Cracking your knuckles.

Q: I crack my knuckles all the time. Is this bad for them? I also crack my neck, back, toes, knees and ankles. I heard that it can give you arthritis, but then I heard from someone else that it releases oils into your joints that lubricates them. Are either of these stories true?

A: There’s no scientific evidence that cracking knuckles or other joints makes those joints bigger or leads to arthritis. When you pull your finger, for example, you break the vacuum seal creating the fluid in your joint, and the breaking of that seal causes the popping sound. There is some evidence that excessive joint cracking (50+ times a day) may cause joint weakening. The biggest problem is the sound annoying everyone around you!

Herbal breast enhancement

Q: I recently walked into a vitamin store that was selling an item that supposedly made a girls breasts grow. Is there a pill that will do that? Will it make one gain weight in other areas than the breasts?

A: There are no herbal pills, cremes, lotions or exercises that will increase your breast size. While there are many products that claim to do this, none of them can show you a scientific study that proves their claims. You end up spending a lot of money for nothing. The only way to change the size of your breasts is to have plastic surgery, but this is very expensive and there are plenty of possible complications. Many women find that their breast size changes with age, maturity and childbearing. For now, however, you could try using a push-up or padded bra, but better than that, be thankful for the way God made ya. He think’s you’re beautiful no matter how big your boobs are!