Some people are alarmed by the crunch in their joints, while others ignore it. Which one is right? It turns out that this symptom can be either absolutely harmless and not indicate any danger, or indicate a serious pathology. Where do the “crunching” sounds come from and in what cases should you immediately go for a consultation?
Crunching in the joints is not yet a reason to look for incurable diseases
Why do my joints crack?
Sometimes the joints of the knees, legs and fingers crunch in the complete absence of any pathologies in the body. All joints are formed by the articular surfaces of bones and are enclosed in a special shell filled with articular fluid, which reduces friction and ensures normal gliding of bones. In addition, the joints have additional elements that act as natural shock absorbers during movement. All articular components are connected to each other by the ligamentous apparatus.
With various physical loads, stretching, displacement and vibration of the components of the joint occur. At these moments we hear an unpleasant noise, which in medicine is called crepitus. Thus, if your knees are crunchy, this is not always a sign of some kind of disorder in the body.
There is no need to wonder why joints crack during increased physical activity. Especially if we are talking about a child or teenager’s body. Some parts of the body may grow faster than others, and temporary imbalances may occur in the structure of joints. This is what most often causes the knees or fingers to crunch when bending in a teenager.
Crunching in the joints may be a feature of the body
Sometimes characteristic sounds in the joints are a feature of the body. Adolescents and young women are at risk.
- Teenagers.
At this age, bone tissue grows quickly, and the ligamentous apparatus often cannot keep up with it. Synovial fluid is produced slowly, and due to its deficiency, surfaces rub against each other. If this phenomenon is not accompanied by pain or swelling, there is no cause for concern.
- Young women.
With a certain genetic predisposition at a young age, many women experience increased production of collagen, a fibrillar protein that forms the basis of tendons, bones, cartilage and skin. This also leads to cracking of the joints; at the initial stage it does not pose any danger to the body, but in the future it can cause complications in the form of varicose veins and “spider veins” on the legs.
Joints often crack in those who consume a lot of protein
How to get rid of crunching?
Only an experienced practicing surgeon or rheumatologist can make an accurate diagnosis and eliminate the cause of the unpleasant sound. Competent complex therapy will relieve unpleasant symptoms when the patient feels pain and hears the joints of the arms or legs crunching. Simple recommendations such as:
- moderate physical activity,
- normalization of weight and a healthy diet,
- comfortable orthopedic shoes.
A complete medical examination will eliminate the risk of developing a chronic disease and will give the patient confidence that the cracking in the joints for him is within the normal range acceptable for the physiological characteristics of the body.
Crunch in the neck of a teenager
Crunch in the neck in a teenager: causes, treatment, prevention
Nowadays, you can often notice a crunch in the neck of many teenagers. Often parents do not know how to react to such phenomena: wait until everything goes away on its own or immediately sound the alarm? Let's figure out why a crunch in the neck occurs in teenagers, what diseases this may indicate and how to treat it.
Why might a teenager's neck crack?
The cervical spine is the most vulnerable part of the human spinal column, which is due to the anatomical features of the cervical vertebrae. The vertebrae of the cervical spine are characterized by increased mobility; they are easily displaced as a result of stress or injury, and also quickly undergo degenerative changes.
Crunch in the neck in teenagers can occur for various reasons, including when it is not yet a symptom of a serious illness. For example, when a child leads a sedentary lifestyle and spends a lot of time in a static position. Or vice versa, when a teenager subjects his neck to increased physical stress. Also, the causes of a crunch in the neck can be:
- hereditary predisposition;
- sleeping on unsuitable pillows or mattresses;
- disruption of metabolic processes in the body;
- excess weight;
- consequence of injuries.
By its nature, crunching in the joints is often a sound response of the movement of synovial fluid and air bubbles in the joint cavity. There are about 300 joints in the human body, and each is given a certain portion of synovial (lubricating) fluid; if for some reason it is not renewed, the joints remind themselves of themselves with a telltale crunch.
Such a crunch indicates the initial manifestations of degenerative-dystrophic processes in the musculoskeletal system. The root causes of its occurrence are: infections, excessively active sports, preservatives and flavor enhancers in food, excess consumption of meat or a protein diet, as well as congenital structural features of the skeleton and connective tissue.
If a crunch in the neck in adolescents is accompanied by pain, this may indicate the development of diseases such as spondyloarthrosis or osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
First of all, poor posture leads to spondyloarthrosis. Due to the incorrect position of the spine, the gaps between the joints narrow, which leads to a decrease in the size of the intervertebral foramina. They contain sensory neurons that respond to compression with pain. In the joints of the metamer, subjected to pressure, less synovial fluid begins to be released and the joint begins to crack. If left untreated, further compression of the nervous and vascular structures leads to increasing pain, reflex (vascular muscle tone) and trophic (tissue condition) disorders.
Juvenile (teenage) osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine brings a lot of unpleasant sensations, and this is associated with the involvement of nearby vessels and nerve trunks in the pathological process. Therefore, next to a crunch in the neck, the first symptoms include pain in the head, dizziness and fatigue. The child may also experience fainting or pain in the neck, shoulders or arms.
Signs of the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine may be impaired coordination of movements, hearing or vision impairment. These symptoms indicate a deficiency of molecular oxygen in the brain, due to compression of the vertebral artery by the displaced cervical disc.
Diagnosis of cervical juvenile osteochondrosis is complicated by the fact that initially children develop vascular disorders, and only after some time they are accompanied by pain in the cervical spine. Therefore, before a correct diagnosis is made, the child already has time to visit many specialists and receive unsuccessful treatment. Meanwhile, osteochondrosis continues to develop, and very often adolescents are diagnosed with protrusions and herniated intervertebral discs. Therefore, if a child often complains of headaches, fatigue or dizziness, this should alert parents.
If a teenager has a crunch in the neck, which is accompanied by the above symptoms, he needs to consult a neurologist. In case of degenerative diseases, it is very important to identify the problem as early as possible and begin treatment in order to stop the development of the disease and restore the functioning of the damaged part of the spine as much as possible.
Treatment and prevention of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in adolescents.
Prevention of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine should be carried out from an early age, taking into account the sedentary lifestyle of modern children and their attachment to computers and tablets.
Particular importance should be paid to prevention if the child has a certain predisposition to spinal diseases. Such factors include developmental anomalies of the spinal column, degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the musculoskeletal system in parents, congenital or acquired functional deficiency of cartilage tissue.
It is recommended to regularly engage in health-improving gymnastics, moderate physical therapy, and swimming, while great attention must be paid to strengthening the muscular corset of the back, which will allow the spine to be in the correct physiological position, thereby relieving unnecessary stress from it.
As for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, this is a long and labor-intensive process. It should be comprehensive and include methods of both drug therapy and physiotherapy.
At the Bersenev Medical Center, unique metameric technologies are used to treat juvenile osteochondrosis. The clinic’s specialists develop an individual, comprehensive treatment program for each child.
Metameric injection sessions, which are carried out by clinic specialists, involve repeated injection of certain areas with drugs with neurotrophic properties. As a result of this therapeutic effect, sensory, reflex and trophic disorders in the affected area are normalized. The comprehensive treatment program also includes metameric acupressure, which has a direct effect on the main reflexogenic zones of the compromised metamer.
Do not delay your visit to the doctor, because the sooner you start treatment, the better treatment results you will achieve. You can make an appointment with a pediatric neurologist by calling the children's department or calling the contact center (044) 238-22-31.
Diagnostics
A child with such symptoms should be regularly examined by a doctor.
Despite the fact that in 80% of cases clicking in the joints does not cause danger, it is better to carry out diagnostics regularly to be on the safe side. During the examination, the doctor examines the joint in which the crunching occurs and prescribes a series of laboratory tests. It is important to exclude the inflammatory process and possible injuries. The full picture can be seen by receiving test results, including:
- general and biochemical blood test;
- OAM;
- C-reactive protein test;
- rheumatoid tests;
- radiography;
- Ultrasound.
Diseases that can cause joints to crack
In the presence of arthritis, that is, inflammation of the joint, or arthrosis
, which is characterized by damage to cartilage, in which degenerative processes occur in the joints.
With arthrosis, a rough crunching of the joints may appear, since during this disease so-called osteophytes or marginal bone outgrowths are formed. Arthritis may occur due to colds. For example, rheumatoid arthritis may appear against the background of a sore throat. During a sore throat, at the initial stage, the child may experience pain in the joints, which disappears after about two to three weeks. Sore throat must be treated in a timely manner, since otherwise rheumatism may appear against its background. Treatment of joints
in a child should always be comprehensive, it should also include treatment of inflamed tonsils.
Vitamin D with burdock root extract and calcium hydroxyapatite promotes normal growth and development of bones, prevents the development of osteomalacia and osteoporosis. Calcium hydroxyapatite is a natural mineral. Its main components - calcium and phosphorus - are responsible for the mineralization, integrity and hardness of bones.
Prevention
To avoid any joint problems, you should eat right.
For the health of the musculoskeletal system, doctors recommend paying great attention to prevention in adolescence. You should not take medications on your own to strengthen muscle tissue, since against the background of physiological processes they can cause the opposite process and cause harm. Experts recommend following these rules:
- balanced diet;
- rejection of bad habits;
- moderate physical activity;
- wearing comfortable shoes;
- getting rid of excess weight.
Chondroprotectors and other biological additives for prevention purposes are taken only as prescribed by a doctor. They strengthen joints, making them more resilient and flexible. Taking such drugs is useful for young people who play sports professionally. In addition to medications, folk remedies, for example, sea salt, ozokerite, and boiled potatoes, have the same effect.