Crunching in the knees when bending and extending: how to treat correctly, effective procedures

Factors that provoke the occurrence of crunching in the knees

The appearance of a crunch in the knees during bending occurs under the influence of the following factors:

• If there is excessive stress, for example, when lifting heavy objects. People involved in professional sports often encounter similar problems with their knees. Such people often have to lift heavy objects and also overexert themselves when performing exercises that involve the lower extremities.
• When walking in uncomfortable shoes. High heels are harmful to both the feet and knees, as they lead to a shift in the center of gravity. In such a situation, the work of the joint increases significantly.
• For obesity. People with excess body weight often encounter a problem such as clicking in the knee joints, which is accompanied by painful sensations. In addition, such patients lose the ability to fully move and soon get tired. After some time, a destructive process begins in the joint tissue due to increased pressure on it.
• If there are no calcium-containing foods in the diet.
• With poor nutrition, excessive consumption of table salt.
• With insufficient production of hormonal substances. The occurrence of crunching occurs due to the fact that the cartilage wears out, which leads to the loss of its functionality.

Also, crunching and clicking in the joint may appear in the following cases:

• In the presence of pathological disorders in the knee joint: arthritis, bursitis, arthrosis, damage to tendon and ligament tissue, meniscus. Against the background of such pathologies, you can encounter not only the appearance of clicks in the knee, but also the appearance of pain, swelling and limitations in physical activity.
• After suffering leg injuries.
• With an abnormal structure of the knee joint, for example, with a congenital difference in the length of the lower limbs, flat feet.
• When leading a passive lifestyle, sedentary work, complete refusal to play sports.
• For osteoporosis. This disease is often diagnosed in old age.
• In professional athletes. Almost any sport involves the lower limbs, and they are maximally loaded. Regular training leads to gradual wear and tear of the joint tissue in the knees, which over time leads to the appearance of a crunch.
• Due to age-related changes. Over time, the volume of intra-articular fluid decreases, which contributes to wear and tear of the joint and loss of mobility.

Anatomy of the knee joint

The knee joint is called complex because it has several articular surfaces. It connects the femur, tibia, and patella (kneecap). The quadriceps femoris muscle is connected to the patella by a tendon that continues with ligaments.

The knee consists of:

• articular capsule;
• articular cavity;
• ligaments;
• cartilage;
• articular surfaces of bone heads;
• synovial chambers with fluid.

Meniscus in the knee joint
The ligamentous apparatus of the knee consists of lateral, posterior and intra-articular ligaments. The articular surfaces of the bones are covered with cartilage tissue. Between the mating surfaces of the femur and tibia there are internal and external menisci (cartilage pads), so the knee joint is considered complex.

The knee contains bursae, the size of which varies individually. Their inner surface secretes a special lubricant, synovial fluid. Lubrication allows all elements of the joint to move easily and freely.

Structure of the knee joint

Causes of crunching knees in children

It is interesting that not only adults, but also children sometimes experience a crunching sensation in their knees during bending. A similar phenomenon can occur against the background:

• Age characteristics. In babies under one year of age, connective tissue and muscles have not yet fully formed. When the child learns to walk, the problem will go away on its own without outside intervention.
• Genetic predisposition. Often, joint problems are hereditary and are passed on from parents to children.
• Development of arthritis. In such a situation, the baby often cries and behaves restlessly. The knee joint area becomes swollen and painful, so you should immediately consult a doctor.
• Hip dysplasia. This pathological factor is congenital. In this case, the length of the lower limbs is different, and asymmetry is observed in the inguinal folds. Treatment must be started immediately.

Why do teenagers' knees crack?

A crunch in the knee during extension in a teenager can occur for various reasons. The most common of them:

Congenital defects - abnormalities in the structure of the joint or bone tissue;

Increased elasticity of connective tissues - this symptom often occurs in adolescence during the formation of body tissues. Due to the increased elasticity of the ligaments, a slight displacement of the joint may occur, accompanied by a crunch when returning to its place;

Injuries – after sprains or ruptures of ligaments and tendons, severe dislocations, this pathology may be observed for some time, which resolves over time;

Excessive loads - spend up to 4-5 hours at school in one sitting position, most of the load falls on the knees, as a result this can lead to mild inflammatory processes, fatigue of muscles, ligaments, tendons.

Most of the reasons are relatively safe, and with the right exercise regimen and care, the crunch may go away. In adolescence, this symptom rarely indicates any serious pathologies.

But if it occurs regularly, it is still recommended to be examined by a doctor. In adolescence, when bone and other tissues continue to develop, timely detection of pathologies and anomalies will help avoid more serious problems in the future.

Diseases that provoke the appearance of crunching in the knees

The reason for the appearance of crunching in the knee joints may lie in the presence of certain pathologies. The occurrence of such a symptom is most often noted against the background of the development of these diseases:

• Gonarthrosis (arthrosis of the knee). With this disease, cartilage tissue wears out, which subsequently leads to joint deformation. This is often the reason for the assignment of disability. Women are more susceptible to the disease.
• Rheumatoid arthritis. This disease is a chronic inflammatory process in the joint tissue of the knee, which affects the synovial membrane. The cause of the pathology lies in excessive physical exertion, frequent injuries and damage to the knee.
• Chondromatosis. Often a unilateral form of the disease is diagnosed. In some cases, the disease transforms into a malignant neoplasm, although this happens quite rarely.
• Bursitis. This disease develops after injury to the knee joint, which leads to inflammation of the intra-articular cavity. In addition, pathology sometimes occurs due to excessive physical exertion.
• Osteochondritis. Over time, the cartilage plate that serves as protection for the bone peels off. The disease is found in people aged 20-40 years, mainly in men.
• Hypermobility syndrome. The reason for the crunch in this case is due to the fact that the mobility and flexibility of the joint is too active.

The cause of crunching during flexion and extension can be both pathological processes in the joint and previous injuries. In this case, the problem develops against the background:

• Injury to the meniscus. A similar problem has to be encountered if a person has jumped unsuccessfully, sharply turned his shin or straightened his knee.
• Dislocation. Problems with the functionality of the joint tissue cause clicking sounds, which are evidence of displacement of the membranes in the joint.
• Fractures. Injury to the femur, patella, and shin leads to clicking in the knee area.
• Ligament tissue injuries or sprains. The cause of the problem in this case is excessive stress on the joint tissue. This leads to a violation of the anatomy of the joints, which causes clicks to appear during movement.

It is worth noting that in some cases, the appearance of crunching in the knees is considered normal. If this phenomenon is not accompanied by hyperemia of the skin, pain and swelling are not disturbing, it is quite possible that there is no problem. Clicking sounds may indicate that the tendon and ligament tissue touches the bone when moving, which causes the crunching sound.

In addition, there are other safe reasons that lead to crunching in the knee joints:

• due to weakened ligamentous tissue, joints become more flexible;
• gas bubbles in the intra-articular fluid explode.

What do joints complain about?

One of the main reasons for cracking in the joints is wear and tear of the cartilage. Throughout life, the human body changes and is subjected to various stresses: during physical labor or sports, during pregnancy. The body grows, which means its mass increases, and accordingly, the pressure on the bones and their joints increases. Considering that constant friction during movement is added to this, it is natural that the cartilage tissue gradually becomes thinner, as a result of which the corresponding sounds appear. Other causes of creaking in joints include:

1. Air bubbles. The place of their appearance is synovial fluid. Periodically, under the influence of pressure during movement, the bubbles explode. This process is accompanied by a crunch.
2. Dehydration. Lack of water in the body negatively affects the joint capsule. It dries out, that is, the joints simply lack lubrication. And in this state, “dry” friction of the surfaces occurs, which can accelerate their wear.
3. Physical activity without preliminary preparation, that is, without stretching and warming up. In this case, not only clicks are heard, but pain is also felt.
4. Infections that provoke intense removal of water from the body. In addition to the fact that the disease causes a condition typical of dehydration, the risk of infection of the joint capsule also increases, and this is already dangerous.
5. Sudden movements in the joints. In this case, the sound occurs as a result of direct contact of the ligaments with the bone.
6. Increased mobility, which is normal for adolescents between 16 and 18 years of age. Gradually, as the maturation process completes, the joints will become less mobile.
7. Inflammatory processes and diseases arising from this. Then the sound acts as a symptom of incipient arthritis, bursitis or tendinitis.
8. Arthrosis, which affects the cartilage of the fingers, elbows and knees.
9. Injuries. Because of them, microcracks appear, and a meniscus rupture is also possible.
10. Salt deposits. Salts gradually fill the periarticular bursa. Over time, they cause irritation and inflammation on the articular surfaces.
11. Changes in the location of ligaments and tendons. Because of this, the shape of the cartilage is deformed.
12. Heredity.
13. Unbalanced diet.
14. Unfavorable environmental conditions.
15. Bad habits.
16. Excess protein in the diet. Many athletes make this mistake. They forget that protein dries up synovial fluid.
17. Lack of movement. With a sedentary lifestyle, the rate of blood circulation decreases and the volume of protein in the body increases.
18. Hip dysplasia, which is periodically detected in children. This is a hip dislocation. It is most often diagnosed in infants, but the pathology also occurs in adolescents during the period when the musculoskeletal system is developing.

Another reason why joints click is that they are simply jammed. This also happens. A one-time failure often passes without consequences. But whether this is so, or whether there are still problems, is impossible to understand on your own. You need to see a doctor.

Clarifying the diagnosis by sound localization: when joints hurt and crack, the first thing to do is to determine where exactly it is bothering you, where the sound is coming from. The accuracy of the diagnosis depends on this.

If bones crunch all over your body, the reasons can be very different. For example, based on the results of the examination, the patient may be diagnosed with salt deposits, metabolic disorders, or hormonal imbalance.

Treatment is prescribed only after the cause of the cracking joints throughout the body has been reliably established. Perhaps you just need to adjust the therapeutic regimen that was prescribed to treat the existing disease. Joint problems occur due to the use of glucocorticoids and hormones. Sometimes it turns out that to normalize the condition, it is enough to saturate the body with calcium, trace elements and vitamins.

Associated symptoms

The appearance of a crunching sound in the knee area is not the only sign of the development of pathologies. Most often, in this case, the development of other accompanying symptoms is noted:

• pain syndrome of aching nature or sharp pain;
• hyperemia of the skin in the painful area;
• creaking in the knee area when changing position;
• burning sensations;
• feelings of numbness of the skin in the knee joint;
• the leg becomes completely swollen or swelling is observed in the area of ​​the knee joint.

In some cases, accompanying symptoms are absent or mild. Occasionally, it manifests itself only partially, this is due to the pathology that caused the crunch.

Associated symptoms

In 90% of cases, the creaking caused by hypermobility syndrome does not affect a person’s quality of life in any way (it is not permanent, more often it occurs under loads on the bones and joints, during flexion and extension of the limbs).

Creaking of joints is considered pathological when they:

• they creak almost constantly and quite strongly;
• they creak from any movements (during flexion-extension, squats);
• creaking is combined with muscle and joint pain, which arises and intensifies after exercise, tension, and depends on weather changes, the menstrual cycle, and nervous stress.

Occasionally, pain and creaks become chronic, constant, and the patient:

• The synovial membrane (synovitis), periarticular bursae (bursitis), and tendons (tendinitis) regularly become inflamed;
• muscle weakness and fatigue appear.

In this case, children refuse to play, and adults deliberately limit physical activity so as not to get injured.

Click on photo to enlarge

In what cases is it necessary to seek medical help?

Crepitation that occurs during flexion and extension of the knee joint is considered common. Many people have to face this problem when they do squats or climb stairs. However, in some cases, crunching in the knees may indicate the development of a pathological process. If you notice other signs (swelling or pain) appearing against the background of clicks in the knee, you should consult a specialist.

When your knees are constantly crunching, you need to seek help from an orthopedist. It should be understood that timely detection of the disease and initiation of treatment will help to quickly cope with the disease, preventing possible serious consequences. In addition, if you seek specialized help in time, you can significantly reduce the symptoms that appear and resume motor activity of the knee.

When your knees begin to creak, you should contact the following doctors to identify the cause of the problem and eliminate it:

• To the traumatologist. Consultation with this doctor is required if the occurrence of crepitus clicks is associated with any injury.
• Neuropathologist. This specialist will help you get rid of the problem when the cause of its occurrence is a pinched nerve. This leads to pulsation or lumbago.
• Nutritionist. Consultation with such a specialist is required when the appearance of crunching and pain in the knee area is associated with obesity.
• Osteopath. Such a doctor will help in relaxing muscle tissue and eliminating pain.
• Orthopedist. When the cause of clicking in the knees lies in dysplasia, flat feet or other congenital diseases, you need to consult an orthopedist to eliminate the problem.
• To the surgeon. If the quality of life is impaired due to crunching in the knee joints, which manifests itself against the background of the progression of a serious pathology, surgical treatment may be necessary.
• To a chiropractor. Such a doctor should be contacted when massage procedures have been prescribed for therapeutic purposes for knee problems.

What can a crunch cause?

If your knee crunches when straightening, you need to undergo an examination to find out the exact reasons for what is happening. Depending on whether the patient has any disease or pathology, there may be different consequences.

In particular, this symptom may indicate the following diseases:

Anomaly in the development of ligament and tendon tissue - in the future it can lead to rupture of the connective tissues of the joint, which will require surgical intervention;

Consequences of injury - if clicking continues for a long time after a sports or other injury, there may have been errors in the provision of medical services, in particular, the ligaments fused incorrectly or the joint was incorrectly adjusted;

Consequences of inflammatory diseases - inflammatory diseases lead to the destruction of cartilage tissue, which provokes the appearance of extraneous sounds during joint activity. If timely measures are not taken, inflammation can lead to decreased limb mobility, increased pain, and the development of chronic diseases.

You can only assess the scale of the consequences if you know exactly the causes of the disease or deviation.

Diagnostics

To make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor first interviews the patient to find out some important details:

• were there any other signs that preceded the appearance of crunching in the knees?
• whether the person has a genetic predisposition;
• whether the patient is sick with something else.

When the visual examination and questioning of the patient is completed, the doctor may recommend certain diagnostic procedures:

• magnetic resonance therapy (MRI);
• arthroscopic examination of the knee;
• ultrasound diagnostics;
• radiography

Based on the results obtained after the study, the doctor accurately diagnoses the disease. This will allow you to choose the right treatment in each specific case. How effective the prescribed therapy will be is largely determined by the advanced stage of the disease. You should not ignore the symptoms and wait for them to disappear on their own.

Diagnosis of crunching in a joint

During the appointment, the doctor will listen to the patient’s main complaints and examine him.

To clarify the diagnosis, the following studies may be prescribed:

• General and biochemical blood test.
• General urine analysis.
• Ultrasound of the knee joint.
• X-ray examination of the knee joint.
• Collection of synovial fluid and its analysis.
• Arthroscopy. This method can be performed not only for diagnostic, but also for therapeutic purposes. The procedure is performed under anesthesia. During this procedure, an arthroscope is inserted into the joint and the internal structures of the knee joint are examined on a monitor.
• CT or MRI of the joint.
• Scintigraphy.

Drug treatment

The selection of medications depends on what exactly caused the crunch in the knees. In this case, treatment with the following drugs may be prescribed:

• complex vitamin preparations containing phosphorus and calcium;
• corticosteroids containing hormonal substances;
• external medications to relieve pain and restore motor activity in the damaged joint;
• chondroprotectors in the form of capsules or ointments to strengthen cartilage tissue;
• anti-inflammatory drugs, the purpose of which is to relieve pain and inflammation. Such signs appear as concomitant symptoms against the background of crunching in the knees (drugs in this group are usually prescribed to patients with arthritis).

Which medications and in what dosage the patient should take is decided by the doctor after conducting appropriate research. Certain groups of drugs are potent drugs, especially hormone-containing drugs. Their use without medical advice is prohibited.

How to treat and for how long

Therapy is carried out in two directions: symptoms are relieved and the cause of their appearance is corrected. So, if a patient complains that the knee has cracked and now hurts, the doctor may prescribe drugs from the NSAID group: they help reduce pain, inflammation, and swelling. Corticosteroids, which are anti-inflammatory hormones, may also be administered. If the knee crunches when straightening, but does not hurt, the doctor may prescribe vitamin and mineral complexes. Chondroprotectors can improve the condition of cartilage tissue and slow down destructive processes.

Important: even if your knee crunches when walking, but does not hurt, you should not self-medicate: without an examination it is impossible to make a correct diagnosis.

Diet food

During the entire course of therapy, the patient will have to adhere to a special diet prescribed by the doctor. Dietary nutrition involves increasing the consumption of foods containing calcium, for example, dairy products. In addition, regular consumption of low-fat fish is recommended - it also benefits bone tissue and cartilage. An important role is played by the consumption of such products from childhood, while the development of the body continues.

If you experience crunching in your knees, you will have to eliminate all kinds of sauces, preservatives, marinades and table salt from your diet. It is necessary to limit the consumption of sweets; it is better to include fresh fruits and vegetables in the diet instead of confectionery.

Treatment methods

Treatment for creaking joints caused by weak connective tissue is not always required. Moreover, the pathology (hypermobility) is incurable and in 90% of cases proceeds favorably, without additional disturbing symptoms.

Therefore, preference is given to preventive measures that will help avoid the development of complications (injuries, traumatic arthritis and arthrosis). For example:

• a set of isometric exercises aimed at strengthening muscles and ligaments (maximum muscle tension without active movements in the joints);
• orthopedic correction of skeletal structure defects (special shoes, insoles, orthoses);
• limiting household and sports activities.

A set of isometric exercises without additional equipment. Click on photo to enlarge

The same preventive measures are effective and are used during the treatment of hypermobility syndrome.

Treatment is necessary if creaking in the knees becomes constant, and it is accompanied by:

1. Crunching and crackling sounds.
2. Pain in muscles and joints that occurs during flexion and extension of the limbs, under load.

But only in a small part of patients (2-3 out of 1000) joint and muscle pain is added to the creaking, the pathology becomes chronic and is treated from time to time with medications (from 2 to 4 weeks in the acute period).

Medicines

Medicines that may be prescribed for pathology:

Click on photo to enlarge

Physiotherapy

In addition to medications and physical exercise, physiotherapy (paraffin therapy, mud packs, laser therapy) is effective for hypermobility syndrome.

Diet

Patients with ligamentous weakness are advised to limit their intake of protein foods. It has been noticed that with a sudden transition to a protein diet (meat, eggs, milk, legumes), joints begin to creak even in healthy people. However, it is enough to reduce the consumption of protein products by 2 times - the squeaks and crackles disappear.

Surgical treatment

Surgical intervention for creaking knees is recommended only in situations where it is not possible to get rid of the problem using conservative methods.

In such a situation, the following is indicated:

• arthrotomy of the knee joint;
• arthroplasty
• punctures to determine the pathology and goal of therapy;
• tenorrhaphy
• meniscectomy
• arthroscopy
• synovectomy
• osteosynthesis

Typically, surgery is performed on patients who have the following problems:

• there is a foreign object in the joint cavity;
• received a fracture;
• you need to replace the knee joint with a prosthesis;
• ligamentous tissue is torn;
• damaged meniscus;
• diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis that is not amenable to drug therapy;
• Hematomas do not heal well, which requires removal of the pathological contents.

Which doctor treats a crunch in the joint?

If a person has a cracking joint, then the help of an orthopedist, traumatologist or rheumatologist may be required. It all depends on what kind of pathology provoked the occurrence of this symptom. If it is not possible to get an appointment with these specialists, then first you need to visit a therapist.

Author of the article:

Kaplan Alexander Sergeevich |
Orthopedist Education: diploma in General Medicine received in 2009 at the Medical Academy named after. I. M. Sechenov. In 2012, she completed postgraduate studies in the specialty “Traumatology and Orthopedics” at the City Clinical Hospital named after. Botkin at the Department of Traumatology, Orthopedics and Disaster Surgery. Our authors

Rehabilitation therapy for cracking knees

If the patient is bothered by crunching in the knees, the following therapy is recommended to restore functionality in the joints:

• Physiotherapy. Classes can only be started with the permission of the attending physician. If you start exercising too early, you can damage the joint tissue and make the situation worse.
• Swimming. This sport does not put much strain on the knees, so over time it is possible to restore lost functions.
• Physiotherapeutic procedures. This type of therapy consists of massage and thermal procedures. In combination with other restorative techniques, such procedures have a beneficial effect on the articular tissue of the knee.

Let's look at the benefits of restorative therapy:

• slight load on the damaged joint;
• rapid recovery after surgery;
• high probability of complete restoration of motor activity of the knee joint.

The disadvantages of restorative treatment include the following:

• Ligaments can be damaged;
• the disease will begin to progress if the use of restorative techniques is not started in a timely manner.

How are crackling joints treated?

There are four ways to get rid of crunching in the joints - diet, medication support, physical therapy and manual therapy. Your doctor may recommend one or all of these methods.

Diet

Patients are prescribed a low-carbohydrate diet. It is advisable to forget about baked goods and sweets, carbonated drinks and potatoes. You should even give up sweet fruits. There are quite enough carbohydrates in porridges and whole grain breads.

You need to eat meat with veins, jellied meat, and dishes that contain gelatin. But an excess of animal fats should not be allowed. It is necessary to get into the habit of eating apples and seaweed, fish and seafood. To prevent dehydration, it is important to drink at least 2.5 liters of clean water or unsweetened tea every day.

Medicines

When joints click, the doctor decides how to treat the disease, taking into account the root cause of the pathology. Inflammation is relieved with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Then the patient is offered to use Diclofenac, Meloxicam, Nimesulide, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Indomethacin or Ketoprofen. If the situation is stalemate, steroid drugs are prescribed. The dosage of Prednisolone or Methotrexate is determined by your doctor.

If you need to replenish fluid in the body, medications containing hyaluronic acid are prescribed. To restore cartilage tissue, chondroprotectors are taken. The course of treatment lasts 3–6 months, so it is worth stocking up on Artracam, Artradol or Structum in advance.

Physiotherapy

For joint diseases, the use of physiotherapeutic methods is allowed both in the acute period and during remission. With the help of physiotherapy, inflammation is relieved and medications penetrate directly into the tissues. As a result of the use of physiotherapy, blood supply improves and metabolic processes are normalized.

Patients are often prescribed exercise therapy, electrophoresis with drugs, magnetic therapy, and reflexology. Paraffin therapy, UHF and amplipulse help well. If possible, provide mud therapy.

It is advisable to visit a rehabilitation specialist. He will select the optimal training regimen and tell you what is best to do for a specific diagnosis: therapeutic exercises or swimming, cycling or sculpting. If necessary, a rehabilitation specialist will help with choosing an orthosis.

Manual techniques

Patients are prescribed massage sessions (therapeutic, restorative or relaxing). According to indications, pneumomassage, lymphatic drainage and kinesiotherapy are recommended.

Gymnastic exercises

Gymnastics helps prevent knee deformation and maintain muscle tone. You can perform the exercises when the doctor has cleared the load on your knees, since otherwise you can further harm your joints.

To get rid of crunching knees, you can do the following exercises:

• Sipping. While we are lying in bed, we stretch our upper and lower limbs.
• Bend your knees. We lie down on the floor face up and alternately bend our knees, and our feet should not leave the floor.
• "Bike". We lie on our backs, bend our knees and twist them, imitating riding a bicycle.
• Rotation. We stand near the chair, leaning on the back with our hands, alternately rotating our knees in one direction and the other. The exercise must be repeated 10 times.
• Squat. We stand near a chair, lean on the back and squat 10 times.

The movements must be slow and smooth, otherwise you can harm your knees. If sharp pain and swelling appear after completing gymnastics, it is better to stop exercising for a while.

Prevention of knee joint diseases

To keep your joints healthy and strong, you must follow these rules:

• Healthy, moderate diet, rich in vitamins and minerals.
• Controlling your body weight is very important: the stress on your knees increases significantly as you gain weight.
• Enough clean water daily.
• Moderate physical activity on a regular basis.
• Comfortable shoes that do not restrict movement (heel no more than 3 - 4 cm).
• Contact a doctor promptly if alarming symptoms appear.

Massage

Performing a massage helps to activate blood circulation and improve mobility in the knee joint. Moreover, you can massage the injured knee either yourself or by contacting a specialist.

If you decide to engage in self-massage, you should follow these rules:

1. Use ointments, for example, containing bee venom.

2. You need to massage your knee lightly and carefully, without using force.

3. Squeeze a small amount of ointment onto the knee area and rub it in using gentle movements in a circle.

4. The product should be smeared on both the front and back areas of the knee joint.

5. At the end of the procedure, it is recommended to wrap the knee with an elastic bandage.

6. The optimal time for massage is at night. At this time, the leg warms up better and remains at rest for a long time.

How do you know when it's time to see a doctor?

In itself, crunching in the joints is not a pathology and is even reassuring - with advanced joint diseases it is physiologically impossible.

You need to be concerned about a cracking sound in a joint if it is accompanied by:

• a feeling of friction - as if sand had gotten between the heads of the bones;
• pain that intensifies with movement;
• unusual tension, twitching in the muscles even at rest;
• swelling of the joint and increase in its volume, engorged soft tissues;
• limitation of mobility in the joint;
• a feeling that the joint is “jammed” - possibly a foreign body in the joint capsule;
• redness of the skin over the joint, local increase in temperature;
• a feeling of numbness in the muscles, their weakness, up to impairment of gait or fine motor skills.

Healthy crackling occurs periodically. A simple example: if a gas bubble collapses in a joint, when you move again, there will be no more crunching noise, no matter how much you bend the limb. But the pathological one is heard constantly and only intensifies over time. The specificity of the sound also differs. A loud, dry crunch is quite normal. But if you hear something rough, “with a grinding sound,” check with your doctor for the causes and treatment of crunching in the joints.

ethnoscience

To speed up the recovery process in damaged cartilage, you can use alternative medicine. Folk remedies help relieve symptoms associated with crunching in the knee joints.

Let's take a look at some recipes:

• Oatmeal compresses. Oatmeal in the amount of 1 tbsp. Fill a spoon with a glass of hot water and apply the prepared mixture to the affected area. You need to make sure that the compress remains warm. The duration of the procedure is approximately half an hour.
• Pine decoction. Take 1 spruce cone, fill it with clean water in a volume of 200 ml, and infuse overnight. The finished infusion should be taken orally twice a day, 1 tbsp. spoon. Duration of admission – 10 days.
• Lemon lotion. Mix lemon juice (10 grams) and vegetable oil (50 grams). We moisten a piece of clean cloth with the resulting mixture and apply it to the damaged knee, leaving for 40 minutes.
• Decoction with parsley. Mix parsley with celery root in a container. Pour 500 ml of boiling water over the resulting mixture and cook for 5 minutes. After removing from the stove, cool and strain, then add honey (2 tablespoons) and lemon juice. We take the finished product daily for 30 days, 5 sips. Then we take a break and repeat the therapeutic course if necessary.

It is worth noting that the use of folk remedies can only bring results in combination with traditional methods of treatment. Therefore, you should definitely consult your doctor before starting to use such recipes.

What can make your knee creak?

A crunch in the knee joint can be caused by its hard structures, including:

• Terminal section of the femur.
• Proximal tibia.
• Menisci and patellas.
• Articular cartilages and capsules.

Moreover, either one or several knee elements can crunch.

Sometimes extraneous sounds are caused by lesions in the soft structures of the knee, in which case they are explained by a violation of the equivalence between the hard articular surfaces.

A common cause of clicking joints is a weak capsular-ligamentous system.

The joints maintain their position thanks to ligaments, which are located not only outside, but also inside the joint capsule. If they are weakened, displacement of the articular surfaces may occur. This is a temporary condition that a person feels as discomfort in the knee. This usually occurs under excessive load and does not last long - from microseconds to minutes. The ligaments then tighten and restore their anatomically correct position, and the joint snaps back into place. It is at this moment that we hear a click or crackling sound.

Often the ligament receives a microtear. It heals quickly, but the connective tissue that forms in this place is no longer elastic. Over time, such “inserts” accumulate in the ligament, increasing the risk of a complete rupture or inflammation of the tendon. And when this will happen is unknown.

Single clicking sounds in the knee can also occur because the ligaments are not fully formed. For this reason, in boys, knees can click until they are 20 years old, in girls - up to 25.

Forecast

In most cases, this condition is not dangerous, although it requires prevention of possible complications:

• fractures, dislocations and subluxations;
• development of scoliosis;
• post-traumatic arthritis and arthrosis.

It is impossible to cure pathological ligament weakness and joint hypermobility (in 90% of cases the pathology proceeds favorably), so the main emphasis is on preventing complications (exercises, orthopedic correction, diet).