Causes of pain
During growth peaks, body proportions may change unevenly. The bone grows faster than the muscles that support it develop; the tendons do not have time to “get used” to the new sizes. In addition, the development of tissues occurs faster than the development of the network of vessels that nourish them. The vessels become thinner, bone and muscle tissues receive less oxygen. All this is the result of hormonal surges. Such phenomena lead to painful sensations, especially at night.
This is not a pathology, but in order not to lose sight of the real disease, pay attention to the teenager’s condition: observe how often pain appears and whether there are other symptoms.
Prevention
To avoid any joint problems, you should eat right.
For the health of the musculoskeletal system, doctors recommend paying great attention to prevention in adolescence. You should not take medications on your own to strengthen muscle tissue, since against the background of physiological processes they can cause the opposite process and cause harm. Experts recommend following these rules:
- balanced diet;
- rejection of bad habits;
- moderate physical activity;
- wearing comfortable shoes;
- getting rid of excess weight.
Chondroprotectors and other biological additives for prevention purposes are taken only as prescribed by a doctor. They strengthen joints, making them more resilient and flexible. Taking such drugs is useful for young people who play sports professionally. In addition to medications, folk remedies, for example, sea salt, ozokerite, and boiled potatoes, have the same effect.
Who is at risk?
It is believed that girls and boys from 8 to 14 years old are susceptible to growth spurts. But they especially manifest themselves in the period after 11 - according to statistics, up to ¾ of all adolescents of this age suffer from joint pain. Night attacks of pain usually last up to 15 minutes, appearing over several days, sometimes weeks.
This especially applies to guys who are seriously involved in sports: muscle strain from physical activity can be severe. In young athletes, the duration of the attack is often longer, as is the period of symptom onset.
When should you worry?
- constant pain for more than 2 months;
- frequent pain during the day;
- lameness;
- swelling of the joints, the skin around them is hot to the touch;
- jumps in body temperature.
If you have these symptoms, consult your doctor. You can also conduct a simple test: try to slowly bend and straighten the child’s limb. Ask if it hurts, pay attention to the mobility of the joint. If the limb could not be fully straightened, you saw a hematoma, or the child complained of pain, contact your pediatrician or orthopedist.
Why do my joints crack?
Crunching in the joints can be observed at any age and throughout the body. Adolescents are at risk; this phenomenon occurs in them as a result of active age-related changes. But there may be cases of pathological factors. Diseases that cause uncharacteristic cracking of the joints can be extremely dangerous, so specialized therapy is required.
Physiology
The most common and at the same time absolutely harmless cause is physiological processes. This problem is especially acute at the age of 14-16 years, when all parts of the body grow rapidly. In this case, bone growth may be slightly accelerated, while muscles and ligaments grow more slowly. As a result, excessive tension in the ligaments is observed, and a characteristic sound occurs in the joints during movement.
The crunch occurs with sudden movement, without causing pain or discomfort. Localization is difficult to determine; the symptom appears at the junction of large joints. Most often, teenagers have cracking knees and hands, especially after being in one position for a long time. It is impossible to influence the process; no treatment is required. As a preventative measure, experts recommend proper balanced nutrition.
Pathologies and their symptoms
Excessive flexibility of joints can cause a lot of problems for a person over time.
If the crunch occurs frequently, additional painful symptoms appear and the attacks become more intense, in this case we may be talking about a pathological process. Urgent diagnosis and therapy are necessary. There are many diseases of the joints and bones that demonstrate similar symptoms, the most popular among adolescents are the following:
- Congenital joint hypermobility. At the same time, the crunch is loud and intense, especially in the spine. Excessive flexibility of the joints appears. At an advanced stage, aching back pain and poor posture occur.
- Flat feet. The musculoskeletal system is one mechanism. Irregularities in the structure of the feet provoke increased pressure on the joints. Heaviness in the legs and difficulties in movement appear.
- Pathology of connective tissue. Due to a weak articular-ligamentous system, stretch marks appear. The disease can be hereditary, but more often occurs as a result of an imbalance of vitamins and minerals.
- Arthrosis and other inflammatory diseases. Pathologies often appear in adulthood; symptoms include severe aching pain and swelling. In adolescents, inflammatory processes in the joints can be concomitant ailments.
- Metabolic disorders. A balance of minerals is required for normal functioning. Excess salts lead to their sedimentation in cartilage. As a result, they become hard, the depreciation process is disrupted, and the bones crunch.
For teenagers, the appearance of a crunch due to hormonal imbalance is considered characteristic. It is at this age that rapid restructuring processes occur in the body. Excess hormones leave a mark on the functioning of all systems, including the musculoskeletal system.
How to help a teenager
There is no specific treatment for such pain - it is a natural process, the symptom goes away on its own within 2-3 years. However, the child’s condition can be alleviated with the help of certain measures.
The most effective way is massage. 10 minutes of gentle rubbing is enough to restore normal blood circulation, relax muscles and relieve pain. Teach your child self-massage: consult a doctor, exercise therapy specialist, or find simple techniques yourself. Stroking, pinching and rubbing are allowed. This must be done in the direction from the hips to the feet.
Dry heat also improves blood flow and relieves muscle spasms: apply a heating pad to the area of concern for 10-12 minutes. For pain in the ankle joints, foot baths will help. Regular cycling exercises will also make the pain less severe.
Physical activity should be somewhat limited if the child plays sports: race walking and swimming are allowed. It is better to avoid long-distance running, team sports, and cycling. After consultation with an orthopedic doctor, you can take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and use warming ointments.
Diagnostics
A child with such symptoms should be regularly examined by a doctor.
Despite the fact that in 80% of cases clicking in the joints does not cause danger, it is better to carry out diagnostics regularly to be on the safe side. During the examination, the doctor examines the joint in which the crunching occurs and prescribes a series of laboratory tests. It is important to exclude the inflammatory process and possible injuries. The full picture can be seen by receiving test results, including:
- general and biochemical blood test;
- OAM;
- C-reactive protein test;
- rheumatoid tests;
- radiography;
- Ultrasound.
Crunching in joints can be pathological
You should sound the alarm if the crunch is accompanied by other symptoms:
- pain appears at rest or during movement;
- nearby tissues swell or swell;
- “bumps” are formed, etc.
If the symptoms cause discomfort, it is better to consult a rheumatologist as soon as possible for a diagnosis. It is important not to waste time, because some diseases can be successfully treated at the initial stage, while others require regular efforts. With such signs, the patient may need treatment for arthrosis or osteoarthritis, arthritis, gout, bursitis, calcification or other pathology.
Do you like to crack your fingers? Be prepared to hear the diagnosis: arthrosis!
This is fine!
Inside the joints there is synovial fluid, in which gas bubbles burst from time to time. This phenomenon is absolutely normal, provided that this happens no more than 3-4 times per hour and is not accompanied by pain or other unpleasant sensations.
Doctors sometimes use another term – joint hypermobility. It refers to the innate ability of connective tissue to be flexible and mobile. The fingers, legs or arms themselves take on an unnatural position, and when returning to the starting position they make a characteristic crunch. If there is no pain or discomfort, there is no need to panic. However, if the symptom recurs with enviable regularity, it would not be superfluous to consult a specialist.
The crunching of the joints of the legs is especially dangerous: the load on them is several times higher than on the arms
How to prevent the development of arthrosis when crunching occurs in the joints
Even if the crunch in your case is not accompanied by pain, swelling and other alarming signs, do not ignore the problem. It's time to think about prevention:
- take care of a balanced diet - a harmonious combination of protein foods, vegetables, fruits and whole grains;
- give up a sedentary lifestyle in favor of reasonable physical activity;
- avoid injuries, which, like nothing else, contribute to disruption of the cartilage layer, deficiency of synovial fluid and inflammatory processes.
Doctors recommend that those who are faced with joint diseases go in for swimming - the safest sport. During such loads, there is no mutual pressure between the articular cartilages, and the muscles relax. But there are also other reasons to go to the pool, and not, for example, the tennis court or football field:
If one crunch is not enough and the disease has imperceptibly turned into arthrosis, it is too early to give up, as well as to turn to alternative medicine for help. Modern techniques allow people, even with advanced forms of this disease, to lead a normal lifestyle.
Instead of painkillers and chondroprotectors, intra-articular injections of Noltrex are increasingly being used for this purpose today, and this is quite justified. The synthetic drug is hypoallergenic, combines perfectly with the tissues of the human body and brings a long-term effect.
