Probably, every person in his life had to feel at least once that his knee crunches when bending. But it is immediately worth noting the fact that at the same time a person does not feel even the slightest manifestations of pain, but still this sound can create certain inconveniences, since few people will be pleased to draw attention to themselves in this way. But is this phenomenon really harmless or is it a symptom of the onset of a serious illness? And if diseases, then what? And how to prevent it? This article is dedicated to answering these questions.
What is this
When they say that the knee crunches when flexed, then this refers to the crackling and clicks emitted by the joints both during active movement and during passive movement. But, as practice shows, most often they appear during squatting or brisk walking. Most of the time this happens to athletes.or athletes and speaks of their severe overtraining. But recently, this problem has begun to arise both in adults and in children. So why is this happening?
Why do knees crunch when bending
The causes of this phenomenon may be various factors. Which include:
- Various diseases, for example, arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis.
- A certain way of life.
- Multiple physical activities.
- Injury and dysplasia.
Also, such a phenomenon when the knees crunch, but do not hurt, may be a manifestation of the norm. But let's look at each reason in a little more detail.
Crunching in the knees as a variant of the norm
As practice shows, sometimes such a phenomenon can be a manifestation of the norm and does not serve as symptoms of something more serious. The determining factor that everything is normal is considered to be the absence of pain in the knee. So why do knees crackle but don't hurt? The answer to this question is devoted to a huge number of dissertations and scientific papers. So, for example, it is believed that due to the increase in gas bubbles in the fluid that washes the joint (it is also called synovial), the volume of the joint cavity itself increases, which is accompanied by a characteristic click. Further, these bubbles dissolve, which in turn allows the joints to return to their original position, which can also serve as one of the causes of a crunch or click. It should be borne in mind that the time interval between such sounds can be from 15up to 25 minutes.
Another theory that has received confirmation says that these sounds may occur due to ligament or tendon touching certain bone fragments that protrude somewhat. Examples include the bones of the shoulders, hips, or wrists. In this case, the click emitted will be somewhat quieter.
High Mobility
Probably, each of us in our lives admired acrobats or gymnasts who showed great stretching? But few people know that most of these people have a congenital defect of the connective tissue, which is manifested by a sufficient weakness of the articular-ligamentous apparatus. As practice shows, it is in these people that the knee most often crackles when bent, but in their case this is more a manifestation of the norm than something that requires close attention from specialists. But if such a phenomenon occurs with enviable regularity, then it is still worth contacting a medical institution.
Arthritis, tendinitis, bursitis
As already mentioned, such a phenomenon may be a variant of the norm, but if it begins to appear quite often and without observing the time interval, then this is already one of the early symptoms that various inflammatory processes can begin in the human body. In addition, one of the symptoms of the onset of the development of a serious disease is not only the fact that the knee constantly crackles, but also the fact that this process is accompanied by severe pain, and in some cases even limited mobility of the joint itself. Each of thesesymptoms may indicate the presence or development of diseases such as arthrosis, tendinitis, deforming osteoarthritis, bursitis.
Low mobility
As the latest statistical studies show, some people who work mainly in offices and lead a sedentary lifestyle, one day are surprised to find that their knee crunches when flexing / extending. This happens due to the fact that a person, by nature, needs at least minor physical activity, and in the absence of it, gradual atrophy and weakening of the muscles occur, which in turn entails weakening of the ligaments. As a result, the articular apparatus can no longer fully perform its functions, as a result of which characteristic clicks-crunches begin to appear even with the most elementary movement. Such signals in most cases carry information that the body is gradually decrepit, it is necessary to pay attention to your physical condition.
Strong physical activity
Cracks the knee when bending and when the measure is not followed during exercise? It should be borne in mind that work associated with lifting weights or weightlifting can also lead not only to this phenomenon, but also cause a disease such as arthrosis. Therefore, at the first manifestations of a crunch or clicks, it is worth reducing physical activity and saving yourself a little.
Injuries, injuries and dysplasia
Quite often knees crunch when you squat after transfervarious joint injuries in the past, since after that the joint becomes a little weaker (even after fully carried out therapeutic measures), which in the future can be expressed in such characteristic sounds. In addition, it should be understood that this joint will automatically fall into the risk group for possible recurrence of damage. That is why it is recommended to avoid situations that can lead to them, and the characteristic click of the joints during movement is more of a reminder that this joint needs to be especially protected.
Also answering the question: “Why do the knees crackle when bent?”, Do not forget about such a common phenomenon as the underdevelopment of various tissues that make up the joint, it is also called dysplasia. In the presence of dysplasia, the damaged joint is to some extent considered weakened, but not due to external damage, but to a greater extent due to underdevelopment, but this does not prevent them from being combined into one group.
Diagnosis
If crunching in the knees causes some inconvenience, it is recommended to visit an arthrologist or orthopedist in order to prevent the development of arthritis or arthrosis in the future. After a full-time examination, a specialist will prescribe certain diagnostic measures that are aimed at making the correct diagnosis and starting adequate treatment. Such activities in most cases are introduced to the delivery of tests for reactive protein, rheumatoid factor and x-rays and ultrasound of the joint.
Crackling knees: how to treat
Depending on the diagnosis, the most appropriate treatment is prescribed. So, for example, for arthritis or arthrosis, anti-inflammatory and antihistamine drugs are used, which are prescribed for a certain course. In addition, ointments based on bee honey or other substances containing warming components are applied topically.
If being overweight is causing the knee to crack when flexed, the treatment is to rethink your lifestyle. And more precisely, in its activation. All that is needed for this is just to devote one hour of your time to doing various exercises (walking, cycling). The only thing to remember is that all heavy and exhausting exercises should be absent from this list, as doing them can only make things worse.
If the cause of the crunch is hormonal disorders (most often diagnosed in women), then the treatment is to use HRT (hormone replacement therapy). It is usually prescribed by an endocrinologist.
Crunching in the joints in children
As you know, children have a somewhat different structure of the joints from adults. It is all the more important to find out why a teenager's knees crunch. There are several reasons for this:
- Pathologies of connective tissue. Such children are characterized by increased flexibility of the joints. If this child has a crunch and clicking in the joints, then this is considered the norm. The only thing that these children very oftendiagnosed with heart disease. That is why, when identifying this pathology, it is recommended to be under the control of cardiologists. Ideally, of course, it is best to diagnose the functioning of the heart, which in the future will allow you to choose the most appropriate lifestyle, which will minimize the exacerbation of a possible disease.
- Short-term joint hypermobility. Its cause is considered to be the uneven development of tissues and joints, which is quite common for adolescents, since their articular apparatus, in essence, has not yet matured. Therefore, it is quite natural that from time to time, during the movement of the joints, one can hear such characteristic sounds as a click or crunch. The only thing you need to pay attention to is that these phenomena are completely painless and do not cause discomfort.
Prevention measures
When knees crunch, how to treat such a condition is usually prescribed by a specialist. But there are also some measures aimed at reducing or completely eliminating this phenomenon.
Let's start, of course, with gymnastics, which you need to do every day. The most common exercises include:
- Squats. It is desirable to do them from 2 approaches, ten times each. In addition, you should linger in the sitting position for a few seconds.
- Pulling up the legs to the chest area.
- Bike and scissors exercises.
- In addition, they performed quite wellvarious lotions, creams and hot baths, especially after a hard day's work.
- Another well-received remedy is the compress, which contains orange juice and vegetable oil.
But once again we remind you that before applying all of the above remedies, it is best to consult a specialist.
