What does it mean when your knees crack?
959189
I am 41, I started to have problems with my knees after my son was born (37). I went to the Doctor for the same problem. He stated in a healthy knee, your knee cap will glide seamlessly across the joint, you have a grove in the center and when your muscular structure begins to  weakening the knee caps will dig new groves. This causes the crunchy, grinding sounds. He suggested to do isometric exercises to improve muscular strength and get it back on track. Hope this helps before you end up in pain as I was when I went to my doctor.
725248
Sounds like a HINGE joint.  Not sure if you're referring to the type of joint or the name.  Elbows and knees are types of hinge joints
170449
My chiropractor said those popping sounds are the lubricants in your joints turning to gas, but knees are complicated so I would see a doctor.
487716
So WHAT exactly got stiff?  Did your BACK get stiff?  Did your KNEE get stiff.  Dontcha just hate it when that happens!  You are a moron... moron's don't deserve REAL answers.
83743
could be your mcl or lcl... ligaments that are on the outside of the knee.. Really should see a doc.
822704
you should see a doctor.............i have had two knee surgeries..\ni torn a ligament in my knee
540169
Well, it could be for a number of reasons. Depending on what you had done, it could be just as bad as it was before surgery. I myself have had 4 knee surgeries, 2 on each knee. They did debridement under the kneecaps, removal of torn meniscus, and lateral releases on both. The cartilage under my kneecaps is just as bad as before, because the problem has not been fixed. The debridement was a temporary relief of the damaged cartilage, but the problem is that my knee caps are not tracking right, so there is grinding and rubbing on my leg bones. This is very painful, somedays are worse than others. Also, the scar tissue from surgery causes pain, as well as the muscles that did not recover. I went through a pain management clinic, and they say that after surgery, the problem can be fixed, but the nerves that are used to sending the pain signals become used to doing that. So this is where chronic pain comes in. About the only thing you can do for chronic pain, is learn how to manage it. I take ibuprofen when my knees act up, and I use aspercreme if they get really achy. Other than that, it's either more surgery or learn to live with it. For me, they want to do more invasive surgery that involves breaking and resetting bones with screws to line the kneecaps where they should be, but I'm still not sure if I want to do this, as it might cause more problems than I already have. Well, I hope this helps in some way. I feel your pain. Good luck.
605938
no it isn't because you use your calf mucles not your knees. might get a little sore the next day though o and about the grindy sound you hear from your knees, i get it too and it means nothing it is just a little friction between your joints
882463
It sounds like your meniscus. That is the tissue in your knee. It would not show a tear in a regular x-ray because an x-ray only shows bones.  They need to do an MRI to see the soft tissue and prove it is torn.  There is really nothing else you can do.  ou can take pain pills but the tear most likely will not heal if you are in pain like you are.  Typical of this type of injury is no swelling.\n\nyou may be able to go to a local county hospital that may not charge for the procedure.
218051
Depending on your age it could be arthritis.  The best thing to do is consult a physician.  They have to get an inside look to find the right solution.  I myself have some arthritis but find much relief and strength in my legs from doing Tai Chi and Chi Gung.  And I had a torn meniscus in my knee years ago (they did arthroscopic surgery).
238553
"Cracking" your joints won't hurt you.  According to some scientist, the "cracking" is a fluid sack in your joints popping, which releases a lubricant like substance that helps your joints move more smoothly.
937402
Popping\n\nPopping and snapping within the knee is quite common, and often not a symptom of any particular problem. When the pops or snaps are painless, there is usually no problem--the bigger concern is when these sounds are associated with pain. A pop is often heard or felt when a ligament, such as the ACL, is torn. \n\nCrunching/Grinding\nA sense of grinding or crunching is most often associated with bone grinding against bone once the cartilage is worn away. This is commonly found in arthritis. Patients who are young (under 50 years old) seldom have arthritis that will cause these severe symptoms, unless there has been a severe injury to the knee in the past.\n \nLocking\nLocking is a symptom that occurs when a patient cannot bend or straighten their knee. The locking can either be due to something actually blocking motion of the knee (this can occur when a piece of cartilage wedges within the joint) or when pain prevents the patient from moving the knee. These two causes must be differentiated, as something physically caught in the joint should be evaluated in a timely manner. Often injecting the knee with numbing medication can help determine the cause of locking. \n\nGiving-Way/Instability\nThe stability of the knee is provided by the ligaments that connect the shin bone (tibia) to the thigh bone (femur). When the ligaments are stretched or torn, the knee may feel as though it is giving way beneath the patient. A sensation that the knee may give out from beneath you is a common symptom of ligament injury.
432154
Do mean cracks in the skin of your heel or the bone itself?
637137
It seems like you're getting a build up of air in your joints in your knee. It's probably no big deal but if it starts giving you trouble then I'd say go to a doc.
628406
Did you have a knee injury in the past or are you significantly overweight?  Usually when you have "buckling" of the knee that comes on suddenly, or has been going on for a while, it's due to injury in the meniscus or the covering across the knee cap that holds the tendons together.  You can have laproscopic surgery for this and it's very effective.  Look up ACL and it will give you some good information regarding this condition.  \n\nTrying to "strengthen" an area that is torn inside will only cause more damage.  See and orthopedic doc first.  He can also recommend proper strengthening exercises if appropriate.
850684
You could have inflamed cartilege.\nSee a doc and do an mri of the knee. That should tell him if there is an inflamation due to a tear.\n\nIn the meatime try an antiinflammatory drug like aleve.
266472
Well, I'm recovering from a broken kneecap. My Doctor told me to lay on my back on the floor.\nDraw my one knee up so it points to the ceiling while the foot is flat on the floor. Keep it there.\nThe other knee? Keeping your leg straight, lift that leg about 10 inches off the ground & hold for 10 seconds. Do 100 daily. This strengthens the knee.