We have all seen movies where right before the hero starts fighting, he cracks his knuckles and makes it look like the coolest thing in the world! But then our parents told us that you should not crack your knuckles because that weakens your grip and hand strength. But is that true? While many people do say that they experience a small loss in strength immediately after they crack their knuckles, but are their long-term effects to it? And what is the sound actually coming from?

The reason why people crack their fingers is because the evident and sharp crack noise causes a sense of relief. Many people also do it when they have done an activity that required them to work with their hands a lot like typing or sewing, giving themselves a sense of satisfaction, similar to stretching after doing hard work. That "crack" sound can make some people cringe, while others find it strangely satisfying. Cracking your knuckles is a pretty common habit, but there are a lot of misunderstandings about it. Some people do it without even thinking, others can't stand the noise, and some can't crack their knuckles at all. You might have been told as a kid that it causes arthritis or makes your fingers swell up. But those are just old wives' tales. There's a real science behind this habit, and it's more interesting than you may think.

Why Do Knuckles Make That Popping Sound?

The "crack" isn't actually bones breaking or anything bad happening to your joints. It's a normal thing called "crepitus." This just means harmless popping, snapping, or grinding sounds that come from your joints. The main reason you hear this sound is because of gas bubbles in the fluid that cushions your joints. This fluid is called synovial fluid. When you move or stretch, these tiny bubbles form and then pop, making the sound. It's totally normal and doesn't hurt you. Sometimes, especially in bigger joints like your knees, shoulders, or ankles, the sound can also happen when the stretchy tissues that connect your bones (ligaments and tendons) move slightly and then snap back into place.

After you crack your knuckles, you can't usually do it again right away. You have to wait a bit. That's because the gas bubbles in your joint fluid have already popped, and it takes a little while for them to build up again. While cracking your knuckles doesn't give you arthritis, doing it too much might cause some problems. Doctors say that cracking them too often could make your joints a little wobbly and might even make your grip weaker. Also, if the stretchy tissues in your joints keep snapping over your bones, they can get irritated and sore.

When Joint Popping Might Mean Something More

Sometimes, a pop in your joint is just like cracking your knuckles, nothing to worry about. But other times, it can be a sign of something else. As we get older, the cushiony stuff in our joints, called cartilage, can start to wear down. This cartilage helps your bones move smoothly. When it gets thin or uneven, the bones can rub together, and that can make a grinding or popping sound. This is different from the pop you get from gas bubbles. If this grinding sound happens along with pain, it could be a sign of osteoarthritis. This is a type of joint problem that's more common in older people, but younger people can get it too, especially after a joint injury. If your joints hurt, especially in the morning or after you've been sitting still for a while, feel wobbly, or are hard to move, it's a good idea to see a doctor.

Angina, a symptom of coronary artery disease, is a type of chest pain caused by the heart muscle not getting enough oxygen-rich blood, usually due to narrowed coronary arteries from plaque buildup.

Itis often described as squeezing, pressure, or heaviness in the chest, potentially radiating to arms, neck, jaw, or back and at times, can feel like indigestion. Experiencing an angina is warning sign of heart disease, not of a heart attack.

However, Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP), a Chinese traditional medicine that can help ease angina pain as it helps improve blood flow and protects heart microcirculation through its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic (promoting cell survival) characteristics, according to an EMJ study.

What Is Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill?

In this a randomized controlled study, 200 adults with angina and coronary slow flow phenomenon were assigned to receive either STDP or a placebo. The study measured coronary blood flow using corrected TIMI frame count (CTFC).

Patients who received STDP had improved blood flow in two major coronary arteries, while those given placebo showed no improvement. The improvement with STDP was significantly greater than with placebo.

The scientists concluded that using STDP to increase blood flow in the body was beneficial with no major safety concerns reported during the trial, allowing them to conclude that this Chinese medication can help the flow of blood through the heart’s smallest blood vessels, which supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle with no side-effects.

Researchers are yet to conclude how the medication works and helps the heart.

Coronary Artery Disease: The Silent Killer

Despite being as a common heart disease, coronary artery disease (CAD) develops over years and has no clear signs and symptoms apart from chest pain and a heart attack. The illness begins due to a buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances known as plaque in and on the artery walls.

Over time, this can cause narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries and block the supply of oxygen-rich blood to heart which can lead chest pain (angina), shortness of breath and ultimately, heart attacks.

Typically, those above the age of 45, having a biological family member with heart disease, lack of sleep, smoking, consuming saturated fats along with other autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis can increase the risk of developing CAD.

Treatment options may include medicines and surgery. Eating a nutritious diet, getting regular exercise and not smoking can help also prevent CAD and the conditions that can cause it.

Nearly one in 10 Indian adults suffer from CAD and about two million people die from the disease annually. Apart from this, about 18 to 20 million American adults aged 20 and older are also affected about the disease.

How Much You Should Exercise To Prevent CAD?

Moreover, regular exercise can also reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, dementia and Alzheimer’s, several types of cancer. It can also help improve sleep, cognition, including memory, attention and processing speed.

Dr Hayes recommends opting for a cardiac evaluation such as an electrocardiogram, or EKG; stress test; a cardiac MRI or CT scan to generate images of your heart if you notice changes in your ability to exercise or cannot perform consistent levels of exercise.

In early January, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made one of the most significant changes to childhood vaccination policy in decades. Routine vaccination is no longer universally recommended for six diseases, including rotavirus, influenza, meningococcal disease and hepatitis A. The move follows a directive from President Donald Trump’s administration to reassess vaccine schedules and align them with what officials called “international consensus.”

Supporters of the change describe it as a step toward informed consent and transparency. Many public health experts see it very differently. They argue that the science behind the decision is selective, the process breaks with long-standing norms, and the consequences may only become clear years later.

So are these vaccines actually necessary, and is removing them from compulsory recommendation a reasonable move? Health and Me ran a fact check to see whether the four vaccines removed from the CDC universal guidelines would actually be a "better thing", as the Health Secretary and long time vaccine critic Robert F Kennedy Jr says.

Read: Children Getting Fewer Vaccine May Be A 'Better Thing', Says RFK Jr, As US Struggles With Rise In Flu Activity

What Exactly Changed With The CDC Vaccination

Until recently, the CDC recommended routine childhood vaccination against 17 diseases. That number has now dropped to 11. Vaccines for rotavirus, influenza, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A, hepatitis B and COVID-19 are no longer universally recommended for all children. Instead, they fall under shared clinical decision-making, meaning parents can still opt for them after discussion with a healthcare provider.

Importantly, this does not mean the vaccines are banned or unavailable. Insurance coverage remains largely unchanged for now, and vaccines remain recommended for children at higher risk.

The larger concern raised by experts is not access, but messaging. Universal recommendations have historically been one of the strongest drivers of vaccine uptake.

Read More: CDC Vaccine Schedule: Coverage Falls From 17 to 11 Diseases For Children

A Break From the Usual Scientific Process

Traditionally, changes to the U.S. vaccine schedule go through the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a panel of independent experts who review evidence publicly over months. This time, that process was bypassed.

Instead, the decision relied on a 33-page internal assessment prepared by two political appointees. Several experts criticized both the lack of transparency and the narrow interpretation of evidence.

Dr. Paul Offit, a pediatrician and vaccine expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, described the process as federal officials making sweeping decisions behind closed doors, without public input or broad expert review.

Rotavirus: Rare Deaths, Heavy Hospital Burden

Rotavirus causes severe diarrhea and vomiting in infants and young children, often leading to dehydration. Before routine vaccination began in 2006, an estimated 55,000 to 70,000 U.S. children were hospitalized each year due to rotavirus.

The administration justified dropping the universal recommendation by emphasizing low mortality rates. However, CDC researchers previously estimated 20 to 60 deaths annually in the pre-vaccine era. Experts say focusing narrowly on death counts ignores the very real suffering and healthcare burden the virus caused.

Offit, who helped develop one of the vaccines, noted that most pediatric residents today have never seen a child hospitalized with severe rotavirus dehydration. That absence, he argues, is proof of success, not irrelevance.

Meningococcal Disease: Rare but Devastating

Meningococcal disease is uncommon, but when it strikes, it can be deadly within hours. Even with treatment, about 15 percent of patients die, and up to 20 percent suffer permanent complications such as amputations or hearing loss.

The administration cited low incidence and World Health Organization thresholds to justify removing the universal recommendation. But experts counter that low incidence is precisely what vaccination programs aim to achieve.

Dr. David Stephens of Emory University pointed out that most high-income countries still recommend meningococcal vaccines, even with similarly low disease rates. He also warned that recent U.S. data show a resurgence, with 2024 recording the highest number of cases in over a decade.

Modeling studies suggest that U.S. vaccination programs have already prevented hundreds of cases and dozens of deaths. Removing universal recommendations, experts warn, risks reversing those gains.

Influenza: The Limits of Clinical Trials

Annual flu vaccination for children has been recommended since 2008, based on evidence that children both suffer from influenza and play a major role in spreading it.

The administration argued that randomized controlled trials have not proven flu vaccines reduce hospitalizations or deaths in children. What it did not emphasize is that such trials are not designed to detect rare outcomes like death.

Dr. Mark Loeb of McMaster University explained that proving mortality benefits would require trials involving millions of children, which is not feasible. Instead, real-world observational studies are used.

Those studies consistently show that flu vaccination reduces hospitalizations in children. A 2024 review in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated a 67 percent reduction in pediatric hospital admissions. Experts say dismissing this evidence reflects a misunderstanding of how vaccine effectiveness is measured.

Also Read: RSV Vaccine Has Benefits, Reveals Study Amid CDC's Changed Guidelines On Childhood Vaccines

Hepatitis A: Protecting Others by Vaccinating Children

Hepatitis A rarely causes severe illness in young children, which is precisely why childhood vaccination works. Children often spread the virus silently to adults, who face much higher risks of liver failure and death.

Dr. Noele Nelson, a former CDC epidemiologist, explained that vaccinating children interrupts this transmission chain and provides lifelong immunity. She warned that reducing childhood vaccination could recreate the conditions that once fueled adult outbreaks.

Claims that hepatitis A vaccines lack adequate safety data were also disputed. Clinical trials and decades of post-licensure monitoring have found no unexpected safety concerns, according to Nelson and other experts.

Are These Changes Scientifically Justified?

Public health experts broadly agree that these vaccines are not perfect and that honest discussions about risks and benefits matter. Where they strongly disagree is the idea that low disease rates or ethical limits on trial design justify weakening universal recommendations.

Low incidence, experts emphasize, is not a reason to stop vaccinating. It is evidence that vaccination works.

Whether the consequences of this policy shift emerge in five years or ten, many experts fear the costs will be paid quietly, through preventable hospitalizations, outbreaks and deaths that no longer make headlines but never needed to happen in the first place.

A GP has shared an urgent alert about a clearly visible cancer symptom that many women may be brushing aside. The doctor stressed that this particular sign needs to be checked without delay. Ahead of Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, beginning January 19, as per Mirror, Dr Rupa Parmar outlined key warning signs of the disease and cautioned that one in three women are skipping their routine cervical screening appointments.

She also highlighted that some of the most common symptoms are often dismissed. One such sign is weight loss, which many women may wrongly link to cutting back after festive overindulgence or returning to a normal routine in January.

Women Urged Not To Ignore This Obvious Cancer Symptom

Dr Parmar, a GP and Medical Director at Midland Health, explained: “Cancer cells interfere with the body’s ability to properly absorb fats, proteins and carbohydrates from food. As a result, calories are burned more quickly, leading to weight loss. Unexplained weight loss is often the most obvious sign of cancer and should always be checked straight away.” She added that sudden weight loss is not exclusive to cervical cancer and is recognised as a general warning sign across several types of cancer.

Cancer Research UK also notes that weight loss is common among people with cancer and can be one of the first reasons someone seeks medical advice. The charity points out that lung cancer and cancers of the upper digestive system are among those most often linked to weight loss.

Dr Parmar also highlighted other possible signs of cervical cancer.

Pain During Sex

Pain during intercourse can be caused by issues such as vaginal dryness, infections or skin conditions, Dr Parmar said. However, if pain is new and wasn’t present before, it could be linked to cervical cancer, as a growing tumour may begin to affect nearby tissues.

Recurrent UTIs

Experiencing three or more urinary tract infections within a year could indicate an underlying problem, including cervical cancer. Dr Parmar clarified that UTIs do not cause cancer, but repeated infections may occur if a tumour has advanced and is pressing on or blocking the urinary tract.

Pelvic Pain

Ongoing and severe pain in the lower back or pelvic area with no clear explanation can be another warning sign, particularly when combined with other symptoms. As cervical cancer advances, this pain may intensify and can worsen during sex, urination or bowel movements.

Vaginal Bleeding

Bleeding that is unusual for you should never be ignored. This includes bleeding during or after sex, spotting between periods, bleeding after menopause, heavier-than-normal periods, or cycles that last longer than usual. These changes can signal that something may be wrong.

Discharge

Changes in vaginal discharge can also point to problems with the cervix. An increase in discharge, an unusual smell, changes in colour, or the presence of blood may occur once cancer has begun to affect nearby tissues.

If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s important to speak to a doctor as soon as possible.