Parents Concerned with joint cracking and popping of knees.. painless, but still concerned.

[GymDad00]

My daughter age 10 is competing level 7 and training approximately 20 hours a week. This is the first season where she wakes up in the morning and bends / manipulates her knees to pop them in the morning. She's not doing anything odd to make them crack.. but just bends pulls them toward her and extends them repeatedly until she gets a "cracking" relief. She says it's not painful, but I always tell her to stop doing it... because I consider it sort of like TMJ or knuckle cracking... if you do it over and over it will lead to soreness and irritation of the joints. (Arthritis down the line).

Should i be concerned? It's kinda becoming like a habit like knuckle cracking.

 

[raenndrops]

My daughter age 10 is competing level 7 and training approximately 20 hours a week. This is the first season where she wakes up in the morning and bends / manipulates her knees to pop them in the morning. She's not doing anything odd to make them crack.. but just bends pulls them toward her and extends them repeatedly until she gets a "cracking" relief. She says it's not painful, but I always tell her to stop doing it... because I consider it sort of like TMJ or knuckle cracking... if you do it over and over it will lead to soreness and irritation of the joints. (Arthritis down the line).

Should i be concerned? It's kinda becoming like a habit like knuckle cracking.

Don't be concerned. Cracking knuckles doesn't even lead to arthritis.
In an article I found on the Houston Methodist website, "So, as it turns out, you can crack your knuckles, limitlessly, without the consequences of arthritis. Just don't be too caught off guard if your rings fit a little tighter after a knuckle-cracking session. Cracking knuckles can cause temporary swelling or a subtle increase in the size of your hands, but is ultimately harmless. "There are no long-term studies that show knuckle-cracking causes any damage," Dr. Fackler says. Until then, "When it comes to your fingers, don't even worry about it."
The only thing Dr. Fraker advised against was cracking the neck regularly because "it can cause inflammation around the nerves and lead to more serious injuries long-term. "I encourage people not to habitually pop their necks, especially kids."
I am in my 50s. I started cracking my knuckles when I was 6 and still do. I am actually genetically predisposed to developing arthritis, but my only arthritis is in joints that I actually injured multiple times as a kid (knees, ankles, shoulders, left elbow, right hip).

 

[GymDad00]

Don't be concerned. Cracking knuckles doesn't even lead to arthritis.
In an article I found on the Houston Methodist website, "So, as it turns out, you can crack your knuckles, limitlessly, without the consequences of arthritis. Just don't be too caught off guard if your rings fit a little tighter after a knuckle-cracking session. Cracking knuckles can cause temporary swelling or a subtle increase in the size of your hands, but is ultimately harmless. "There are no long-term studies that show knuckle-cracking causes any damage," Dr. Fackler says. Until then, "When it comes to your fingers, don't even worry about it."
The only thing Dr. Fraker advised against was cracking the neck regularly because "it can cause inflammation around the nerves and lead to more serious injuries long-term. "I encourage people not to habitually pop their necks, especially kids."
I am in my 50s. I started cracking my knuckles when I was 6 and still do. I am actually genetically predisposed to developing arthritis, but my only arthritis is in joints that I actually injured multiple times as a kid (knees, ankles, shoulders, left elbow, right hip).

Yeah, i remember reading it causing arthritis was false.... but i know personally, having TMJ, if i manually pop my jaw as a habit it can get really sore and painful and becoming a feedback loop where I feel the need to crack it more. I'm seeing the same habit forming with my daughter and the need to crack her knees and want to avoid the potential for irritation. I know the Jaw TMJ clicking is probably more harmful than the nitrogen popping in the knees. But like most things in life.. too much of anything seems detrimental... even if stopping it for awhile leads to full healing.

 

[Aussie_coach]

I had the same issue. It started at about age 12, my knee’s would crack constantly and I could crack them over and over, the same way you describe.

It continued to occur during the teen years and into adulthood.

Then a few years ago, as suddenly as it started it stopped. And now it doesn’t happen anymore.

Nothing else in my body has ever been able to crack or pop. I don’t have by pain anywhere, my knees are incredibly strong and healthy. No issues whatsoever.

 

[mezzamare]

My daughter is also a L7, and I noticed a huge uptick in the snaps, crackling and popping over the last six months or so. She's older than your daughter, but they're in the same boat. FWIW, I brought it up with her doctor and she (the doctor) was very unconcerned unless there was pain or discomfort, which there isn't. The joint popping is a nails-on-chalkboard sound for me, but I guess I need to get used to it, lol.

 

[GymDad00]

My daughter is also a L7, and I noticed a huge uptick in the snaps, crackling and popping over the last six months or so. She's older than your daughter, but they're in the same boat. FWIW, I brought it up with her doctor and she (the doctor) was very unconcerned unless there was pain or discomfort, which there isn't. The joint popping is a nails-on-chalkboard sound for me, but I guess I need to get used to it, lol.

Oh my gosh, it's getting so much worse. Every morning she wakes up it's crack, crack crack... it's now starting with the knuckles, ankles, back... nails on chalkboard yes! Hopefully it passes soon! She finds it amusing.. but it's driving me up the wall and I try not snapping at her to stop.

 

[mezzamare]

Oh my gosh, it's getting so much worse. Every morning she wakes up it's crack, crack crack... it's now starting with the knuckles, ankles, back... nails on chalkboard yes! Hopefully it passes soon! She finds it amusing.. but it's driving me up the wall and I try not snapping at her to stop.

Yeah, it just sounds like it can't be good for her, so it makes me cringe when she does it. FWIW, I started taking her to a chiropractor (on the suggestion of her coach) and she's really mellowed out on the Rice Krispies moves over the last month. I've never been a chiropractor person in the past, but whatever is happening there seems to be working for my daughter, at least in the comfort department.

 

[catchingupmom]

I've found that my kiddo does this a lot. more and more the bigger joints too which is a bit scary and loud too, hip joints anyone? Once thing I find helps a bit is when I encourage her to eat lots of gelatin (Jell-o), or if I add collagen to her smoothies. Not sure if it might just be all in my head, but thought it might be worth a try for you if that is permitted in your family's dietary considerations.