Do gentle range of motion exercises with your neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles. This is especially important if you’re over 65 and are at risk of developing osteoarthritis. Even small walks around your home is great for your body! You probably don’t need to see a doctor for this unless you have another symptom associated with your crepitus.
If your wrists or fingers are making a lot of noise, get a hand grip strengthener and squeeze it while you watch TV. You can also do wrist extensions with 5–10 lb (2. 3–4. 5 kg) weights. If your knees make those popping noises, squats are a great way to improve your leg strength. You can also do knee extensions or reverse planks to strengthen your leg muscles. Calf raises and ankle rolls are great ways to work out the smaller muscles around your ankles. Stretching your arms out regularly is a great way to prevent elbow and shoulder popping. Planks and pushups are a great way to slowly improve your muscle strength over time.
As an added benefit, maintaining a healthy weight is just good for your overall health! You’re less likely to get sick or injured if you maintain a good diet and exercise regularly.
Apply body oil or lotion to your hands to make it easier to massage your skin.
Check with your doctor before taking any supplement to make sure it’s safe for you.
If you have crepitus and experience pain in the joint after surgery, contact your doctor. You may be experiencing a common complication that requires a debridement to remove the buildup of foreign objects and fluids near a joint.
The most common cause of frequent popping is osteoarthritis. However, other symptoms may point towards joint damage, bursitis, tenosynovitis, pneumonia, a bone fracture, gout, or arthritis.
If the crackling noise is in your lungs, you’re likely going to be sent for a CT scan of your chest. You may have costochondritis, which is an inflammation in the cartilage of the ribs. If you have a fever, you may be admitted for pneumonia.
This is pretty standard. Your doctor is just interested in what’s going on internally with your joint. They’ll go over the results with you after they’ve been printed.
In the vast majority of cases, chronic crepitus is a sign of osteoarthritis. This is a permanent condition, but it’s extremely manageable and treatable, so try not to worry too much.
If you’re dealing with inflammation or gout, your doctor will likely recommend ibuprofen to reduce the swelling. Acetaminophen is ideal for general arthritic pain. Just be sure to eat something before taking it, since it can trigger nausea or stomach pain if you have an empty stomach. Naproxen is another anti-inflammatory medication, but it’s a good option if your joint pain is related to your muscles in any way. This may be your doctor’s suggestion if you have bursitis, arthritis, or tendinitis.
Wrap the cold compress in a cloth to keep the cold from getting too intense.
The custom-made brace may be necessary if you have pain that flares up when you extend past your standard range of motion. These braces restrict your range of motion to support your joint and give it time to heal.
One of the major benefits of physical therapy is that you’ll learn exercises and workout routines that you can perform at home to relieve your pain.
You may need a debridement to smooth out your damaged cartilage and remove the waste that’s building up around your joint. You may need an arthroscopy if your tendons need to be repositioned or you have tissue restricting your range of motion. The good news is that most of these surgeries are very low-risk and mostly non-invasive. Surgery always carries its risks, but these interventions are reasonably safe.
