If you’re worried that your knee is making clicking, cracking, and popping noises, it might not be anything too serious. Studies have shown that most individuals who run into such occurrences are going through what is referred to as knee crepitus. This is a medical term for noisy knees and will sooner or later disappear even without intervention. However, if you notice that the clicking hurts or limits your knee movement, we have a problem.
Today, we’re going to talk about clicking knees to help you understand whether or not your knees are in serious trouble:
The Causes of Knee Crepitus
There are a couple of reasons you are experiencing knee crepitus.
The first cause is that gas bubbles have built up in the fluid that’s found in your body’s joint. In this case, there was gas buildup in your knee joint fluids. As the join moves, it creates a popping noise similar.
The second cause of knee crepitus is that the tendons or ligaments in the knee are flicking over each other or bony parts of the knee. When this happens, it can create a clicking sensation without the sound every time you bend the knee.
Finally, the third cause of knee crepitus is that the kneecaps sliding up and down are uneven. Because of this, the kneecaps grate against other surfaces, creating a clicky or grindy sound.
Regardless of which cause is it that is causing your knee crepitus, they’re typically normal. This means that whether you’re dealing with gas bubbles in the joints, tendons flicking over each other, or uneven kneecap surfaces, there isn’t much to be worried about. However, there are signs that the knee clicking sound is much more sinister, which you should pay attention to.
What Leads to Pathological Knee Crepitus
When a knee’s clicking sounds hurt or stop the knee from making its full motion, that’s referred to as pathological knee crepitus. This can be caused by many reasons, the first being Meniscus.
The meniscus is the c-shaped pad that cushions the knee joint. A tear hears causes a painful click. The tear itself can result from a twisting injury, although it can tear even in normal circumstances due to ageing.
The second cause of pathological knee crepitus is referred to as the “patellofemoral pain syndrome.” This is the name used to refer to clicks and pops that hurt as the kneecap doesn’t move properly in its groove. You can test this by going into the squat position. If your knee hurts, you have this problem.
The third and final cause of pathological knee crepitus is cartilage wear. This is typical of those dealing with arthritis, where the joint gets stiff, starts to swell, and begins to hurt.
Conclusion
Remember, knee crepitus isn’t a sign that something’s wrong. It can be simply natural occurrences that cause the knee to click, fixing itself after a while. However, if you do start to feel pain, then you might want to visit the doctor. Pain is never a good sign, and it is your body’s attempt to tell you that something’s wrong in the knees. All in all, if you have clicky knees but feel no pain or any hindrance from it, don’t be too worried. They’ll fix themselves, but you can take part in exercises and efforts to promote healthy knees. On the other hand, if it hurts, go to the doctor immediately!
Invigor Health offers physiotherapy to fix pain and future-proofs the body for a healthy and happy life. If you are looking for affordable physiotherapy in Bondi for your clicky knees, get in touch with us!