Chuck Bryant

Yeah, which, you know, as you age, grip strength is important.

So it's definitely not a harmless thing.

There are some other possible side effects, something called ligament laxity, which is basically looseness.

So over time, if you're just doing this a lot –

that's what leads to the reduced grip strength and sometimes sort of overall hand function.

I think in rare cases, if you have a really weird method or forceful method or you're a little too aggressive with it, you can get some soft tissue swelling around the knuckles and the joint.

Yeah, I mean, I know you're kind of kidding, but sad but true.

Like, especially these days, there's been more and more instances of Tommy John surgery being required because pitchers are throwing harder and harder.

And if you're not, you know, able to get it near 100 miles an hour these days, you're not going to have much of a chance.

It's a real problem in baseball.

Yeah.

I just love that you love saying Earl Hershiser.

Sure.

What a name.

Boy, he was great.

There was a study in 1990 that confirmed the grip strength thing.

I think they studied 74 people who regularly cracked their knuckles and their average grip strength was definitely lower.

And they had more instances of hand swelling than

than the 226 people who did not crack.

And another interesting thing is they found that in another study that if you're a habitual knuckle cracker, you are more likely to be a manual laborer, more likely to bite your nails, as I do, smoke cigarettes, which I don't, and drink alcohol, which I do.