Knee popping is a fairly common condition of the knee and it might take place with or without pain. Usually, if there is knee pain with popping, then a physician must examine your knee to figure out the cause. If your knee is popping without pain, you might still desire to get it had a look at to make sure that your condition doesn’t digress into popping knee pain. But what happen if you want to pop your knee but can’t? So, we’ll try to help you.
Cracking or popping noises originating from your knee are common, specifically after you strike age 40. These popping sounds are understood as crepitus. Crepitus in your knee is frequently harmless, however it can sometimes suggest another health condition exists or establishing.
If you sometimes feel a strange experience in your knee joint — as if it’s pumped up with air or locked into place — it may be accompanied by a strong desire to “pop” the knee back into place.
This can be done securely if you move gradually, carefully, and with objective.
How to Pop Your Knee
The knee joint is a bit complicated. Layers of cartilage cushion the area between your tibia and fibula (shin) bones to your thigh (thigh) bone. Your knee joint is covered by another bone called the patella (kneecap). If you feel any pain while you attempt to crack your knee, stop right away.
Easy Why to Pop Your Knee
- Take the pressure off your knee by taking a seat.
- Extend your leg straight in front of you and point your toe up.
- Raise your leg up as high as it can go. Bend your knee in and out towards the rest of your body until you hear a pop.
Precautions
There are two kinds of knee pops:
- Pathological knee pops are those that just you can feel or hear.
- Physiological knee pops are loud enough that everybody can hear.
- Knee cracking that’s physiological and regular is a sign you may require physical therapy or further testing to identify the hidden concern with your knee joint.
Why Your Knee Feels Like It Needs to Pop
Your joints are coated in lube called synovial fluid. This fluid consists of oxygen and nitrogen, to name a few aspects. Periodically, the gases from this lube can develop and need to be launched, triggering a “crack” in your knees.
However the causes of crepitus aren’t constantly so straightforward. In reality, researchers are still working for more information about what causes these popping and cracking noises in our joints.
Bones that break and do not recover correctly and tendons that catch on the ridges of your bones and muscles as you move are other causes of knee cracking.
As you age, the cartilage in your knees can end up being worn. This wear and tear of your knee joint can cause it to feel “creaky” as bone rubs on bone when you move your knees.
Often, pain in your knee joint can be a warning showing a knee injury or other developing health condition.
- osteoarthritis of the knee
- ACL injury
- torn or strained meniscus
- bursitis (inflammation of the bursa inside your knee joint).
- iliotibial band syndrome.
- plica syndrome.
Below are the top five factors your knee seems like it wishes to pop, in order of many common to less common. For each one we explain what the condition is, what causes it, what common symptoms are, and how it can be treated.
Runner’s Knee (Chondromalacia Patella)
Runner’s knee is the most common cause of your knee feeling like it requires to pop. Although it is a common issue amongst runners, this condition can happen to anyone, particularly those who exercise a lot or do work that needs frequent knee-bending.
Runner’s knee occurs when the soft cartilage under the kneecap breaks down. This cartilage helps keep the knee joint moving smoothly and also helps enhance the knee so it can carry your body weight when you stroll. Runner’s knee typically causes your knee joint to become weaker and less steady. It may likewise prevent your knee from moving as quickly as it did in the past, so your knee might feel like it wishes to pop, or you might in fact feel your knee popping into place when you move it. With time, this problem can cause arthritis in the knee if it isn’t treated.
Common symptoms of runner’s knee include:
- Aching pain in the kneecap, especially during workout.
- Pain when strolling downhill or downstairs.
- Pain when bending your knee.
- Swelling.
Treatment
Rest, ice, and elevation are often adequate to relieve symptoms, but if the issue is serious or does not disappear, your medical professional may recommend physical therapy or (seldom) surgery.
Bursitis
A bursa is a sac of fluid that cushions bones and tendons. Your body has multiple bursae, including one under each kneecap. Bursitis of the knee (also referred to as Housemaid’s Knee) takes place when the bursa ends up being irritated. This may be due to overuse of the knee, particularly in the kneeling position.
Common symptoms of bursitis consist of:
- Pain.
- Redness.
- Inflammation.
- Swelling.
- A popping experience or sound when kneeling or standing up.
Treatment
Rest, ice, and pain medication are typically enough to decrease the symptoms of bursitis, however if you feel you require more treatment, your medical professional might recommend physical therapy, steroid injections, and/or aspiration (draining pipes fluid from the knee).
Baker’s Cyst
Another prospective cause of your knee feeling like it requires to pop is a cyst. A cyst happens when part of the fluid in a joint is pushed into a sac of tissue. The sac bulges out, creating a cyst. Cysts in the knee are normally Baker’s Cysts, and they usually form behind the knee. These cysts may be triggered by injury, arthritis, or an unknown cause.
Common symptoms of cysts include:
- A noticeable bump around the knee (though not constantly).
- Swelling behind the knee.
- Small pain behind the knee, especially when bending or correcting your leg.
- Tightness or stiffness.
Treatment
A Baker’s cyst itself is typically not a cause for concern, and they frequently disappear by themselves. Nevertheless, if the cyst is causing you pain or discomfort, you can have it drained or surgically removed.
Arthritis
Numerous individuals think that arthritis is a problem only older people have, but it can occur at any age, especially if you work out a lot, have a family history of arthritis, or have had an injury. Osteoarthritis of the knee occurs when the cartilage that cushions joints starts to wear away and the surface areas of the two bones begin to rub together. This can result in pain, stiffness, and a knee that seems like it needs to pop as the joints move together approximately.
Common symptoms of arthritis include:
- Pain that increases when you are active.
- Tightness in the joint.
- Trouble fully extending the knee.
- Warmth and swelling in the joint.
- A creaking or crackling noise when you move your knee.
Treatment
There are numerous alternatives for treating arthritis, a few of that include physical therapy, using a knee brace, taking pain medication, and getting injections of steroids or hyaluronic acid into the knee.
ACL Injury
The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is among the four primary ligaments in your knee that links your thigh bone to your tibia bone. Your ACL helps keep your knee stable. The ACL is among the most typically injured ligaments, and injuries can range from minor tears to the ligament tearing totally away from the bone.
ACL injuries generally take place suddenly, often when working out or playing a sport. You will likely start to experience pain and other symptoms right away. If you have a severe ACL injury, you probably have far more major symptoms than a popping knee, such as serious pain and the inability to walk. Nevertheless, a small ACL injury can make your knee seem like it needs to pop because the joint isn’t effectively stable.
Common symptoms of ACL injuries include:
- Feeling or hearing a pop at the time of injury.
- Pain on the back and outside of knee.
- Swelling.
- Minimal knee motion.
- Knee feeling weak or unsteady.
Treatment
Physical therapy can be done for small ACL injuries, but surgery is usually needed for severe injuries to the ACL.
Cracking and Popping Knee and Pain
If you have cracking or popping that does cause pain or swelling, though, see a physician. It can be an indication of:
Meniscus Tears
The meniscus is a rubbery C-shaped disc that cushions your knee and acts as a shock-absorber. It also helps spread out weight evenly so your bones do not rub together. Tears to the meniscus are frequently triggered by unexpected twisting or other things you may do while playing sports. In young individuals, tears usually take place throughout a distressing event, but as we age the meniscus can tear more quickly.
Cartilage Injury or Wear
Sometimes the cartilage covering of our bones can be injured, causing a piece to break off and catch in our joint. Normally the knee will react to this injury by swelling or catching. Cartilage in your knee can also use thin or break down, typically called arthritis. Some people say it feels like their knees are grinding when they move. Osteoarthritis is the most common kind of arthritis. It generally affects middle-aged and older people.
When to See Your Medical Professional
If you’re ever injured and feel a “pop” at your knee at the time of injury, there’s a possibility a tendon cracked or a bone fractured. Seek medical attention to see if you require additional testing.
Make a medical professional’s consultation for your knee if you see:
- redness or swelling around your kneecap that occasionally appears.
- fever after working out or injury.
- inflammation or pain when you touch your knee.
- constant pain with strolling or running.
Serious symptoms suggest you might need to go to the emergency clinic. These consist of:
- failure to bend your knee.
- knee popping or cracking at the time of an injury.
- extreme pain.
- swelling that appears without warning or evident cause.
Takeaway
Cracking your knee is safe if pain or injury don’t accompany the sound. Experimenting with joint-loosening workout, like Pilates and yoga, might make your joints more versatile. You can likewise ask your doctor for their suggestions.
Don’t ever try to crack a joint that’s giving you pain. Be conscious that regular cracking and popping from your knee might be a sign of injury or another developing health condition that needs medical attention.
