The short and general answer to this is NO, the sounds you are hearing are normal and you are NOT causing yourself any harm and here I explain why.
The term for these clicking/popping sounds is joint crepitations and there is no research to suggest there is a link between the joint crepitations and an active muscloskeletal problem (1). Plus a study surveying 247 symptomatic people and 250 normal knee people revealed 99% of people have joint crepitations but no pain (2).
Of course if you feel pain with the joint crepitations, or it is new pain, or. you it bothers you, then you should get this checked out by a health professional.
Another reason is when the end of the bones move in the joint in the synovial fluid. This movement causes a pressure change in the joint and displaces gas bubbles which “pop" (like the sound of pressurised air when you first open a jar of jam)!
The knee is the most common joint to feel joint crepitus and the theory for this called “slip-stick” which can occur when the kneecap and femur (thigh bone) move on one another and this produces vibrational signals, which we can often feel if we lightly place our hands over the knee. Sounds from the knee can also be heard and felt as the knee cap locates into a groove into a groove as the muscles warm up. Plus there is the fine grating feeling, which I know I feel, and this is explained by fluid moving behind the kneecap.
So as you can see, it’s important to understand that generally noises from a joint are normal and should not cause you to stop any physical activity and you are not damaging your joints.
So what causes these sounds?
Sometimes the tendon or the ligaments make a clicking/snapping sound as they pass over a boney protuberance, This can often be heard when flexing the hip or knee and also the back of the shoulder, e.g. when doing shoulder rolls.Another reason is when the end of the bones move in the joint in the synovial fluid. This movement causes a pressure change in the joint and displaces gas bubbles which “pop" (like the sound of pressurised air when you first open a jar of jam)!
The knee is the most common joint to feel joint crepitus and the theory for this called “slip-stick” which can occur when the kneecap and femur (thigh bone) move on one another and this produces vibrational signals, which we can often feel if we lightly place our hands over the knee. Sounds from the knee can also be heard and felt as the knee cap locates into a groove into a groove as the muscles warm up. Plus there is the fine grating feeling, which I know I feel, and this is explained by fluid moving behind the kneecap.
So as you can see, it’s important to understand that generally noises from a joint are normal and should not cause you to stop any physical activity and you are not damaging your joints.
Remember as I said before anything that is causing you pain or you are concerned about then do get in touch or seek professional help.
References
1. Physiotutors. - Why your Joints Crack?
2. 1987 MCCoy et Al -People's beliefs about the meaning of crepitus in patellofemoral pain and the impact of these beliefs on their behaviour.
References
1. Physiotutors. - Why your Joints Crack?
2. 1987 MCCoy et Al -People's beliefs about the meaning of crepitus in patellofemoral pain and the impact of these beliefs on their behaviour.