liquid called synovial fluid is found between the bones. When you stretch, twist, push, or pull those bones apart, the pressure is reduced on that fluid, and bubbles form and quickly burst - making that familiar "pop."

Research from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine shows that people who crack their back, neck, knuckles or knees generally have healthier joints than those who don't. Well, actually, people who tend to pop their joints are more likely to be more physically active than non-crackers.

So go ahead and crack away. It may be annoying to others, but at least it's not hurting you.