“Often it’s just the fluid that coats your joints being pushed through certain ranges of motion—and is totally benign,” explains Benjamin Butts, P.T., D.P.T., O.C.S., the regional director of Interstate Rehab in Buena Park, Calif. But other times that cracking and popping, coupled with consistent pain, can be a red flag that something is wrong. Whether your noisy knee is just an annoyance or a sign of an underlying health issue, you don’t want to ignore it. Here’s what could be behind all those sounds, plus what you can do about it.
What causes knees to crack and pop?
If you find that your knee cracks and pops regularly, there could be an underlying issue, says Bert Mandelbaum, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles and author of The Win Within: Capturing Your Victorious Spirit. Typically, it boils down to one of these causes:
Tight or misaligned muscles
Tight or misaligned muscles will pull the kneecap out of balance, explains David Reavy, P.T., O.C.S., director of React Physical Therapy in Chicago. Over time that imbalance can cause clicking or popping, which could be a potential problem, says Butts, “because the cartilage can become worn down and potentially lead to early onset arthritis, as well as many issues involved with deterioration of the joint.” One muscle could also be a little stronger than the other and “the integrity and harmonization between the muscles, tendons, and bones is critical,” Dr. Mandelbaum says. If your muscles aren’t in the right spots, or if one is working a little harder than another, that can lead to cracking and popping.
Arthritis
Arthritis, which is an umbrella term for inflammation of the joints, can also lead to cracking, clicking, and popping, says Dr. Mandelbaum. This condition breaks down the padding within the joint due to erosion of the bone and cartilage, which interferes with the knee’s ability to glide and function smoothly. And that can lead to noise.
A previous knee injury
Often, people who had an injury in their teens or twenties will develop cracking and popping down the road, Dr. Mandelbaum says.
Loose cartilage
Cartilage is the one of the main types of connective tissue in your knee, and it’s responsible for lubrication and helping cushion your knee, explains Mark Slabaugh, M.D., an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon at Baltimore’s Mercy Medical Center. If the cartilage around your knee is loose (say, due to arthritis or an injury), it prevents the joint from operating as well as it should, leading to popping and catching or locking.
How to stop knee cracking and popping
“If you’re having any type of pain, swelling, catching, or locking, those are warning signs that you need to see a doctor,” Dr. Slabaugh says. But if you’re not having any pain (you’re just annoyed by the noise), then “doing exercises on your own is very appropriate.” To get started, you’ll need a few pieces of equipment you can easily find online. To alleviate the awkward noises and keep potential injuries at bay, try these exercises, courtesy of Eun Jung Decker at React Physical Therapy, three times a week for maximum results. (These should not hurt, and pain is your sign to stop.)
Calf release
Self-myofascial release is a technique that helps relieve muscle tension and tightness through direct pressure. Stretching, by contrast, simply elongates the muscle. “Releasing allows you to activate tight muscles that are shifting the balance of your muscle structure,” says Reavy. Use this technique to release tight calf muscles and get your kneecap back on track.
How to do it:
Hip flexor release
“Knee pain is often caused by a misaligned hip,” Reavy says. He recommends a hip flexor release to combat this issue.
How to do it:
IT band release
The iliotibial (IT) band is a ligament that runs down the outer edge of the thigh from hip to shin. It’s attached to the knee and helps stabilize and move the joint. When it’s tight or inflamed, it can pull the kneecap out of alignment, Reavy explains.
How to do it:
Tip: To focus on a specific area of the IT band, locate the most tender area with the foam roller and stop. Bend your knee at a 90-degree angle then straighten. Repeat the motion of bending and straightening for 10 to 15 seconds. Repeat on other tender areas of the IT band.
Inner thighs squat
The inner thigh is also often weaker than the top part of the quad muscle. To strengthen it—and keep knee pain at bay—Reavy recommends inner thighs squats.
How to do it:
Vastus medialis oblique (VMO) activation
Your VMO, a.k.a. the tear-drop shaped quad muscle that runs along the inside of the kneecap, is often one of the weaker muscles on the thigh, says Reavy. Again, that can pull your kneecap off track. The solution? You guessed it: strengthen it.
Instructions:
Side steps with resistance band
The outer quad muscle tends to be weaker than the muscle that runs along the top of your thigh, which leads to the kind of imbalance that causes your kneecap to pull out of line. The solution? Strengthen that outer muscle, says Butts.
How to do it:
Go here to join Prevention Premium (our best value, all-access plan), subscribe to the magazine, or get digital-only access. FOLLOW PREVENTION ON INSTAGRAM
