Jamie began her squat exercise and a symphony of sounds ensued.
“Click!” went her left knee. “Snap!” went her right ankle. “Crackle!” went her left hip and “Pop!” went her right shoulder.
How many sounds can human joints make?
Apparently many.
Joint noise during exercise may seem alarming but these sounds are often attributed to air or other gases popping when the joint moves.
Dr. Timothy Gibson, MD, orthopedic surgeon and Medical Director of the Memorial Care Joint Replacement Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in California states “A painless crack or pop is normal, as long as it doesn’t hurt or produce swelling, it’s nothing to worry about.”
A quick online search shows that Dr. Gibson’s comments seem to be the prevailing medical opinion.
Jamie agrees. Her clicks, snaps, crackles and pops don’t bother her and she’s never noticed any joint swelling. Rather than put off by her abundance of sounds, Jamie’s appreciative that her joints still move without any pain.
Jamie isn’t my sole client whose joints express themselves.
Some of my other clients also notice loud joint noises during exercise.
Knees seem to be a favorite place but any joint can sound off. Ankles may crack during yoga class, hips can pop during stretching, elbows can click during overhead pressing. A number of my clients feel “crispy crunchies” in their necks during yoga class or during neck mobility exercises and stretches.
There’s even a fancy term (or depressing term, depending on your outlook) for joint noises-“crepitus”. Crepitus comes from the Latin word for “a rattling, crackling noise, a creak.”
Our English word “decrepit” is derived from crepitus and according to Oxford Languages, decrepit means “elderly and infirm” (!).
However, the Cedars-Sinai website says our clicks, pops, snaps, crackles “do not necessarily signify advanced age” (whew!).
The site goes on to state that “the sounds MAY be a sign of arthritis, cartilage wear or an injured joint.” So if your joints produce multiple noises during exercise, assess for pain and swelling. If in doubt, consult with your medical professional.
And like Jamie, perhaps be grateful that your joints are still able to move without pain even if with a symphony of sounds.