SEARCH KNOWLEDGE BASE: 10.000 Q&A

Crackling knee

(5 discussions)

I’m female, aged 34 and do aerobics 5 -6 times a weeK, split between cardio and conditioning exercises.Over the last week my right knee has started to make crackling sounds (definitely not a click -more like a paper crunching up type noise) when I do deep squats that work the inner thigh. There is no sharp pain but my knee feels slightly sore and a bit unstable. If I thought it was safe to go on exercising without damaging it, the noise doesn’t really bother me but I’m not sure if I should rest it totally. I stopped doing the squats but it now feels a bit sore during low impact aerobics. Many of the knee-related web sites seem to suggest that if there isn’t any pain or swelling, then it’s OK to keep going. Anyone have any ideas?

Related Posts

  • Knee Pain (0)
    I am 34 and have always had great legs/knees for running and other forms of cardio. Just before Easter I went onto an elliptical machine […]
  • Dodgy knees! (0)
    I'm 33 and am starting to think I must have the knees of an 80 year old! They constantly click and crack and when doing squats or walking […]
  • Sacroliac Joint Dsyfunction – Cortisone Injections (9)
    I am really disappointed. Just had my 2nd Cortisone injection into my sacroiliac joint, it has not worked. I had it done a month ago, so […]
  • sore knees (1)
  • PCL Tear (1)
  • Strange knee injury (0)
    does anybody know what ligament is excatly injured. After i injured my knee while playing soccer(got tripped over) and a doctor had a look […]

5 comments

    Avatar

    9 10

    I’ve now been to the doc. He’s a runner who is doing the London Marathon this year so he did know what I was talking about. He said he gets the same thing and after moving my knee around, he thought it was not crepitus and there was no inflammation so basically he said to carry on doing aerobics with a support on my knee. He doesn’t think that aerobics will have damaged my knee. I’ve been doing it for 3 years but only 5-6 weekly for almost a year. He also said that the instability may be because my quads might need strengthening so he showed me an exercise to do (straight leg lift) and he also said that joint supplements were unnecessary. Typically my knee is not too bad today and I couldn’t get any noise out of it at the surgery and it’s much quieter going up the stairs. I had a feeling he wouldn’t take it very seriously and although this has the benefit of it being what I wanted to hear, I’ll stay off high impact for a while at least. he is of the opinion that if there is no pain, then noises are not a cause for concern. I’d like to thank you for your help. Do you feel that GPs don’t really bother about noisy knees when really they should?

    Avatar

    9 10

    Tara: Yes , its true ,studies say that after about 6 weeks of daily exs , its enough to exs thrice a week to get the same aerobic effects. What I was suggesting is modify your routine to low impact exs on the knee.You might need guidance from a professional to actually show you what exs to do and those to avoid.About the supplements : For your age I wouldnt suggest any supplements ,mostly strengthening of the knee muscles(quads).If your doc finds signs of inflammation he might recommend anti-inflammatory drugs which will help reduce the soreness.If at all you are put on supplements do enquire about long and short term side effects. I would be very interested in what your doc diagnosed.

    Avatar

    9 10

    Thanks to both of you. Unfortunately when I went to the link, a message appeared saying i did not have acces to this site.
    Tina – yes it helped a lot. I’m seeing the doc tomorrow. I hate swimming so that is just not going to happen. I was interested that you said that exercising 3 times a week has the same effect. Are you saying that you think low impact aerobics will just exacerbate my knee? Also do you have an opinion as to whether joint support supplements are any good?

    Avatar

    9 10

    Hi Tara: The detailed description really helps ! The crackling you complain of is aka as crepitus. It is possible that the frequency , intensity and type of exercise you were doing has led to early degeneration in your knee joint. Please consider low impact exercises for the knee like swimming or stationary cycling. Also wear shoes with good shock absorbers.You could also try working out thrice a week since it has the same effect on the body as 6 times a week.Try a straight-leg-raise exs in lying and strengthen the quadriceps muscle.You could strengthen your quads without the squats.If the instability and soreness persist seeing the doc may be necessary.Hope this helps you

    Avatar

    9 10

    Well, vastus medialis, and vastus lateralis affect knee tracking. Medialis is usually much weaker and lateralis is usually too tight and pulls the knee over. Causing the back of the knee cap to grind against the leg.
    Try looking at this site.

LEAVE A REPLY

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *