Cracking joints and pain | Joint cracking – How dangerous is that?

Cracking joints and pain

Patients who suffer from frequent cracking of the joints and at the same time feel pain in the affected joint should urgently consult a doctor. Such pain when cracking the joints can be a first indication of the presence of arthrosis. The term “arthrosis” refers to the wear and tear of a joint that exceeds the normal level for the age of the patient.

This excessive wear and tear of the joint can have various causes. In general, the deposition of certain acids in the joints can lead to such wear and tear (Arthrosis alcaptonurica). Other patients develop a hemorrhage-related form of osteoarthritis (hemophilic arthritis), which is caused by regular bleeding within the affected joint.

In addition, mechanical influences of so-called urate crystals (uric acid crystals) can cause damage to healthy joint cartilage and thus lead to arthrosis (Arthrosis urica). However, the most common cause of arthrosis is dysplasia of the affected joint. This is proven by the fact that especially those zones within a joint that are subjected to the most mechanical stress show signs of wear at an early stage.

The risk of developing arthrosis with pain and cracking of the joints increases with age. It can be assumed that approximately two thirds of people over 65 years of age are affected by this disease. The symptoms of osteoarthritis can also vary greatly from person to person.

In many cases, this form of joint degeneration proceeds completely without symptoms over a long period of time. A typical sign of the presence of arthrosis is the so-called “start-up pain”, which occurs mainly when the affected patient changes from a resting position to a stress situation. The occurrence of increasing pain under stress is also typical for osteoarthritis.

In this context, however, the extent of the pain felt by the patient does not correlate with the objectively measurable degree of arthrosis. Furthermore, patients suffering from arthrosis often notice a distinct cracking of the affected joint. The reason for this is the increasing unevenness on the cartilage surface.

Another typical sign for the presence of arthrosis is the occurrence of joint effusions. Many patients also notice a progressive deformation of the joint. Pain that is accompanied by a distinct cracking of a joint must be examined by a doctor as soon as possible. Otherwise, failure to provide appropriate treatment will cause the underlying disease to progress and result in a significant reduction in mobility.