Joint Popping/Joint Cracking
Some joint noise is normal
Joint cracking, commonly in the ankles and knees when walking up steps, is usually a benign condition that you do not need to worry about. While the exact cause is hard to detect, you are not doing damage to the joints when you hear them crack.
But if you have pain associated with the cracking joints, you should be evaluated to make sure there is not an underlying problem.
Causes of pain
Noises that are associated with pain may indicate damage to the articulating surfaces of the joint. Such pops and clicks may be due to tears in the meniscus, but are sometimes just due to an overly large or loose meniscus which may snap over the other structures in the knee as the knee bends and straightens.
The bottom line is this: if you hear pops and clicks with no associated pain in a joint, you may want to begin some conditioning exercises to improve the overall integrety of the joint. If the muscles are strong, they will take the weight off of the joint and relax the pressure on those articulating surfaces.
If there is pain along with those joint noises, there may be structural damage building in the joint, and it would be prudent to see a physician for an appropriate diagnosis.
