My knees are cracking! REALLY BADLY! All my life, they have cracked when I squat, no pain. The doctor said not to worry and I haven't, until I started exercising lately - I'm 42. Since I started circuit training with weights (5-8-10 lb) they have gotten worse. They grind when I walk up steps as well. My right knee is much worse than my left and aches at times. I bought knee supports for both when I workout, but they still crack loudly. Also, my elbows ache too. Went to the doctor and have been diagnosed with tendonitis - but that was before the knees started to act up. I haven't gotten the meds yet <slapping hand>.

Should I NOT be doing weights anymore? Am I making things worse? The loud cracks sound awfully scary when I exercise, even when just doing aerobics w/o weights. Not painful, just creepy. Any advice? I love my circuit training. I'd hate to have to stop but I don't want to do any further damage. TIA!

I know how you feel. I've recently started doing TJ and have noticed a very loud creaking noise in both of my knees. They don't hurt but the noise is very freaky. They also are stiff if I've been sitting for a long period of time like at work. I didn't do TJ this morning but did do another aerobic workout and both my knees were making noises. Although there is no pain I'm still worried that I'm making my knees worse by my workouts. I never had this problem when I was just walking so I'm wondering if the TJ is too high of an impact for me ! I hope someone has advice or maybe has experienced the same thing. I'm 45 now and don't want to be in pain down the road.

For what it's worth, I've started taking Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM in the lowest dose combo pill I could find at Walmart. I have a similar popping in my shoulder (mainly when I wake up in the morning) and it seems to have helped. It made me a little stiff for the first week, but after that everything has leveled out. It seems to make the synovial fluid thicker, more like Jello, so things don't move around as much.

Side bonus: I have less of an urge to crack my knuckles, because the darned things just WON'T pop anymore. Makes my Mom happy

-Amy

Hi,
I was just browsing the threads and ran across this one. My experience with the bad knee issue turned out to be a not so good one. It started off with the popping and after pain and several trips to the doc, I eventually had to have surgery. The surgery was in March 2005. To this day, I don't know how I injured my knee. Only thing I was doing is the walk away the lbs video and months later, my knee started popping and eventually became painful. Anyway, today, I still have problems with my knee but my doc also told me to take the Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM. It does help. When I unintentionally allow it to get out of my system because my knee starts feeling better and I forget to take them, my knee lets me know because I start experiencing pain again. So ladies, take care of your knees and if you need glucosamine, take it.

I swear by Glucosamine and so does my DH, I take it regularly...

A while back I went to see my foot specialist because of foot problems. Since it was my first time there he asked many questions about exercising. I told him I run,about 30k/week, when I said this he asked if I had sore knees, I said ... He (the young doctor) said that it was ''unusual for a woman my age'' I was 48!! Later on when he had fitted me with othotics I went for follow up appointments and during our conversations he asked if I weight trained, I proudly said ... then he said that that was why ''a woman my age didn't have sore knees, ''...because the joints are only as strong as the surrounding muscles and ligaments...'' So my point is, that I don't think it's the weight training per se that will cause the knee problems. But I would get it checked anyways...

Thanks! Okay, I will try the Glucosamine. Doesn't hurt. What kind of doctor do I go to? My dh says an orthopedic specialist, someone else said a physical therapist. I would be seen for both the elbows and the knees.

I think you would need two doctors, the orthopedic specialist is for the feet only... I know that around here you usually get reffered by your doctor to a physical therapist, after you've been diagnosed. I'm not sure how it works elsewhere...

I think you mean a Podiatrist for the feet. Orthopedics deal with sports injuries, tendonitis, ankle sprains, treatment of areas of damaged cartilage in knees, etc. That sort of thing. I'll call my doctor to get a referral. He should know after I tell him my symptoms. Thanks again!