Question
I have a 10 year old son who constantly crack his neck and knuckles. Its so annoying...should I worry?

Answer
Dear Jocelyn,

This is probably the easiest question ever.  Cracking of the fingers is not problematic and will not cause arthritis as many have incorrectly stated.  However, he should NEVER, EVER crack his neck!!  

I have seen three cases of young boys dislocating the vertebral joints in the neck from doing this...which means an emergency room visit at minimum, surgery if pronounced and one of the boys became paralyzed from the upper back downward and only had limited use of his arms. The dislocations can be unilateral or bilateral with the second being the worst.

I am not saying this to alarm you, but he needs to eradicate the behavior before he gets hurt.  Make sure that he does.

Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net