Dangerous Signal: What Problems Does The Crunch In The Joints Indicate?

Joints crunch and squeak in many people, and everyone has their own opinion on this matter: someone thinks that crunching fingers and neck is harmful, someone writes off this to a feature of the body and does not pay attention. It's good when the creak is minor, but what if the joints crackle often and loudly?

So why do joints crunch?

Before looking into the causes of joint crunch, it is important to note that nothing happens in the body by itself. "Feature" is hair or eye color. And if something crunches, creaks, clicks, hurts, etc., this is not a feature - it is a symptom. Secondly, we should not consider any part of the human body separately from the rest.

The body is a single whole. For example, the problem of flat feet cannot be considered exclusively within the feet. Our body is united by muscle chains, ligaments, fascia, which fix the joints. So they are part of a whole organism - a complex mechanical system.

When and why do joint problems arise?

The articular surfaces of the articulating bones coincide with each other with the highest precision - literally to hundredths of a millimeter. They slide smoothly and smoothly. However, in practice we get a different picture: joint crunch is a common symptom among people of different ages, including babies, who, in theory, should be fine.

In babies, joint crunch usually occurs due to muscle hypotonia. The joint itself is healthy, but due to the weakness of the surrounding muscles, at a certain stage of movement, the articular surfaces "break apart" and a click occurs.

In childhood, joints can squeak due to acquired injuries, scoliosis, which negatively affects the body as a whole. The curvature affects the entire body, resulting in deformed joints.

In adults, structural changes in the cartilage and ligaments surrounding the joint are added to the existing disorders. Often, salt deposits form in them, which impede the normal movement of the joint. As a result, it starts to creak.

Acquired injuries can cause joints to crack and squeak, making them difficult to work. In most cases of crunching in the neck, shoulder and elbow joints, we can say that in the past a person suffered a skull injury, and with a crunch in the lower back, pelvis, knee and ankle joints, a tailbone injury occurred.

There are a number of aggravating factors that can indirectly affect joint function. In both adults and children, a crunch in the joints in most cases indicates problems of the endocrine system, a deficiency of vitamin D, trace elements. Such metabolic disorders lead to a weakening of the ligamentous apparatus, as a result of which the joints are not fixed firmly enough, a characteristic crunch appears.

Liver problems can cause reduced formation of joint fluid. In this case, the effect of "old loops" occurs, which no one has lubricated for a long time. Occupational overload is another common aggravating factor.

Knee pain as an accompanying symptom

Often, the creak of the knee joints is just a "sound effect" accompanying pain in this area. But at the same time, knees can crunch without any pain.

What can cause knee pain? First, direct injuries such as ligament ruptures, meniscus, systemic diseases like gout and osteoporosis. In young children, pain in the upper leg and knees is a consequence of scoliosis and endocrine disorders (read also: "Hormonal imbalance: how to recognize and prevent it").

There are also a number of diagnoses that cannot be considered full-fledged diseases - they include arthritis and osteoarthritis. They can occur as a result of a previous injury to the coccygeal-sacral region.

Pain and squeaking in the knees can accompany disorders such as flat feet and scoliosis, which, in turn, are the result of birth trauma. In this case, the load from the spine goes down to the feet, but if a person wears insoles or special orthopedic shoes, he returns the load from the feet to the sections located above. Otherwise, the lower legs, thighs, knees work in a mode of increased load, which ultimately causes a creak and pain.

What to do if joints crunch?

See an osteopath. Often the reasons for the crunch are associated with violations of the "mechanics". Only a specialist can identify and eliminate these problems.
See an endocrinologist. Perhaps your body is suffering from vitamin D deficiency, micronutrient deficiencies or endocrine disorders, and you need to reconsider your diet and diet.
Don't forget about moderate physical activity. 10,000 steps every day is a very rewarding activity. Stretching, light exercise - do them regularly (see also: "Morning exercises for the busy and lazy").
Swim. This is one of the best types of load for any disorders of the musculoskeletal system. It is safe as it minimizes stress on the joints. And with scoliosis, swimming is simply necessary, since it is a symmetrical load on both sides of the body.
Watch your diet. This point is especially relevant for adults. Eat red meat, animal fat. Introduce jellied meat, jelly, products containing cartilage into the diet.