Everyone says that cracking your knuckles can lead to future deformity, but is that really accurate? Here I have enclosed the conclusions of my adventure to sift myth through reality:
When you crack your knuckles, you’re creating a small gas pocket inside the joint that’s popping, or dissipating. The pop sound occurs when the bubbles form rapidly within the synovial fluid that lubricates, or “oils” your joints. How does this all tie into what I’m trying to explain?
Contrary to common belief, cracking your knuckles has nothing to do whatsoever with any part of your muscles or bones, making it very difficult to hurt those things in the future.
Thus, the only way you could injure yourself cracking your knuckles isn’t by the actual pop, it’s by the unnatural force you might apply trying to pop your knuckles. So it’s alright if you pop them only when they’re poppable; it’s when you excessively force a pop on your joint that it becomes injurious.
In conclusion, you aren’t going to injure your knuckles by popping them excessively. And, while it can be a habit you need to break, it won’t have any long-term effect whatsoever.