Are Your Knees Snap, Crackle and Popping into the New Year?

It is common for our joints to “pop”, “click” or “crack” throughout our day. However, these noises can become distracting and can be cause for concern.

How do you know if your joint noises are something to address? A good rule of thumb is that if the noise is not painful, then it is likely nothing serious. These pain-free noises are commonly referred to as a cavitation. If you hear a noise that is accompanied by joint swelling, pain or instability than it is important to follow-up with a medical professional.

We re excited to share a “Patient Success Story” about a former Body Gears patient who suffered a painful “pop” in her knee accompanied by swelling. Read the below excerpt to see how our Body Gears Physical therapist addressed her problem promptly, efficiently and effectively:

Jane came to Body Gears following an 8-month old injury to her right knee, while practicing the martial art form Hapkido. The patient’s trunk was forced forward while she was sitting on the ground, causing her knee to be twisted and flexed rapidly in front of her body. Jane explained she felt a “pop” in her right knee, accompanied by moderate swelling. Jane went to the MD who referred her for an MRI, suspecting either a meniscal tear or posterior lateral corner injury. However, the MRI results were all unremarkable. Jane’s functional deficits included pain with walking short distances, running and deep squatting (as when peering into the refrigerator).

Jane attended 8 weeks of physical therapy at another company without any improvements and decided to another brand of PT. She found Body Gears for a second opinion on her case. After reviewing Jane’s history of her present injury, the Body Gears physical therapist was able to conclude that the patient’s tibia and fibula may have been thrust into an externally rotated position. The Body Gears PT utilized Functional Manual Therapy TM techniques to address the external rotation of Jane’s tibia. The results were significant. Jane was immediately able to increase the bend in her knee by 8° and decrease her pain with deep squatting from 7/10 pain to 2/10 pain. All in ONE SESSION. After further weight-bearing treatment of the right tibia, the patient’s pain was eliminated. Jane was discharged after 5 visits and returned to deep squats, walking and running without any symptoms.

*Patient’s name has been changed to respect privacy*


Authored By Sarah McGinn PT, DPT, Women’s Health Specialist


Do YOUR knees pop? Not sure what it means or have questions? Call us at (877) 709-1090 questions or email us at [email protected]. Don’t forget to check out our InstagramFacebook, and Podcasts for more great information!