Clicking joints?

[bikelet]

Hey all,

The subject line is broad, i really had a few different joints in mind that make regular clicks. I was wondering what this means and if it is significant.

Firstly my left wrist carpals crack over each other sometimes when i move the wrist into flexion and my right wrist sometimes gets mildly 'stuck' between ulna and radial deviation when piano playing requiring a crack before moving. I'm not too concerned about my wrists as they seem to function fine and i haven't acutely injured them.

My main concerns are in my back. Around T4 and T12 are two spots that routinely feel the need to crack and can get stiff if i'm in a flexed posture of extended time periods. (How do i tell if i have T4 syndrome or not?)

Also when i practice multifidis contractions in the lower spine region (doing a pelvic tilt), i sometimes feel the sacrum getting pulled over or past L5 (at least that's what it feels like- it doesn't feel right so i don't do it much). When i extend my back L5/S1 often gives a big cracking noise. Is this hypermobility or possibly indicticative of spondylolythesis?

[hjohnstone]

I'm 18 and many of my limbs click also e.g. wrist, kneecap, elbow, and shoulders (without help), they will simply click sometimes when moved without pain or discomfort. So, i would also like some opinions on this.

[neuromuscular]

Dear Bikelet:

I too had a clicking heel on the left.

I had several treatments to the calf muscles and the click disappeared. I feel that clicking joints are the result of a minor muscular imbalances that when the joint is pushed past a certain point the joint fails to slide properly and then makes a sharp quick movement that we percieve as a an audible click. There may be other causes in certain diseases or abnormalties that would not be included in this. But where it is idiopathic in nature, this is often what I have found. Try ALOphysio and see what he sayes.

If it is in the wrist, try palpating the forearm both anterior and posterior. See if there are specific muscular tender spots These may be in excess tonus.

Hope that you find this helpful.

Best regards,

Neuromuscular.