My Knees Click...Should I Be Worried?

I have a lot of people who ask me why their knees pop, click or crack and whether it’s something they should be worried about it.  In fact, it’s one of the most frequent questions I’m asked when someone is worried about Knee Pain. 
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I’m sure many of you at some point have had a knee ‘pop’ or make a ‘cracking’ sound when squatting or kneeling.  It’s likely you may have heard you knees ‘clicking’ or ‘creaking’ when bending your legs or changing positions.  

The good news…most of the time it’s just noise.  These noises are common as we grow older and are generally nothing to worry about.

But to make sure it’s not the beginning of a bigger problem, it’s always a good idea to have your knees checked.  If muscles around the knee become tight or weak it can cause popping or clicking that can lead to tendonitis or more serious injury if the underlying problem isn’t corrected. 

So even if you don’t have pain, yet…

If you’re not certain what is causing your knees to pop or click it’s safest to have the problem evaluated and treated if necessary.  It’s easier and faster to correct it early on…so don’t wait!

If the popping or clicking causes you any pain, then it’s something that needs to be evaluated right away!

I also want to address a follow up question that I usually get around this same topic…

Why do my knees seem to click more as I get older?

Well, the simple answer is this…your knees are getting older too!

When your knees absorb the shock of everyday activities, every single day for years, the cushion (i.e. cartilage) that protects your knees starts to wear down.  Your smooth cartilage that used glide freely, starts to fray, becomes rough and causes clicking noises.  We call this arthritis!   

Arthritis is a normal part of aging, but arthritis doesn’t always cause pain.  Again, most of the time in these situations Knee Pain comes from tight or weak muscles around the knees…or sometimes muscles in the hips or core. 

So, if you want to get rid of pain now or avoid pain in the future – choose to do something about it now.

Seeing a Physical Therapist can help you discover the cause of any popping or clicking and determine if it’s something to worry about – or not.  They can also identify any muscle imbalances that need to be addressed to resolve Knee Pain, to keep your knees as healthy as possible as you age and make sure you can remain active doing the things you love to do.

If you have any questions or would like to find out more about how we can help, please reach out to us. 

We’d be happy to answer your questions by email or phone or schedule a FREE Discovery Visit with a Physical Therapist. 
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Just give us a call at 503-744-0046.