Quick question from a reader of the Hartlepool Mail:
“Hi Paul, is it bad that my knees are making a clicking noise?
It’s not painful, but I’m worried that something is wrong, is this normal?”
– Phil, 62, Seaton Carew
A knee that decides to ‘pop’ or make a cracking sound can sometimes feel worrying, and I’m sure that most of us at one time or another have kneeled down and had our knees make a clicking noise…
Please don’t worry, these noises are common and come along as an inevitable consequence as we grow older.
And in fact, it’s so common that it’s one of the most frequent questions I’m asked and brings many people into my clinics.
Chances are that if you’re aged 50 plus, clicks and clunks might even be one of the first sounds that you hear when you get out of bed in the morning, and it’s likely that you’ll hear your knees creaking when you bend your legs too, and move into different positions.
It happens to a lot of people, and it’s nothing to be concerned about, however it’s definitely something to look into before it could turn into something that brings you knee pain…
So Why Do Our Knees Creak And Click As We Get Older?
Well as it happens, this is one of the easiest things to explain…
Your knees job is to act like a cushion that protects your body, and absorbs the shock it receives each time your foot lands when you walk. Your knees take a pounding from every surface you walk on, regardless of what activity you do.
Add everyday walking, to going out for a jog, playing golf, a game of bowls, or simply enjoying a longer walk with your friends around the woods at the weekend – that’s a lot of impact that your knees take over the years.
And as a result, the protective cartilage (the cushion), can begin to wear down… and because your knee joint is tough, inevitably as you move, your knee joint rubs together and clicking noises occur!
Now the thing is, these noises don’t always bring knee pain – not to begin with anyway. But it can often be a sign that pain and stiffness may be on the way – and while that may sound worrying, if you choose to do something about it now, you might just be able to prevent knee pain in it’s tracks.
So what can you do about it?…
Well there’s a range of simple exercises you can do that strengthen the muscles around your knees, and help to protect your joints. By doing these once a day, you WILL notice a significant difference, and hopefully won’t have to put up with clicking noises for much longer.
One example of an exercise is the quad stretch. This is where you rest one hand on a hard surface (like your kitchen counter), and with the other hand, hold onto your foot behind your back as you bend your knee towards your glutes.
There’s plenty more tips and simple exercises that you can do from home in this free information guide when you visit here: www.paulgoughphysio.com/knee-pain to help relieve annoying knee pain, and prevent the likely hood of it happening to you.
Or click here to download this free guide instantly:
You might know Paul as an expert Columnist who writes weekly health articles for TWO of the North East's biggest daily Newspapers, The Northern Echo And The Hartlepool Mail, he is a regular Speaker at Industry Seminars around the globe and a Radio Personality, often heard on the BBC. Paul has been an expert guest on dozens of Radio shows and regularly interviewed in newspapers, magazines and trade journals all over the world, including the Guardian.
Paul’s background included working extensively in the Premier League with a Top Professional Football Team, and since quitting his job in Professional Football in 2007, his Physio Practice has become the fastest growing in the UK and biggest in the North East. So successful, that companies like BUPA, ASDA, The Vela Group And Coast & Country, repeatedly retain his Physio company's services to keep healthy their own staff and workforce. Paul Gough Physio Rooms is now a large multi-physio, multi clinic speciality practice in Darlington, Durham, Guisborough and Hartlepool.
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