Joint Pain and Cracking

musikalmami237

Hi Everyone,

Was wondering if anyone shares a similar issue. My joints are always cracking/popping involuntarily. Every time I crouch down to pick something up, *crack,* every time I bend over *crack*. It's usually my hips and knees. I don't know if it has anything to do with me growing up as a competitive dancer for about 12 years, because friends of mine that I danced with have this problem as well. It tends to mess with me as I exercise, for example, if I lay on my back to do bicycles... my left hip clicks (always feel it, can't always hear an actual sound) very time I extend it my left leg in the bicycle motion. Or if I stand and do side bends while bringing my knee up on each side... my knee will pop every time I straighten my leg. It usually tends to be my left hip and right knee.

I also have intense pain in my left hip whenever I stand after sitting for an extended period of time in a chair. To the point where I actually limp. On a side note, I am only 26 years old.

I do know that last time I had blood work done, it showed I am deficient in vitamin D. I've increased my intake but still the same issue. I have had an x-ray done on my hips but it's shown nothing. Any advice?

michellewelch2010

My hips pop when I do any movement where I am on my back and moving my legs. I adjust the angle of my hips until it stops. Usually it stops when I tilt my pelvis up a bit? Hard to explain but play around with it. And I don't bring my legs out as far.

My knees pop and click too, so when I'm doing high intensity workouts I make sure if I'm doing say a squat, the angle between my thighs and knees never goes below 90 degrees. I have to adjust some of my Insanity movements for this reason, like the in and out abs I don't bring my knees in as far so that I maintain that 90 degrees.

Don't over extend your legs either.

I adjust my body and the exercise to prevent this popping/clicking instead of pushing through to do the exercise. It sounds disgusting and it's painful...

Make sure you stretch a lot too. My knee caps will actually grind if I don't stretch enough because my muscles are not pulling at equal tensions. Stretching solves this.

pepponde

My hips pop and crack a lot when they get worn out from running. I went to see an osteopath and there are some stretches they recommended to strengthen the glutes muscle group which has actually helped a lot. Using a foam roller over glutes and down the side of the leg also has helped stretch and elongate the muscles which has reduced tightness and cracking. You don't necessarily have to go to an osteopath--a google search for running knee pain or hip pain stretches will give a lot of options--but it may not be a bad idea so they can look at your alignment and make sure nothing else is going on.

My ankles also crack a lot (like on every step going down a staircase!) and I've been told strengthening the muscles around there should help that too but haven't really tried it yet : )

PinkyFett

My joints pop and crack all over my body. When I was seeing the specialist doc about my carpal tunnel, he diagnosed me with having some weird joint thing that I can't remember the name of lol. My joints are just looser than normal people, more flexible because of it, and prone to cracking and popping, prone to sprains and strains as well.

Samby_v1

My hips pop and crack a lot when they get worn out from running. I went to see an osteopath and there are some stretches they recommended to strengthen the glutes muscle group which has actually helped a lot. Using a foam roller over glutes and down the side of the leg also has helped stretch and elongate the muscles which has reduced tightness and cracking. You don't necessarily have to go to an osteopath--a google search for running knee pain or hip pain stretches will give a lot of options--but it may not be a bad idea so they can look at your alignment and make sure nothing else is going on.

My ankles also crack a lot (like on every step going down a staircase!) and I've been told strengthening the muscles around there should help that too but haven't really tried it yet : )

^THIS, and osteopath, please OP. The cracking noise is just the sound of nitrogen being released from the joint so don't worry about that too much! Most likely what's happening is the muscles around those joints are going into spasm, causing immobilisation in the joint. An osteopath would be able to diagnose this for you best, whether the best course of action is manipulation, strengthening the muscles, realignment, etc. I strained my back very badly when I was 24, from sitting in chairs 12 hours a day intended for very big men (it was an engineering job...). I had physio, strengthening and pilates classes. I suggest you get this sorted out soon, because the muscles and joints approximate to the problem areas will start to compensate for their stiffness and things will only get worse. In the meantime, yoga or pilates will help if you're not already doing it.

nancyluckhurst3

Being 71 years old my joints sound like Kellogs Rice Krispies. They snap crackle and pop due to Psoriatic Arthritis. I take Osteo-BiFlex with MSM and 5 Loxin for the Arthritis and it is a fantastic help. My Rheumatologist tells me to just keep taking it. I take one a day. Been taking it for 20 years. If you look for coupons and by on the B1G1 you can get a pretty good deal. I also take Humira shots twice a month for my Psoriasis. It is really helping.

Hi Everyone,

Was wondering if anyone shares a similar issue. My joints are always cracking/popping involuntarily. Every time I crouch down to pick something up, *crack,* every time I bend over *crack*. It's usually my hips and knees. I don't know if it has anything to do with me growing up as a competitive dancer for about 12 years, because friends of mine that I danced with have this problem as well. It tends to mess with me as I exercise, for example, if I lay on my back to do bicycles... my left hip clicks (always feel it, can't always hear an actual sound) very time I extend it my left leg in the bicycle motion. Or if I stand and do side bends while bringing my knee up on each side... my knee will pop every time I straighten my leg. It usually tends to be my left hip and right knee.

I also have intense pain in my left hip whenever I stand after sitting for an extended period of time in a chair. To the point where I actually limp. On a side note, I am only 26 years old.

I do know that last time I had blood work done, it showed I am deficient in vitamin D. I've increased my intake but still the same issue. I have had an x-ray done on my hips but it's shown nothing. Any advice?

knra_grl

Maybe try incorporating some yoga or stretching in the morning just to get the creaky joints back in play - I can relate it use to happen to me a lot but now that I have been more active it's less frequent - however my hips are frequently sore after I do my walks (i walk at a very brisk pace) so I need to start doing something specific for that issue I think.

CynthiaT60

One more thing: actual *pain* = doctor visit. Especially if you describe it as intense.

christa279

I would definitely recommend seeing a doctor for any intense pain! There could be so many different reasons for it and they would be so much better equipped to help figure out the cause.

I have joint pain and cracking/popping, but I was also diagnosed years ago with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. The type I have is relatively mild and causes joint hypermobility. I also have extra stretchy skin. I've done a lot of physical therapy in the past and was told that exercise would be necessary to keep my joints healthy and muscles strong.

BendySpartan

I would get checked for hypermobilty or Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome have a look here http://hypermobility.org

musikalmami237

Thank you all so much for your input. I really appreciate the advice!!

cafeaulait7

I have EDS, too, and my knees have sounded terrible since I was in high school. They kept getting worse, unfortunately, where pain entered the picture more and more. When I was finally diagnosed with problems from EDS, I found out that my kneecaps don't track right and never have. They are extremely hypermobile. So I've been grinding down the bone without knowing it for all these years.

For me (at 43 now), I just have to avoid a lot of things I'd rather not avoid. For someone as young as you, there would be braces and things to wear during exercise/sports that could really help a joint that is suffering from something like that (thinking of your knees). It was super easy for a doctor to see how hypermobile my kneecaps are, but nobody had ever tried it before. I guess I'm saying go to a very good doctor and really let him/her know that you want a thorough examination, especially of that hip. Some docs will try to brush you off due to your youth, but try not to let them!

I've had 2-3 physical therapists who did really in-depth exams like that, so that's an idea if a doctor still can't figure out why yours hurts. The initial exam appointment doesn't cost as much as you might think, in case your insurance won't cover PT, and it can tell you so much about structural problems.

Good luck!

Kaylee_F93

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/20881-rare-diseases-hemophilia-etc

I have Ehlers-Danlos too! Join my group on here.