Training & Nutrition - creaking knees?

At my age of 34yo, my knees have now gotten to a point of constant creaking and tiny popping whenever I squat. Just enough so I can hear it. It doesn't hurt at all. However, I am wondering if this is a serious issue, or if it's just a part of aging. Does cycling have a tendency to make minor issues like this worse?

Well, I just did a little research, and found this article from Penn State Uni. I guess, unless there is alot of pain, then it really isn't much of an issue, and is quite normal. Thought I would post it here for anyone interested who wants a good read on the problem.


Don't Sweat Creaking Joints Until They Hurt
6-08-98
University Park, Pa. -- The snap, crackle and pop of moving body parts usually don't signal an injury unless accompanied by pain, notes the June issue of the Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter.

"We shouldn't worry too much about sounds made by movement around a joint," says Andrew Cosgarea, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and assistant director of sports medicine at Johns Hopkins University. "Painless noise is normal. It could be caused by irregular surfaces rubbing against each other, pressure changes around a joint or two ligaments coming into contact."

The only time for concern is when pain goes along with the sound," he adds.

The familiar creaking and cracking noise, known in medical circles as crepitus, usually goes away or is not as noticeable with exercise. However, with some musculoskeletal conditions, it can, in fact, be a symptom of serious injury.

For instance, severe cases of tendinitis in the lower leg and foot are associated with a creaking sensation felt or heard when the toes are straightened or bent. The same sensation can occur with Achilles tendinitis, while a crackling sound can accompany tendinitis of the wrist, the Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter says.

In second- and third-degree ankle sprains, a tearing sensation, pop or snap might be felt when the ankle rolls inward or outward. That happens, along with swelling and tenderness, because one or more ligaments that hold the bones of the ankle joint in place have been torn or completely ruptured.

Knees can be noisy, whether they are injured or not. Most of the time, the crunching and cracking sounds that they make are harmless. Loose fragments in the joint have been known to make money, but the sharp pain that they sometimes cause make the noise a secondary problem, according to the Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter.

A meniscus injury involves the crescent-shaped cartilage found on both sides of the knee joint that serves as a shock absorber and stabilizer. When meniscus cartilage is torn, it can catch on the end of the femur and occasionally make a clicking sound.

A crunching, crackling sound can accompany patellofemoral pain syndrome, the medical term for front-of-the-knee pain. More important and recognizable symptoms include pain in front of the kneecap, intensified pain during exercise, pain when the person sits with the knee bent for extended periods of time and a knee that occasionally cannot support the weight of the body, says the Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter.

A snapping sound, severe pain and a "Popeye muscle" are symptoms pointing to a rupture of the long head tendon of the biceps. Shoulder injuries such as a strain or dislocation are sometimes associated with a sensation of popping or tearing rather than a distinct sound. With shoulder sprains, a creaking or crackling sound can occur when the injured area is pressed with the fingers, the Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter notes.

http://www.psu.edu/ur/NEWS/news/sportsmed.jun98.html

yes pain becomes a problem. i have runners knee that is almost cleared, but it did start as clicking and pain. If your worried ice it after your rides and when you want.

Hey Patriot,

A little late reply but...

I was wondering about the same... I'm about your age (Just turned 35 ;)) and have the same symptoms. Creaking knees, with sometimes clearly audible popping sounds. No pain at all, though.

I did lot of sports (besides cycling) throughout my life (soccer, basketball, volleyball, running, hiking and climbing), so I tend to ascribe it to joint over-use/abuse. But again, with no pain, I think we shouldn't worry too much...

I found this interesting link summarizing it rather well:

http://orthopedics.about.com/od/arthritis/f/cracking.htm

I tend to agree with the second point that it could be caused by tendons and/or ligaments crossing/sliding over bony parts of joints, because I 'feel' the creaking when I bend my knees too much and only on the outside part of the knees.

My massage therapist described it that same way - tendons and ligaments sliding over joints.

Since I've started doing yoga, I notice every class begins with different popping and clicking sounds . . . and they change depending on the week or month. Some of the sounds that I thought were a permanant part of me have now gone away.

As long as there is no pain, I don't think it is a problem. Yoga class might be an interesting experiment.

Sandy

I'm 37 and my knees have creaked and popped for as long as I can remember and it doesn't seem to hinder my performance. Note I meant my performance, not comparing my ability to anyone else so I don't know if these knees are good for the TDF.

Same here. I have very thin wrists and they pop just like my knees without any pain associated. Thanks for the article Patriot.

don't sweat it. i'm 51 and i've had this longer than a lot of you have been alive. you oughta here me climbing stairs. it's no big deal

My massage therapist described it that same way - tendons and ligaments sliding over joints.

Since I've started doing yoga, I notice every class begins with different popping and clicking sounds . . . and they change depending on the week or month. Some of the sounds that I thought were a permanant part of me have now gone away.

As long as there is no pain, I don't think it is a problem. Yoga class might be an interesting experiment.

Sandy

+1 on the yoga. It fixed most of my popping sounds. Working different muscles helps support everything a little better.

I'm 20 and my knees pop.

I usually do not have any pain associated with the popping, although I do have pain sometimes (not always related to the popping however)

yeah, im 19, my knees pop when i squat, i havent ever really had knee pain, the noises have been there my whole life, especialy in my ankles i can make them pop on command, i dont even feel it, just hear it. Doctors told me thats just the way it is, and not to worry about it unless there is pain.

I have had right knee poping and grinding for years. The only problem is in the last few years I have noticed my knee become more weak. Squating down to pick something up is painful to get up.

I'm looking for a doctor in the Portland Area to see if they can take a look just to make sure everything is OK.

~n

I'm 49, been doing kung fu for about 5 years. My knees have gone through various stages of creakiness and pain during my training, with more problems as my legs have gotten stronger. So I've allowed myself to progress more slowly than my mostly younger classmates. When it gets to where it's worrying me, I just back off for a while and do Tai Chi and Yoga instead.

But here's the strange thing. At each belt level there's a new form to learn. Each form is progressively more difficult than the last, so when I got to Crane Form, I didn't know if I was going to be able to get through it because there are a couple of leaps you have to do.

There's also some very low stance work you have to do, imagine being in a wide squat and moving from side to side, putting a lot of stress on the knee. So one evening we were going over the low part again and again, and my knee just gave out for a moment. So I sat down for a while, and then got into a horse stance and staid in that for a few minutes. That seemed to tighten things back up. So I laid off the form for a week and just did static horse stance. Then when I started up again things were much better, and the leaps were no big deal.

I've used static stances to fix a lot of injuries. Usually it's a horse stance, even a high horse stance is good if you hold it long enough. But it can be applied to any part of your body, it's just a matter of holding static tension for a long time. For example, I injured my shoulder slightly, so I held my arms in front of me as if holding a basketball at shoulder level.

And once I received a strong kick in the ribs, which slightly loosened the cartilage interface there. So I would lay on my back and do one shallow situp, but hold it for a very long time. The muscle tension kept the rib together and static, which speeded its healing. Breathing "into the belly" also helped with that one too. Did you know it isn't necessary to use your ribs at all when breathing?

Get the needle attachment for grease-guns. Inject 2-3cc of your favorite grease into the joint before a ride, no creaking! ;)

I noticed my knee popping reduced considerably after I started rolling my ITBs on a foam roller.