Often, when walking, the knee clicks completely unpredictably, for no reason. The click is not accompanied by pain, but an extraneous sound is a cause for concern. Human knees are organs whose structure can be called perfect. They work softly, silently, harmoniously throughout their lives - this should be ideal. If strange noises appear, it is necessary to consult a doctor to determine the root cause of the phenomenon. Without paying attention to the condition, in the future you can encounter chronic arthrosis, inflammatory and rheumatoid processes are possible, as well as other kinds of complications, including irreversible ones.
When is the time to worry?
If you hear a crunch, another extraneous sound, clicks occur during flexion and extension in the knees, clicks occur, it is worth contacting a traumatologist. This is especially important if sounds accompany painful sensations, discomfort, aggravated by an attempt to crouch. It is quite possible that the sound is explained by a previous trauma, even experienced a very long time ago. Sometimes sound reflects trophic malfunctions in organic tissues. It is known that crunch often worries people with excess weight, genetic prerequisites for impaired joint health. Clicks may indicate an infectious disease, malfunctioning of the endocrine system, invasion of viruses or protozoa.
Of course, in such a situation, only a doctor can say exactly what is the reason and what to do. Knees click more often in people of old age, often this reflects the changes characteristic of our body as we age. Even older people should not neglect this symptom and take it for granted. For suspicious noises, it is best to consult a doctor. Perhaps the crunch indicates gonarthrosis or dystrophy.
Possible reasons: daily attention
In each case, to find out why the knee clicks, it is better to entrust the doctor. The doctor will interview the patient to determine the characteristics of his lifestyle - perhaps the reason for the clicks and crunch is in him. In particular, this phenomenon is more prone to people who are forced to regularly lift heavy objects, as well as loading knee joints in a different way. Gradually, the joint wears out, wears out, trophism is broken, functionality weakens, pain and an incomprehensible crunchy sound appear.
Knee ligament health may be impaired due to malnutrition. If a person prefers to eat sweet, spicy, consumes a lot of salt, there is a high probability of an upset in the metabolic system, endocrine, articular. If you are concerned about sore joints, incomprehensible clicks, you should abandon everything salty, sweet, sharp for at least a month and compare the progress of the condition. It is likely that even this measure will be enough to regain its former health.
Habits and their consequences
More often they notice a crunch in the knees during flexion and extension of a woman than men, because, due to the desire for beauty, uncomfortable shoes are used. Do not forget about the detrimental effect on the knee joints of high thin heels, which give an increased load on all parts of the limbs and spine. To minimize dangers for oneself, it is worth using shoes with a foot elevation of not more than four centimeters - this is the value that corresponds to the anatomical structure of human legs.
Often, knee ligaments in people with excess weight are affected. Excess kilograms create increased pressure on the musculoskeletal system, joints and ligaments, which affects overall health. If a crunch bothers a complete person, the doctor will probably suggest first switching to proper nutrition and revising the rhythm of life in order to get rid of extra pounds. As you lose weight, changes in the condition of the knees will be monitored, if necessary, additional examinations will be carried out and other correction methods will be prescribed.
Attention to various aspects
If nothing hurts, but the knees click when walking, perhaps the reason is too little mobility in everyday life. People leading a sedentary lifestyle are more often faced with a variety of health disorders, including affecting ligaments, joints. In particular danger are those who, due to the nature of their work, are forced to sit in one place for a long time, practically without moving - this is exactly the office work, which is so attractive to many. To minimize the danger and prevent dystrophic changes, you should enter a maximum of activity, possibly change the workplace. At breaks, dinners, you should do a little gymnastics, and go out for a slow run a couple of times a week.
Finding out why sometimes clicks in the knee when bending, it is worth paying attention to situations in which there is a disturbing sound. Some are faced with it if they are forced to endure something heavy, as well as against the background of other significant loads. If crunching occurs rarely and only in such a situation, the sound indicates the need for urgent rest. The best way to relax is to visit the sauna or relax in the hot tub. Water stimulates muscle relaxation, and temperature activates blood flow in the joint area.
There are many options
It is far from always possible to determine on your own why the knee joint clicks when walking - there may be several reasons at once. In order not to make a mistake and choose the right way to correct the condition, you should seek the help of a traumatologist. The doctor will examine the patient, determine what triggered the crunch, recommend how to change his lifestyle, and direct him to special studies, if necessary. The doctor will explain how to prevent the accumulation of salts in the joints, to eliminate the likelihood of complications. Of course, you will have to carefully follow all the recommendations, otherwise you can’t get rid of the crunch.
Sometimes knees click when squatting, walking, bending due to illness. Arthritis of various nature, arthrosis, calcium accumulation, sclerosis localized in soft tissues can manifest themselves with this symptom. Any of the described pathologies can eventually cause loss of mobility, so you should not delay the start of treatment. The sooner the therapy is selected and started, the faster it will be possible to cope with the disaster and avoid the consequences. An important point is the financial costs associated with treatment: at the advanced stage of the disease, they will be many times more.
Only a doctor will help!
The described sound is rather unpleasant. And it’s true, who will please if the knee clicks when walking? The causes of this condition are varied, sometimes the cause is congruency failures. The term denote the phenomenon of inaccurate coincidence of the surfaces of the elements of the joint. To correct the problem, you will have to use the services of an experienced announcer. The doctor will perform fine-tuning using special equipment.
Soreness and crunch often indicate arthrosis, arthritis. The cause of these pathologies is a violation of trophism, cellular metabolism. As a rule, the therapeutic course is conservative, although surgery may sometimes be prescribed, it is recommended to use a knee orthosis.
In order not to bring to a serious condition, with a crunch that has begun, it is better to immediately contact a doctor, minimize the load on the affected area, exclude active sports, heavy objects from life. The traumatologist first examines the disturbing areas with his hands, localizes and identifies the cause and depth of the violations, determines what additional studies are required, how clicks can be eliminated.
Is there any cause for concern?
Sometimes you don’t need to worry, even if your knees click - no treatment is needed. If only sound bothers, and there is no pain, perhaps the phenomenon is explained by the accumulation of gases in the synovial joint fluid. This leads to a slight increase in area in size. If you use a joint (bend your legs, walk), gas bubbles dissolve with a specific sound, the size of the joint normalizes. However, for this reason you often will not hear a crunch. If the sound arises constantly, the factors are more serious and require careful examination.
Most often they turn to doctors with questions about why joints click, persons whose joint apparatus is naturally weak. Such people are flexible, they are characterized by plastic movements. Often a similar situation is observed among gymnasts, artists, dancers. People of such professions note: knee extension is accompanied by a specific sound, while the condition is completely normal. If clicks are heard no more than once every 40 minutes, there is no reason to panic. If the frequency increases, you should consult a doctor.
And the kids?
If adults usually know why joints click - many know their diseases, including arthrosis, arthritis and others affecting the musculoskeletal system, then things are more complicated with children. The phenomenon is quite common, but does not always indicate a serious illness. Perhaps the sound is associated with an incompletely formed system of ligaments. As they grow older, organs grow, the crunch disappears, clicks no longer bother.
To minimize the dangers for your child, from an early age it is necessary to accustom him to an active lifestyle, as well as to choose a menu in order to prevent any diseases. If a child’s knee clicks while walking, this may be due to a poor diet. It is necessary to ensure that the baby receives enough kefir, cottage cheese, fish, vegetables, fruits. The meat rich in protein structures is indispensable and useful in childhood. The baby’s diet should contain collagen products - they are beneficial for the health of the ligamentous apparatus and the musculoskeletal system as a whole. It is worth considering the possibility of including jelly, jellied dishes in the diet at least once a week, and pamper the child with jelly. It is important to follow the drink: the child should receive enough healthy fluid rich in vitamins. Recommended natural juices, compotes.
Are there any doubts?
If it seems that the knee during extension extends for an unknown reason, if there is a suspicion of a disease, the child should be shown to the doctor. If the baby is small, it is necessary to consult a specialist, having noticed the clicks emitted by one joint. A cause for concern is the frequent crispy sounds.
It is worth paying attention to the behavior of the child. Some, bending, spreading their legs, can be calm. Probably, there is no reason for excitement, although it is worth showing the child to a professional. But in case the baby cries during movements, you need to contact a traumatologist or orthopedist immediately.
What will help?
Methods of treatment are selected based on the causes of the phenomenon. In a severe case, it is shown to put a prosthesis, for others it is enough to use ointments to relieve the activity of the inflammatory focus. If studies confirm inflammation, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds are prescribed. The preparations "Fastum Gel", "Diclofenac" are popular.
Sometimes the doctor recommends staying at Ibuprofen. A good effect can be shown by agents whose composition includes chondroitin, glucosamine. These components are dangerous if used improperly, so it is strictly forbidden to prescribe them yourself - there is a high probability of side effects. If the doctor recommends such a group of drugs, you should use the advice and undergo a course of treatment.
If the knee clicks during extension, flexion, movement, the doctor may recommend doing special gymnastics. Developed exercises that give small loads on the articular areas. The doctor will select a specific kit for everyday exercises, taking into account the nuances of the localization of the problem, the general health of the patient. Gymnastics helps to stabilize the joint, activate trophism, metabolism, blood flow. Undoubtedly, swimming, gymnastic exercises in water are considered useful.
Categorical measures
Sometimes the knee snaps when walking due to a serious illness. As a rule, in addition to clicks, the patient is worried about severe pain, loss of mobility. If the phenomena are provoked by osteoarthrosis, surgical correction may be prescribed. An operation is done if conservative methods do not show a pronounced result. During the intervention, the affected area is replaced with an artificial system. After the rehabilitation period, a person will again be able to lead a normal life. Of course, you will have to adhere to some restrictions associated with loads and power, however, mobility will return to its former level.
Terms and phenomena
Officially, crunching and clicking are called crepitus. This is more common in old age, athletes are at risk of specific noises. Among young people, however, in recent years, joint diseases have been found more and more often, along with them - specific clicks. Crepitus may indicate a violation of the integrity, health of the meniscus, patella, cartilage or joint capsule. Perhaps the defeat of only one site or several. If the crunch is pathological, it is usually observed against the background of the region's tendency to edema. Overcooling, temperature extremes, severe joint loads can provoke diseases leading to such consequences. Often, clicks indicate a meniscus injury resulting from a sharp movement, rotation. If the meniscus jumped out of the anatomically correct position, the knee is very sore, the condition requires urgent treatment. As a rule, the patient is shown surgery.
Inflammatory processes in the joint usually start due to a violation of the integrity of the tissues of the organ, infection. Bacteria can enter the synovial bag in various ways. Sometimes this happens when the infectious focus spreads from one area within the body to other parts of the body. Do not forget that the joints are interconnected, because clicks can indicate varicose veins, sprains, trauma.
Check it all out!
Finding out the cause of clicks in the joint, the doctor can prescribe instrumental examinations. As a rule, they take an X-ray, CT, MRI, and give directions for analysis (general, specific). Often, the patient is shown arthroscopy.
An x-ray allows you to assess the state of the organ in different planes. The doctor receives information about the presence of the focus of inflammation and the area of its localization. You can formulate a preliminary diagnosis by determining why a click occurs.
CT is a more accurate procedure, but it costs significantly more. CT is usually recommended if a pathological bone formation in the joint area is suspected. According to the results of the study, the doctor will have numerous images of the patient's body in different planes. The diagnosis is usually made with 100% accuracy.
Features, cases and studies
MRI will cost even more. This procedure is necessary in case of suspected inflammatory processes, allows you to accurately establish their localization and distribution. Arthroscopy involves the introduction of a special microscopic camera into the joint, transmitting real-time image through a wire to a computer monitor. The doctor can examine the affected area, examine and localize the site, understand what caused the phenomenon.
Sometimes the cause of clicks in the joint is tendonitis. This term refers to the presence of a focus of inflammation in the tendons near the joint. If the cause of the clicks is just that, MRI will give the best information about the patient's condition. This method is used for meniscopathy, suspected rupture, distension, pathological condition of the connective capsule.
The joint may click due to gout. This term refers to a disease in which derivatives of uric acid accumulate in the knee region. This violates the ability of the elements to move normally.
Meniscopathy and tendonitis: how to get rid?
If crunching has become a symptom of meniscopathy, it is worth preparing for a long therapeutic course. As a rule, chondroprotectors are prescribed that are effective for relatively small amounts of damage. Instrumentation is introduced into the affected area, a focus of violations is sought, the anatomically correct position is returned to the elements. If you rest, and as the integrity of the tissue is restored - recommendations for gymnastics, just following the medication program developed by the doctor, you can completely restore the joint in the future.
If the cause of crepitus is tendonitis, the treatment will be complex, including drugs and physiotherapy.To suppress the inflammatory focus, hormonal, non-hormonal drugs are used, muscle relaxations are achieved with the help of muscle relaxants. Among the procedures, the best results are given by treatment with a magnet, UHF, electrophoresis. They relieve swelling, activate blood flow. In the acute phase, a knee orthosis should be used. At the rehabilitation step, it is important to do gymnastics regularly.
How to prevent a problem?
In order not to learn from your own experience how the knee clicks when walking, it is worth practicing preventive measures. The basic rule is to drink enough fluid. Vegetable oils should be preferred and animal fats excluded from the diet.
With extra pounds, it is reasonable to switch to a strict diet under the supervision of a doctor. The joints should be given sufficient opportunity to rest, and the load on them should be minimized. If work forces you to sit for a long time, it is reasonable to often change your posture, warm up every couple of hours.