What's with this clicking in my joints?

Click..click...click...Is that what you hear on your way up the stairs? Do you feel stiff in the mornings and need to initiate a click in some joints to relieve this feeling?


Should this be a cause of concern?

NO. Clicking in the joints is not indicative of joint impairment or injury unless it is accompanied with pain.

Why does it happen?

The reasons vary depending on joint and previous injury incurred, however you will likely experience this feeling in most joints at one point or another and the causes can range from bursting an air pocket to your ligaments snapping over your bones.

Is there a reason it always occurs in one joint?

The simple explanation for why it occurs in a specific joint time after time is due to joint laxity from overstretched ligaments or tendons.

Joint laxity can lead to injury down the line if uncommon stressors are placed upon the joint during exercise or sports related activity. Due to the unstable nature of a lax joint, the muscle recruitment is altered and therefore, it is likely that you will see muscle substitution (one muscle compensating for the lack of work of another).

One common area to hear clicking is in the shoulder girdle where the bony surfaces of this ball and socket joint make little contact with one another and therefore rely on the stability of ligaments and muscles. Here, the muscles act to properly align the bones where they need to be during overhead movements. Often times following injury or with unbalanced training, you will feel clicking due to lack of involvement or weakness of specific muscles at specific points of motion.

Is there a way to fix it?

Muscular Balance is key to helping the clicking cease. Working your biceps and triceps, back flexors (i.e. abdominals) as well as back extensors, quads and hamstrings..you catch the drift.

If you are working the front of the joint, you need to counteract with some strengthening on the back side as well.

Incorporating a good stretching routine is also key to maintaining muscular balance.

RULE OF THUMB: If you are strengthening it, end your session by stretching the same muscle groups.

Should I stop doing it on purpose?

Yes. The more you pop your joints the more you are introducing laxity and potential for injury. Although you may feel relief from this tiny click, the better solution is strengthening to achieve stable joints.


Do you click your joints? Friday Confessions!! Which ones?? How often?? TELL TELL!

Happy FRIDAY!