Too young for 'crunching' knees?

[LakeGeneva1]

Today is a rare child free day thanks to my amazing MIL. The house is so quiet I can actually hear myself think… and apparently my knees. 😬

I went upstairs to grab something and wait for it… my knees started making the crunching crackling sounds. At first I thought it was the floorboards… but no, it was me. My own knees!

I concentrated on it and it sounded exactly like scrunching crisp wrappers with every step down. 🤯

I’m 47, mum of two (8 and 9), quite slim, no knee pain at all… but suddenly I’m panicking about early onset osteoarthritis. I thought I was too young for this!

Honestly, I’m starting to think it’s from running after my boys all day and going up and down the stairs a million times. My knees have been working overtime.

Some reading tells me crunchy knees are actually pretty normal as we get older. Gas bubbles in joint fluid, tendons moving over bone, small changes in cartilage… and it doesn’t always mean something is wrong.

My dad had really bad knees and needed steroid injections, but he was in his 70s! So I’m hoping mine aren’t heading there already…

Still, hearing my knees like crisp packets is a shock. So I’m asking other women around my age… are your knees crunching like mine? No pain, just that weird wrapper noise? Do you think there is anything I could do that might actually help? x

Mine have done this for years. I had a knee injury from running about 12 years ago which didn’t help and I gained a lot of weight which didn’t help but I’ve recently lost almost 4 stone and that’s helped so much. My bmi is now below 21.

I still struggle with my knees but I do squats, lunges and other leg strengthening exercises in the gym 3 times a week minimum and lots of flexibility work which is helping so much.

I rarely have knee pain anymore and I can sit in a deep squat now, albeit not for very long! I’m building up slowly and I am determined to do everything I can to future proof my knees as much as possible.

I had this.
The gp told me almost ALL of the time its nothing blah blah. Made me feel i was being difficult for not accepting being sent away. I insisted on an open referral.

I have private so went to a specialsit and got an mri.
Surprise! It's not nothing.
I need a course of physio and I need to take it seriously to prevent surgery.
If id if ignored it I wpuld have needed surgery.

cant rember specifically but its something like my Hoffman fat pad and knee cap is misaligned?

Anyway get it checked if its new and constant.

My knees popped and cracked when I was a kid. Haven't had any problems yet aged 50 though they are mildly hypermobile.

This happened to me in my early 40s - couldn't crouch down without holding onto something for support and was in lots of pain in knees and hip.

I took up yoga and walking and the pain disappeared for about 5 years. When it flared up again, I went back to the GP, she referred me for an x-ray but said it sounded like soft tissue damage, which it was. I was given physio exercises which worked brilliantly. I'm now early 50s and I've been fine ever since.

It's called crepitus. It's often described to sound like the sound of scrunching a crisp packet.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crepitus

Can I ask what physio exercises you do?

My knees do this and I'm not 40 yet! I think I've wrecked mine hill walking. Mine hurt too though, especially when going downhill.

I’m mid 40’s and my knees have always occasionally crunched, don’t everyone’s?

Start two desert spoons of extra virgin olive oil every day and look at an anti inflammatory diet that includes turmeric, ginger, gut friendly foods.
Avoid red meat, eat oily fish, eggs, walnuts, dates, nut butters, almonds, brocoli and spinach.
Keep active, regular exercise and stretching.
All the above can definitely help both hip and knee issues.

Crepitus, horrible word and horrible sound haha. I’m also late 40s and my knees have sounded like they’re tearing when I walk up the stairs for years

My doctor said the only way I’ll ever be “better” is a double knee replacement. Which they won’t do until I’m 60. I’m 30! I also don’t have £12k laying around to get it done privately.

You can try vitamins that aggressively market their “joint support” formula or physiotherapy which will have you stretching your knee up to your tits for 30 minutes a day but in reality neither will help.

@sugarandcyanide you didn't ask me, but I have been told to massively strengthen my glutes, so I do 3 sets of 30 side leg raises and side clams on both sides every day. Plus also load my knee so I do wall squats with raised toes pushing down through my heels, while squeezing a ball between my knees. I've been doing this since Christmas and have been much better since about July. I do a Pilates class with a physio once a week and swim once a week, unfortunately I've had to give up running because time spent running is better spent doing these other things.

Diet really can help.
I have several friends in their late 50's whom have had one knee done and now won't get the second one done.

I know of several men with double knees done and they still have pain with an improvement definitely but still not perfect.

Do as much with diet and weight that you can.

Glucosamine works for my 'slightly ' crunchy knees
Cheap and worth a go. Will take a while to kick in though.

I started with this at about 42 and it did come with pain - in knees and also hands. Doctor can't come up with anything other than "inflammation" (unexplained). Says its not arthritis or similar though. As long as I remember to take the Naproxen it's ok.

Mines been like that since mid/late 20s so about 10 years its only one knee but never caused an issue

lol, you’re not too young, I have had crunchy knees since I was 19 due to being an elite athlete.

My knees have been doing this and I’m mid 30s - I am so so upset and have started doing physio as last year they were giving way slightly.

Not sure I'm clever enough to explain in a post - sorry! Also you might be safer consulting a physio in case it's a different cause

I have arthritis (not in my knees though) and mentioned to my consultant about my knees cracking. He said it’s completely normal and nothing to worry about. Obviously it’s different if you have have other symptoms. I’m mid 40s.

I'm similar to you and my kids have named them Rice Crispie Knees

Mine have done it since my 20's, physio weren't alarmed then or when I went at 38, and I have never been offered scans. I was told the second time that my knees are hypermobile and that coupled with a slightly wonky gait means that I have chronic runners knee. I get knee pain if I run or walk far or dance, but it doesn't stop me from long walks etc, I just know my knees will hurt for a few days. I'm 39. The pain was much worse when I was younger in my 20's when I didn't drive and walked everywhere and went to gigs every weekend dancing, it's actually gotten better and manageable knowing my triggers, so it doesn't necessarily mean they will need replacing on 20 years!

Hypermobility is very common cause of genetic knee issues, make sure you don't hyperextend your knees when you stand up straight. I thought this was how everyone stood until my child was diagnosed with hypermobility and the physio pointed it out to me.

I know a personal trainer, he must be about 40 ish and said that his knees are noisy! I said to him that mine are like that, what should I do? He said to turn the music in the gym up! 😁

My knees (toes, ankles, neck and wrists) have gone off like fireworks my whole life, never had any pain, its just part of my crunchy charm 😁

Im your age - I thought I was young and fit then I randomly had a heart attack!