The characteristic clicking when walking, getting up and all activities that require bending the knees … you know it? Creaking knees are a condition that occurs not only in the elderly. It is also more and more often observed in young people and does not necessarily mean that there are degenerative changes in the patellofemoral joint. The causes may be different, but athletes, obese and elderly people are particularly vulnerable to this type of ailment.
To make matters worse, creaking knees are often accompanied by pain. The most common causes of this type of symptoms are:
- Overweight,
- joint injuries,
- lack of physical activity,
- Mineral and vitamin deficiencies
- Anatomical defects of the joints.
All these causes cause one basic: damage to the articular cartilage. This applies not only to the knee joint, but also to the other “clicking joints”. Articular cartilage cushions and protects articular bones from rubbing against each other. As a result of damage, it may soften (in other words: chondromalacia), i.e. gradual destruction. This type of advanced cartilage damage is common in the elderly (as a result of their “wear and tear”) and in people who practice strenuous sports that cause numerous injuries.
In the case of chondromalacia, initially there is no pain in the joint, because the cartilage itself is not innervated. Only the rubbing of the bones against each other becomes felt, and then unpleasant soreness appears. The risk of this disease is also increased in people after injuries and disorders of the axis of the limb, and in very tall people.
How to avoid and how to treat?
If you are currently having trouble with the crackling, you need to make sure that it is not accompanied by pain in the future.
- Introduce physical activity into your life that does not strain your joints. To begin with, the best option will be swimming or properly selected gymnastics. In this way, you will strengthen your muscles, which will allow you to do other types of sports over time, such as running or cycling.
- As joint degeneration progresses, physiotherapy based on manipulative exercises will be necessary. Thanks to this, you will lose unnecessary kilograms, which is of great importance in the prevention of healthy joints, and you will also reduce muscle tension that restricts blood flow.
- It is also important to properly balanced diet. Avoid overeating, providing the body with fats and sugars.
- To strengthen the articular cartilage, you need to arm your body with the right ones vitamins: C, D, B, as well as calcium, protein, collagen, glucosamines, bioflavonoids and chondroitins. You can take them in the form of supplements, or modify your daily diet to provide the body with the necessary ingredients. For healthy joints, you should eat primarily: sprouts, citrus fruits, garlic, onions, olive oil, dairy products, wholegrain bread, fish, legumes, dark rice.