Stopping
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Hey just thought id post to say that i have managed to cut down the amount i crack after reading some tips on this site.
Personally, i used an elastic band around my wrist to remind me not to crack, and whenever i felt the urge i would hold the band so that my hands couldnt crunch. ((I only really crack my knuckles)). I did this for a WEEK, and managed to keep my self control up all that time- i only cracked about 5 times alllllll week. It was painful, but now i get urges abit less, which is good. I do give into the really strong urges, but they are now not in all my fingers. Also its much easier to control it in situations where others can be like 8O !Its worth trying, the only thing is, ive noticed that my wrists now pop, which never happened before- i wonder if this is anything to do with the less frequent finger clicking?
Take care all
let me know if anyones trying to stop!Robyn
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i've never wanted to stop, family use to pressure me when i was younger but i am a grown woman, it feels good and if anyone does not like it then just leave…i'd rather have this habit than a smoking, alcohol or drug habit. i have cracked my knuckles since i was a toddler, being a nurse i have had xrays of my hands done just to see if any damage has been done and none was noted. good luck in your bid to cut down...
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yeah i think its important to stop if you want to, but near to impossible if you dont. I wanted to see how long i could resist the urges and if they would gradually fade etc and if i had any physical symptoms from withdrawing. Being a nurse, do you think that knuckle cracking should be treated as an addiction?
That was the one thought that really helped me!Take care
Robyn
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Robyn, thanks for sharing this great tip on how to stop knuckle cracking!
Besides your unexplainable wrist experience, did you notice any other physical symptoms from withdrawing?
I also treat my cracking habit like an addiction since a couple of months with mixed success.
My experiences are best summed up by a post on 43things.com by hippie21st:
@hippie21st:had stopped awhile ago, after many tries. i tried cold turkey a few times and it didnt work. so, i went on a graduated systemi stopped a few joints a week and eventually i stopped completely. but then i said to myself okay, im tense, just this once. famous last words. now im right back where i was before, and i cant stop. and the moral is: NEVER GIVE IN!!!
I had almost stopped cracking my ankles for a few weeks. One day I was in major stress, caved in and cracked them again excessively all day. The next few days were h**l! They felt much worse than what I was used to the last few weeks with very rare cracks.
From my experience when you cut down completely you feel much better, but a teasing tension will always remain. I wonder if or when it will totally go away. Probably only after you have fully unlearned a joint.
I should really look into seeing a chiropractor. Maybe she can give tips to speed up the liagments build up?
It sure as h**l is a very hard addiction to give up! :x
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hmmm i guess i was physically more stressed, and although i am not doing quite as well as cold turkey as i was in the first week, its still making me stressed to abstain. My wrists have got better seeing that im not totally stopped, so i guess it must be something to do with ligament changes or something? I dont know?
I went to a concert yesterday and think i reactivated a whiplash in my neck that i got from a bad fall while trampolining and its making my neck click- but not nicely. Also, my neck only ever started cracking when i had damaged it, so i wonder if this is a joint which can only be clicked if damaged, or maybe all joints are so- i guess anyone who clicks their fingers must have bent them back or something in the past- you know.
Anyway its so helpful to think of it as an addiction, because i find myself feeling more satisfyed when stopping- rather than thinking 'well youre being stupid anyway'.
other than stress i dont think i felt anything else- of course that not including the physical tension in joints and mental urge to crunch which i certinaly did/do have!
Ill keep you updated if the tension gets any less :).
Robyn
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I don't remember ever having any accidents which lead to a new crackable joint.
I agree it is very helpful to think of it as an addiction! When resisting the urge, you feel smart.
Maybe one day the stress, physical tension and mental urge will indeed go away. So far it certainly seems the longer your abstain, the lower those factors get.
Still at high emotional stress levels I often give in, which seems to ruin all the previous effort.
This is something I need to gain better control over. -
I really want to stop because my dad's gp friend said it was bad and so do my family. And sometimes my joints hurt.
But it is so addictive.
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I'm trying to stop cracking my neck and my back, but I'm not doing a very good job. >> I just love cracking my back, I can do it just by leaning to one side now x3
Good luck to everyone who wants to stop ^^ -
Never tried to stop. I would like to stop because I hate it when I'm sitting by myself desperately trying to pop my sternum, ankle, or toes. It makes me feel like an obsessive-compulsive freak lol.
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Hey just thought id post to say that i have managed to cut down the amount i crack after reading some tips on this site.
Personally, i used an elastic band around my wrist to remind me not to crack, and whenever i felt the urge i would hold the band so that my hands couldnt crunch. ((I only really crack my knuckles)). I did this for a WEEK, and managed to keep my self control up all that time- i only cracked about 5 times alllllll week. It was painful, but now i get urges abit less, which is good. I do give into the really strong urges, but they are now not in all my fingers. Also its much easier to control it in situations where others can be like 8O !Its worth trying, the only thing is, ive noticed that my wrists now pop, which never happened before- i wonder if this is anything to do with the less frequent finger clicking?
Take care all
let me know if anyones trying to stop!Robyn
You know how i stopped my cracking of my fingers - will and self determination - a very hard way
