Poping knees?
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It's normal. Especially if you don't have any pain.
Don't Sweat Creaking Joints Until They Hurt
University Park, Pa. -- The snap, crackle and pop of moving body parts usually don't signal an injury unless accompanied by pain, notes the June issue of the Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter.
"We shouldn't worry too much about sounds made by movement around a joint," says Andrew Cosgarea, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and assistant director of sports medicine at Johns Hopkins University. "Painless noise is normal. It could be caused by irregular surfaces rubbing against each other, pressure changes around a joint or two ligaments coming into contact."
The only time for concern is when pain goes along with the sound," he adds.
The familiar creaking and cracking noise, known in medical circles as crepitus, usually goes away or is not as noticeable with exercise. However, with some musculoskeletal conditions, it can, in fact, be a symptom of serious injury.
For instance, severe cases of tendinitis in the lower leg and foot are associated with a creaking sensation felt or heard when the toes are straightened or bent. The same sensation can occur with Achilles tendinitis, while a crackling sound can accompany tendinitis of the wrist, the Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter says.
In second- and third-degree ankle sprains, a tearing sensation, pop or snap might be felt when the ankle rolls inward or outward. That happens, along with swelling and tenderness, because one or more ligaments that hold the bones of the ankle joint in place have been torn or completely ruptured.
Knees can be noisy, whether they are injured or not. Most of the time, the crunching and cracking sounds that they make are harmless. Loose fragments in the joint have been known to make money, but the sharp pain that they sometimes cause make the noise a secondary problem, according to the Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter.
A meniscus injury involves the crescent-shaped cartilage found on both sides of the knee joint that serves as a shock absorber and stabilizer. When meniscus cartilage is torn, it can catch on the end of the femur and occasionally make a clicking sound.
A crunching, crackling sound can accompany patellofemoral pain syndrome, the medical term for front-of-the-knee pain. More important and recognizable symptoms include pain in front of the kneecap, intensified pain during exercise, pain when the person sits with the knee bent for extended periods of time and a knee that occasionally cannot support the weight of the body, says the Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter.
A snapping sound, severe pain and a "Popeye muscle" are symptoms pointing to a rupture of the long head tendon of the biceps. Shoulder injuries such as a strain or dislocation are sometimes associated with a sensation of popping or tearing rather than a distinct sound. With shoulder sprains, a creaking or crackling sound can occur when the injured area is pressed with the fingers, the Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter notes.
http://www.psu.edu/ur/news/news/sportsme...
Yes, you should worry. Popping is not normal for the knees. The more you use them before you have them evaluated, the greater the damage can be and less likely a fix will work. I suggest you go to an orthopedic specialist at your earliest convenience.
I always answer people' knee questions on here as I just had my 13th surgery in March so I am a seasoned knee injury veteran. And I will tell you what I tell everyone else. See an orthopedic (bone and joint) doctor. He/she will discuss your symptoms with you and take xrays and an mri scan. The xrays will probably show nothing, but the mri will give you your answers. The knee is a very complicated joint with 4 main ligaments and tons of cartilage including the meniscus. People on YouQA.com will give you their best guess and say "I had the same thing!" but you will never know without getting images of your knee taken. I am very knowledgeable on the subject, but I wouldn't begin to tell you what is going on without looking at images of your knee. So please, see a doctor and get it checked out.the earlier the better.you do not want to be like me and have 13 surgeries and huge scars...trust me. Good luck to you.
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