Joints popping/ cracking?

cnlargent
cnlargent Posts: 199 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So last night I was doing shoulder presses with 15lb dumbells in each hand, every rep I pushed up, my joints popped. No pain, just like a clicking. I've had this happen before sporadically, but last night it was every rep, (about 3 sets of 15). The 15lb dumbells are the same ones I have been using, no increase in weight. No soreness or injured feeling today. Normal? Or something to worry about?
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Replies

  • xXxHBICxXx
    xXxHBICxXx Posts: 370 Member
    I have this problem with my knees so I will be coming back to this topic in a few. Would like to know if something is wrong with me ... well besides the issues i'm already aware of hahaha :tongue:
  • Luciabella07
    Luciabella07 Posts: 205 Member
    Im not sure if your talking about a normal popping/cracking sound or more like a crunching sound. A crunching sound could be crepitus. Its from wear and tear of your joints and as long as there is no pain then it can be helped through strengthening exercises and stretches. If it is a crunching sound, I would contact your doctor and they can provide with you with exercises and stretches that can help strengthen the joints in that area.
  • cnlargent
    cnlargent Posts: 199 Member
    I don't believe it to be a crunching sound no. Clicking? Does that help describe it?
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    If it's not associating with pain or swelling or any other indicator of injury I wouldn't sweat it. My shoulders do the same thing. So do my knees and ankles. Just walking normally my knees pop constantly. Walking up stairs my ankles pop with every step too. It's been happening all my life and I am pain-free. Some people are just that way according to the research I've done.
  • louiselebeau
    louiselebeau Posts: 220 Member
    I am bumping this because I got the crunching and then had pain (still do) However I will be contacting my doctor.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    I am bumping this because I got the crunching and then had pain (still do) However I will be contacting my doctor.

    "Crunching" (a crinkling cellophane kind of sound), "popping" and "banging" WITH pain, are all indicative of osteoarthritis. It used to be thought that osteoarthritis was just a product of old age as almost 2/3 of the elderly have it. Now researchers know that there is a specific gene that must have mutated A LONG time ago in the common ancestor(s) of those who have it. Even though it usually follows a much more benign course than rheumatoid arthritis (which can hit at any age), it is the leading cause of disability and chronic pain in older people. Excess weight on the affected joints exacerbate the problem. But it is often a case of the "chicken and egg" as the increasing pain may cause the person to become more sedentary and pile on the pounds, which further aggravate the pain, etc. Water exercise has been a great boon to those with arthritis. Many people who were candidates for joint replacement surgery have found that they can get by with much less drastic treatment after taking up water exercise, along with the resulting weight loss. :smile:
  • threesixten
    threesixten Posts: 134 Member
    This happens to me with my ankles pretty much every single time I bend them. Squats, walking down stairs, lunges.. it usually doesn't hurt but every so often there will be one 'big' pop that hurts. I've asked doctors and podiatrists and they all seem to think if it doesn't hurt, it doesn't matter. It's a little disconcerting (ok, a lot) and a lot annoying. Would definitely keep an eye on it. I've recently started taking supplements that support joint health to see if it helps at all.
  • SatchGallamax
    SatchGallamax Posts: 549 Member
    My knees make all sorts of popping, clicking, and crunching sounds anytime they move. I've never had any pain from it and it doesn't inhibit any of my exercise, so I tend not to worry about it. No idea if that's the right way to go about it, though.
  • jmcreynolds91
    jmcreynolds91 Posts: 777 Member
    I have this problem with my knees so I will be coming back to this topic in a few. Would like to know if something is wrong with me ... well besides the issues i'm already aware of hahaha :tongue:

    Me too! everytime i bend down or squat my knees pop. everytime, over and over. Ive always wondered if it was something wrong..lol
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    I have this problem with my knees so I will be coming back to this topic in a few. Would like to know if something is wrong with me ... well besides the issues i'm already aware of hahaha :tongue:

    Me too! everytime i bend down or squat my knees pop. everytime, over and over. Ive always wondered if it was something wrong..lol

    Oh yeah, definitely. Every squat.

    I wouldn't worry, as mentioned, unless it causes pain or swelling.

    http://www.hopkinsortho.org/joint_cracking.html

    http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/injuries/a/aa092500.htm
  • carly_am
    carly_am Posts: 145 Member
    Hello

    I have this problem with shoulders and knees. Although I also have joint pain, but not whilst doing exercise, ie the crunching itself is not painful but just during a regular day I have joint pain. I have notice that since my muscles on my legs and shoulders got stronger there is less pain - no pain in my shoulders anymore, but they still crunch.

    I asked the doctor about my knees and he said they joints were fine its just gas moving about in them. I hav started usin knee supports when running and that helps.

    My advice would be go see a dr and if nothing is wrong medically just build the muscles in that area. If you are not in discomfort and there are no medical issues then just carry on as you are :)
  • nicknoyes85
    nicknoyes85 Posts: 9
    Have this problem too on my right hip area ( Snapping Hip Syndrome ) when i do any Leg raises etc can get bloody annoying and can get abit unconfortable after training!
  • Mustang_Susie
    Mustang_Susie Posts: 7,045 Member
    Bump for later.
    I have this in my spine & hips.
  • ajourney2beme
    ajourney2beme Posts: 181 Member
    I have this same thing in my knees & ankles. I notice it a lot walking up and down stairs. Doesn't hurt though or anything.
  • yankeedownsouth
    yankeedownsouth Posts: 717 Member
    I have this as well in my shoulders, elbows, and knees. Even my 16 year old daughter gets it in her knees. Maybe it's hereditary...
  • chunkydunk714
    chunkydunk714 Posts: 784 Member
    I notice this with my ankles when I walk. Glad I'm not the only one!
  • ObtainingBalance
    ObtainingBalance Posts: 1,446 Member
    Bumpp
  • beanerific518
    beanerific518 Posts: 152
    What are you doing for warmups / stretching prior to doing the shoulder presses? How many reps do you do in each set with the 15# DB's? Do you start at 15#?
  • lifewithmikey
    lifewithmikey Posts: 51 Member
    My knees have always crackled and I'm only thirty. When I get up from squatting down I sound like Rice Krispies. I've read that it has something to do with synovial fluid in the joints... but I could be wrong.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    Hello

    I have this problem with shoulders and knees. Although I also have joint pain, but not whilst doing exercise, ie the crunching itself is not painful but just during a regular day I have joint pain. I have notice that since my muscles on my legs and shoulders got stronger there is less pain - no pain in my shoulders anymore, but they still crunch.

    I asked the doctor about my knees and he said they joints were fine its just gas moving about in them. I hav started usin knee supports when running and that helps.

    My advice would be go see a dr and if nothing is wrong medically just build the muscles in that area. If you are not in discomfort and there are no medical issues then just carry on as you are :)

    Yes, it is important for everyone to build up the supporting muscles around each joint, in order to avoid injury.
  • Pepper2185
    Pepper2185 Posts: 994 Member
    I take fish oil pills - I think they help keep your joints moving (they offer other good health benefits, too). I'm not creaky anymore!
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
    I have the same problem with my shoulders and knees. It's not a problem if it isn't causing pain. According to my orthopedist, it is usually slight swelling in the joint (at least in my case). He says it's possibly tendonitis but that continuing to increase strength will reduce the stress and may reduce the clicking (which for me is more annoying than anything else).

    I have traumatic ankle osteoarthritis (had a couple surgeries on it) and that causes painful clicking, grinding and crunching. It is the reason I don't run on concrete or asphalt. When I do something that creates too great an impact on my ankle, it grinds and then crunches and gets stuck. I have limited flexibility and extreme pain (I'm talking about the kind of pain that wakes you up in the middle of the night) for a couple days. This is something that you would want to see your doctor about. I wear a brace on that ankle when I'm doing anything that could cause more than normal stress on that joint but try not to do too much in the brace because it will cause greater atrophy than there already is (or make my other leg work harder to compensate).
  • Funnyfishat40
    Funnyfishat40 Posts: 52 Member
    Yes it can be gas, yes it can be harmless however It can also be a sign of things to come,
    my ankles started like this when I was younger (13/14) it turned out to be my tendons popping over the joint and rubbing
    eventually the tendon wore away leading to increasing pain and eventually surgery (16) (had to be done again 12 years later)
    I have since had the same problem with my shoulder (26) , more surgery and my spine (38), again more surgery and currently looking down the barrel the gun that will be for my thumbs, this is not the problem for all I know BUT when the popping turns into popping and swelling OR aching after exercise, get it checked, Please xxx
  • theWinchester
    theWinchester Posts: 68 Member
    :huh: I'm going to come back to this later because everything of mine pops like that.
  • Bethie_B
    Bethie_B Posts: 292 Member
    My knees, elbows, shoulders and hips pop. No pain.

    According to my doc and personal trainer, as long as there isn't pain, it's not a problem. Most likely, tendons moving over or around the joints.
  • SJLS2013
    SJLS2013 Posts: 149 Member
    I get this all the time, in most of my joints.

    Usually there's no pain, just a loud noise, ranging from clicking to popping to cracking. The only time I get pain is lifting weights and I lock or overextend my arms. I find if I keep my joints soft and don't lock them, there's no issue.
  • elliev30
    elliev30 Posts: 20 Member
    What about Glucosmine? My daughter told me to take it to lubricate my joints.. I have that same problem with the crackling in my knees... Does anyone know if it works or helps? (Great topic BTW.. glad you brought this up)
  • threesixten
    threesixten Posts: 134 Member
    I just started taking glucosamine/MSM. Have only been taking it for a few days... I'll let you know if it starts to help.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    What about Glucosmine? My daughter told me to take it to lubricate my joints.. I have that same problem with the crackling in my knees... Does anyone know if it works or helps? (Great topic BTW.. glad you brought this up)

    I've been taking 2 a day for over a year and it hasn't changed anything.
  • cnlargent
    cnlargent Posts: 199 Member
    I already take fish oil as part of my vitamins. I guess when I think about it, one of my ankles cracks sometimes too.

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