Why does my Knee Click?
Today I am going to talk all about the question of why peoples Knees Click all the time when they move. Here at The Physio & Sports Injury Clinic in Rhos on Sea (North Wales) we see a lot of knee injuries every year, so are rather experienced in this area of physiotherapy & injury management to tell what’s good and what’s bad.
The most common question people ask here about their knee health is: “Why does my Knee Click?”
People’s reactions to these noises a kneecap can make include: Is it Arthritis? or Am I wearing out my Knee Joint?
What is the Clicking noise?
First of all medically we call the clicking noise a joint makes - CREPITUS. Kneecap crepitus is incredibly common and is found in a quarter of all knee injury cases (particularly in runners - see our previous blog). The noise usually occurs when you bend your knee more than its used to going, producing a loud, audible noise ( a crack, click or a popping sensation).
What causes kneecap clicking?
There are a few known reasons for getting kneecap noises - its either from bubbles of gas popping or knee anatomy.
Gas Bubbles: Sometimes tiny air bubbles (nitrogen) build up within the fluid inside your joints. These bubbles make a noise when they burst during joint movement. The gas gets pushed through a very narrow joint space making a noise (e.g. just like clicking your knuckles!) By the way it’s a Myth you’ll get arthritis from clicking your knuckles!!!
Your anatomy - Structurally your kneecap is held in place on top of the knee joint by muscles, tendons and ligaments. If these soft tissues get tighter on 1 side of the knee more than the other, the kneecap can get pulled a tiny amount into different positions as you move, creating a noise sensation.
You could otherwise just be born with a shallower groove that the kneecap sits in, so it will just move more naturally? Lastly if may not even be the knee thats at fault? The hip and foot are also culprits in fixing kneecap pain/clicking!
Both of these 2 causes are fairly normal and occur in everybody.
Kneecap clicking is not often painful and people are used to living with it for years. Hearing unusual noises from the knee can worry people, as you fear the worst when you can’t see whats going on inside. Don’t panic! Noise doesn’t always mean damage.
We do know that Kneecap clicking/crepitus is more common in women than men. This is possibly due to the biomechanics of women having a wider pelvis (allowing knees to knock in more), and there’s also hormonal differences (oestrogen) in women that can increase soft tissue laxity, allowing the kneecap to be able to move more freely?
*Please note* real arthritis is very different to a poping or clicking sensation (which is what we’re talking about in this blog).
Should you start to feel any major pain, develop swelling or the knee gives way underneath you then please seek medical advice from a Physio or Doctor straight away.
Can physio help with clicking knees?
Yes Physio can definitely help anyone who has a kneecap that’s clicking. We can help by looking for any muscular imbalances - you need to keep all the muscles around the hips and thighs strong enough to support the kneecap efficiently. We use a variety of techniques here at the clinic including: k-tape, massage, rehab exercises and custom insoles.
So there you have it, the main reasons why your knees click!
If you or a friend are struggling with knee pain at the moment then click the link below to get in touch. Remember If in any doubt then get it checked out - is our motto!
Tel. 01492 545 291