Teenage daughter

[glflans]

Hi everyone.  I have two teenage daughters and the oldest has been cracking her knuckles,ankels,knees,hips and wrist for many years. She started with her knuckles and then she would just keep adding on. I have been trying to break her of that by telling her she is going to cause damage to her bones,ligament ,tendons and possibly arthrities.  Well last night she came home from work with sharp stabbing pains in her knees and down her leg along with a burning feeling in her knees. I feel so bad about this. She cried and said mom I don't even know I'm doing it anymore. I believe that because she will do it just walking through a room and fast. She start at her toes and goes up until there is nothin else to crack. I am sorry for going on and on. I'm worried. Does anyone know what that pain and burning in the knees can be or the bad habit of cracking? Is it like a addiction? Ok I'm going to shut up. Ty

[glflans]

Thank you for the advice.

[AnnieBrooke]

I'd have her talk about it to a doctor.  It seems like the sharp pains are probably from something else, but the doc might be able to give her advice about how to break the habit too.  If cracking joints would give arthritis as soon as the teenage years, a lot more people would have arthritis at a young age.  Most kids learn at some point to crack their knuckles, but outgrow it, they don't get instant arthritis.  The fact that she's having these pains as a teenager suggests something else is the problem.