Crunch in the knee joints is heard by many people. It can occur when bending and unbending legs, and sometimes when walking fast. Some do not pay attention to it, while others believe that this is a sign of a serious illness. What if knees crunch? To identify the cause of clicks in the knee joints, you need to contact a specialist and undergo an examination. They make sounds with serious pathologies or with physiological features of the structure of the knee joint.
Anatomical structure of the knee
The composition of the knee joint includes three bones: femur, tibia and patella. They are covered with articular cartilage, which protects them from destruction. It also reduces friction. There are ligaments for joint stability and proper bone placement. The large muscles surrounding the knee provide motor and protective functions of the lower extremities. Nerves and blood vessels surround the joint, inside of which there are slit-like cavities containing synovial fluid.
It serves to lubricate the joints, without which they are not able to move silently and safely. Having such a structure, the knee joint is able to tolerate large loads. If one of the links is broken, a crunch can occur, as well as joint pain.
Crunch reasons
Why do knees crunch during extension? There are many reasons for this. Such a sign can appear at any age: in young children, adolescents, young, adults and the elderly. In some cases, a crunch signals pathological disorders or age-related changes in the joint, and in others it is the norm and does not pose any health hazard. In any case, it is better to consult a doctor and find out the cause of what is happening. Let us consider in detail all the causes of a strange sound in the knee.
Causes of a knee crunch. Physiological features
Clicking appears without abnormal phenomena in the knee joint, but as a result of the peculiarities of its structure. In this case, the knee crunches when bent, but does not hurt or swell. The causes of physiological crunch may be:
- Great physical stress on the joints. Restoring them requires rest.
- Fixed lifestyle, phenomena of stagnation occur, and with sudden movements a crunch occurs.
- Congenital increased elasticity of hereditary ligaments. There is an increase in the amplitude of motion of the joint.
- The formation in the synovial fluid of air bubbles bursting during movement.
- Friction of ligaments or tendons on bone often occurs in adolescents due to uneven bone growth.
With the appearance of a crunch in the knees without painful sensations, it is necessary to constantly engage in gymnastics that strengthens the muscles. Sometimes a crunch occurs after a joint injury. The doctor will advise how to get rid of a crunch in the knees when you address him with such a complaint.
Causes of knee crunch caused by various pathologies
Often, the knee begins to publish a crunch when pathological phenomena occur in the joint.
It could be:
- Synovial fluid deficiency is a lack of a natural lubricant for joints.
- Arthrosis - cartilage deterioration occurs, pain and crunch appear.
- Arthritis - the occurrence of inflammatory processes in the joints.
- Deposition of salts - cartilage becomes stiff, and movement is difficult.
- Meniscus damage - often occurs after an awkward movement when walking, running or playing sports.
Symptoms of pathologies in the knee joints
For health reasons of knee crunch, the following symptoms appear:
- Painful sensations. They may be absent at rest and appear during movement or physical activity. If pain was added to the crunch, then the inflammatory process has begun.
- Swelling of the knee joint. The appearance of even a slight swelling should alert a person.
- Redness of the skin and an increase in local temperature indicates inflammation.
- The appearance of lameness. With inflammation of the joint, movement difficulties, pain and the inability to fully bend or bend the knee are observed.
There is swelling, redness or lameness, and the knees hurt and crunch, what should I do? In this case, you must definitely contact a doctor who will prescribe an examination and treatment.
Diagnostics
With regular cracking in the knee joint, seek medical attention. You can make an appointment with the therapist. The doctor will conduct:
- A patient survey, in which he listens to all complaints, finds out when the crunch appeared, and finds out if there is pain, how it manifests.
- External examination of the knee joint and palpation.
To make a diagnosis, he will prescribe additional studies:
- general analysis of blood and urine - establish the presence or absence of inflammation and identify metabolic disorders;
- X-ray - all changes occurring in the joint will be revealed in the picture;
- CT or MRI - with their help there is a detailed study of tissues, ligaments, tendons and cartilage;
- joint fluid analysis;
- arthroscopy makes it possible to examine the joint from the inside.
If necessary, appoint specialist consultations: rheumatologist, traumatologist, neurologist, nutritionist. The final diagnosis will answer the question of why the knees crunch and hurt. The doctor will prescribe the necessary therapy and conduct a course of treatment.
Arthrosis of the knee
The disease overtakes people after the age of forty and affects one or both knee joints. The cause of the disease can be functional overload, weakness of the articular cartilage, infectious diseases, malnutrition, overweight. The disease is formed gradually over several months or even years.
Initial pain is mild and possible after a long walk. Then there is an increase in pain, they appear with a small load. It becomes difficult to get up and down the stairs, get up from his haunches. At night, the knees do not bother, and the individual sleeps normally, except on those days when they were under a lot of stress. Further, the pain intensifies, deformation of the joint occurs, and when walking the knee crunches. For the treatment of the disease apply:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Voltaren, Diclofenac;
- painkillers;
- chondoprotectors for the restoration of cartilage;
- vitamin complexes.
Physiotherapy is added to medical treatment: electrophoresis, massage, magnetotherapy, ultrasound.
Why do knees crunch when squatting, and what to do?
Most often, a crunch in the knees comes from a lack of movement. A sedentary lifestyle promotes early aging of joints. In the joint cavity of the knee, salts are deposited, which erase the elastic cartilage, and the release of joint fluid decreases, and the bones begin to rub against each other, making a sound.
The same phenomenon occurs with excessive physical exertion. Athletes after hard training while squatting notice a knee crunch. Often, gymnasts and those involved in power sports suffer from this ailment.
How to get rid of a crunch in your knees? To reduce the symptom, it is recommended to give up eating salty and sweet foods for a while, drink more water, eat foods rich in calcium, wear comfortable shoes and keep your feet warm.
Daily jogging and simple exercises, but squats should be stopped temporarily. Strengthen the problematic joint with strips of adhesive tape. Rubbing hot ghee into the knee joint gives a good effect: heating, massage occurs and, as a result, mobility increases. A good effect is the heating by an ultraviolet lamp. The use of such funds gives a noticeable improvement in three days. Otherwise, you must consult a doctor, possibly a crunch - this is the cause of rheumatism or arthrosis.
Synovial fluid deficiency therapy
Why does a knee crunch when bending and flexing? This phenomenon occurs due to a lack of synovial fluid. Its deficiency enhances friction, the meniscus erases, and this causes a crunch, limits the mobility of the knee joint and increases pain. For treatment, it is necessary to adjust the diet and include the following products in the diet:
- vegetables, fruits, greens and berries, tomatoes, citrus fruits, currants, gooseberries, rose hips, sea buckthorn;
- legumes and nuts;
- seafood and fish;
- eggs
- vegetable and butter;
- beef and lamb;
- offal and poultry.
What if knees crunch? To accelerate metabolic processes, it is recommended to perform a set of exercises daily, which the doctor will select. In addition, injections to the joint with a synovial fluid substitute are prescribed, and the crunch passes.
Arthritis of the knee
Arthritis is an inflammation of the knee that is accompanied by swelling, crunching, and pain. Often the disease occurs in people at a young age and has a rapid onset. Usually the pain intensifies at night. Changing the position of the joint does not bring relief. You can get rid of it after taking medication.
During the day, walking pain decreases. Nonsteroidal drugs that relieve the inflammatory process and pain are used to treat the disease. With an advanced state of the knee, hormone therapy is prescribed. Together with drug treatment, massage and physiotherapy are used to enhance the effect when the joint crunches during flexion, extension and a sore knee.
General recommendations for knee crunch reduction
To combat crunching in the knees, you can take the following actions:
- With enhanced sports, reduce the load, and with a sedentary lifestyle, include in your weekly schedule a mandatory visit to the gym twice a week. This will be an ideal solution to the problem, as the general condition and well-being will improve. You can organize physical activity at home, if there is no way to visit the gym.
- How to get rid of a crunch in your knees? You should not sit in the same position for a long time. You can move away from the table and, without getting up from a chair, do several exercises for the legs or stand up and walk, while performing simple movements with your legs. At home, one should make it a rule to perform useful daily exercises for the legs, for example, “bicycle” and “scissors”.
- To strengthen the joints several times a year, it is useful to drink preparations containing calcium and vitamin complexes.
- For preventive purposes, do knee massage daily, spending a quarter of an hour.
- If redness, knee pain, swelling occurs, seek medical attention immediately. Do not use self-medication without consulting a doctor.
Alternative treatment
If your knees crunch, what to do and how to treat? After consulting with your doctor, at the same time with medications you can use the advice of traditional medicine. There are many different recipes for this, here are some of them:
- Cabbage leaves are bandaged to the knee joint at night.
- Tomatoes Squeeze the juice, moisten a napkin and make a compress.
- Citrus juice. Add vegetable oil to it. Put a rag soaked in the solution onto the knee, wrap it with a scarf and hold for two hours.
- Bay leaf. Cook a decoction. Take 30 g of leaves, pour 300 ml of water, boil for five minutes, leave for four hours. Drink during the day in small portions. After a week break, repeat the procedure. It can not be used for gastritis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis and gastric ulcer.
- Wheat bran. Mix them in equal proportions with fresh milk. Put the resulting slurry on the knee, cover with a film, wind it with a scarf. Hold for half an hour, then apply a nourishing cream.
Prevention
To prevent a pathological crunch in the knees or its appearance should lead an active and correct lifestyle. How to get rid of a crunch in the knees or prevent its appearance? To do this, you must:
- Proper nutrition. Exclude fatty, fried, salty and sweet foods from the diet. Eat more greens, vegetables and fruits, as well as foods containing calcium. Increase the use of purified or mineral water. If you are overweight, strictly adhere to a diet, for the preparation of which you must consult a nutritionist or doctor.
- Exercise stress. Preference should be given to light sports complexes drawn up by a medical professional or physical education instructor taking into account the age, gender and individual characteristics of the body. Pay special attention to aerobics classes. The aquatic environment does not give a large load on the knee joint, strengthens the joint and muscle tissue.
- Women should reduce the time they wear high-heeled shoes, as this gives an additional burden on the knee joint.
- Children are recommended to drink vitamin complexes and calcium preparations.
- Avoid hypothermia of the legs, and do warm baths before going to bed.
It is especially important after a lot of physical activity to give the legs a good rest, to do self-massage systematically, rubbing vegetable oil. But, if other symptoms, such as pain, redness, swelling, join the crunch, then you should visit a doctor, undergo an examination and immediately begin treatment. In no case do you need to self-medicate.