6 stretches you can do in 6 minutes to stop your knees from cracking and popping

6 Stretches You Can Do in 6 Minutes to Stop Your Knees From Cracking and Popping

knee popping stretches

Are you hearing popping and cracking noises every time you bend your knees?

Chances are, your muscles and connective tissues probably just need a good stretch.

Why Do My Knees Crack?

Tired of sounding like Rice Krispies in milk whenever you stand or sit? Cracking and popping in the knees can be the sound of fluid getting pushed about or it can be something more serious involving bones and connective tissues.

Cavitation occurs when joints move and the synovial fluid changes pressure, releasing carbon dioxide bubbles. This is common and no cause for alarm.

Some people may also feel a grinding sensation in the knees when squatting; if it doesn’t hurt, it’s known as benign crepitus.

If you experience knee pain when sitting or squatting, however, there may be more going on.

Crepitus (the non-benign kind) occurs when cartilage rubs against the bones and tissues in the joint, eventually wearing the cartilage and causing pain upon movement, often a precursor to osteoarthritis. Strain or injury to the knee joint can result in tears in the meniscus (cartilage) or patellofemoral pain syndrome—pressure build-up behind the kneecap. These conditions should be reviewed with a medical professional.

To ease the harmless but sometimes disconcerting creaks in the knees, here are six stretches you can do to loosen and strengthen muscles and connective tissue to reduce the sound effects.

Six Stretches To Get Rid of Knee Popping and Cracking Noises

1. Calf Release

This exercise uses pressure to relieve muscle tension in the calves. Remember that all muscles in the body are connected to one another—calf muscles join the upper part of the leg at the knees.

To stretch:

Sit on the floor with a tennis or other firm ball under the top of the left calf. Lay your right leg on top of your left, crossed at the ankles. Place your hands flat on the floor however they feel most comfortable. With weight on your hands, roll your calf forward and back over the ball. If you find a tender spot, stop rolling and flex your left foot back and forth for 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat as necessary.

Original article and pictures take dailyhealthpost.com site