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Joints cracking noise

Started by paleoyard, July 18, 2014 · 6 Replies · 304 Views

paleoyard

Hello, I'm curious to hear if other people have similar things happening to them. My knees crack (make a cracking noise) every time I squat below parallel. I have full range on a squat and no discomfort from such "cracking". My questions: is this normal?

 

Similarly, my elbows will have the same effect only under specific light loads, for example a wrist wall push up. They crack almost every rep but a regular push up on the floor there's no cracking. Any insights as to if this thing is problematic, avoidable or indifferent?

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Your fellow GB friend.

Sensei JP

Since starting Deck squats my ankles, my main sticking point, have started to crack like mad.  I think (and hope!) it's an indication that things are starting to progress.  Similarly, my knuckles have started to crack more loudly now that I'm performing the H1 wrist prep.  I hope it's good, because it's a rather satisfying feeling.

Alessandro Mainente
well by some physios the crack is considered a good thing...joints are the meeting points of two separate bones, held together and in place by connective tissues and ligaments. All of the joints in our bodies are surrounded by synovial fluid,..when you stretch or bend your knees to pop the joint (not voluntary), you're causing the bones of the joint to pull apart and that case femoris and shinbone. As they do, the connective tissue capsule that surrounds the joint is stretched. By stretching this capsule, you increase its volume followed by a decrease in pressure. So as the pressure of the synovial fluid comes down, gases dissolved in the fluid become less soluble, forming bubbles through a process called cavitation. When the joint is stretched far enough, the pressure in the capsule drops so low that these bubbles burst, producing the pop that we associate with knuckle cracking...so ideally pop means good joints proportion and no unbalanced tension. for me, as example, shoulders pop, wrists pop , left knee pops while the right knee (where i got a surgery) does not pop. this is a sign that the surgery compromised a part of joint proportion. when i'm doing hard workout on connective tissue as H1 mobility my joints fall into inflammation and this situation increase the connective tissue volume..the proportions should not be the same as before and my joint does not pop. 1-3 days of normal recover and the pop returns!

Damon Amato

great explanation, Alex.  As an Athletic Trainer, my typical answer is: if (the cracking) doesn't hurt, don't worry about it.

BigBucky

It's now thought that cracking in large joints is more due to the snapping of ligaments rather than synovial cavitation which happens in small joints.

And remember cracking your knuckles doesn't cause arthritis. This doctors half century study performed on himself won the Ig Nobel prize. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/crack-research/

paleoyard

Thanks for your help guys. It's more annoying than anything else.

JimV

My back pops during windmills (only when I do them to the left). Since it's my only spine, I've been restricting my ROM so that it doesn't pop.