Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Noisy movement

Hi all,

Forgive what may seem a novice question to some. For the past year or so I've been noticing more crunching, rice crispy type noises when I move my neck, as well as a lot of popping when I bend my knees (where I'm especially painful), a shoulder, and various other joints. I've had pain off and on for many years but this "noisy" problem has been especially acute lately.

Does anyone experience this on an ongoing basis? Does anyone know what causes this recurrent symptom and if it's indicative of an onset of fusion?

As always, thanks for your informed feedback.

Mike




One can never get any but a loose and ignorant notion of such things except by experience.

~ Mark Twain on the subject of pain

Hi snap, crackle, pop, Mike

I'll be interested to hear knowledgable replies.
I also have a lot of noises in my neck - scary. Also my knee pops and my back goes clunk.
My back is painful and feels as if some thing is going to dislocate when it clunks and when I turn the wrong way.
My neck too - feels very abnormal.
Sorry I am no help but I do understand how you feel.
I'm glad you posted because I also want too know what others think about this.

Thanks

snap, crackle, pop, Maggie

If I remember right (and that is sometimes difficult for me) , we have had a similar thread a couple of times in the past.

For me, over the last half century, the creaking and popping noises in my neck and back and elsewhere were the sounds of fusing being diverted. I have kept straining my neck by turning my head from one side to another and I do it every day and sometimes twice or more a day. While it makes a lot of noise, the repeated movement to each side does give me an increased angle of possible neck movement and I have slowed down and essentially stopped my neck from fusing and keeping my head in a fixed position.

The noise is a sign of the start of fusing but more so, it is the sound of delaying the fusing.

We have in the past, joked about getting a group of AS sufferers together and forming a musical band with our various expertise in making these creaks and pops and whatever noise we can possibly manage. Hey, you gotta make your fun someway.

George

Breb Assyl

Mike
Maybe its just those of us with first names beginning with M... I have had the noises since I was a teen... Back made crazy noises at an early age then got worse in my twenties after dx at 19... Now 49 and still get them but only occasionally... Not sure what they mean but no you are not the only one so must be the M name thing... Thats my story and I am sticking to it...
Mike

For me it was noise in my neck, sounded like sand grinding . I never had noice in by back just pain so bad I felt like I could throw up.All fused now ,no more pain, I guess there is a light at the end of the tunnel if you can call it that.
Yoly(*^*)

Hi, Mike:

I think the poping noises are called "crepitus," and are probably indicative of some inflammation although the sound might be CO2 forced out of the joints. Apparently, joint noise is a precursor to most types of reactive arthritis, although before my neck fused it is about the only place that did not pop. My grandmother always told me not to crack my knuckles or I would get arthritis...boy, was she ever right!

Keep moving,
John

Hi! Boy can i relate to this one. I am 54 but not dxed yet but i started out with neck creaking and cracking, sometimes it felt like someone snapped me with a rubber band in neck. Years later i ended up having 2 herniated disc surgeries. Dont do all that much now cause i have bone grafts put in and metal plate with 2 screws. My knees have done the grinding and popping noise for years. I dont think as loud now but more pain. It was so embarrsing when it was so loud people would turn around and stare at me. Some would ask "is that your knees" Afraid so LOL. I was told all the noise is because the padding of joints and discs are wearing out.

Take care, Connie

For me the "grinding" noises happened when the neck was almost fused. The noises were actually the calcifications for lack of a better word rubbin together. Like little stalagmites/tites meeting up and as I moved my neck they would rub together. On quite a few occasions I had broken the ends of these little things off luckily to float away somewhere in the body and not in the spinal column. This was also a bad time pain wise as the inflamation was horrific. Just as a fusion would happen I would break that fusion causing more inflamation. As another posted I too am 100% fused and in A LOT less pain than those days thank god!!

hope it helps,

Bob

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Behold the beauty of Orca Art

Yes, I relate! It's the only part of the Barbie doll I've ever resembled. :~)



Thought it was just part of growing older?

John, Mike.

Crepitus it absolutely is.

I have recently being diagnosed with Chondromalacia Patellae which is effectively wear and tear of the inside of the kneecap (Patella). This involves very loud crunching noise. see more here

The clicking is caused by rough edges in the knee joint crunching over each other, as opposed to sliding smoothly over each other.

The condition is caused by mainly muscle imbalance, compounded by the amount of sport I play, teased by a few accidents, and completed by AS. Interestingly enough the specialist that saw me was amazed at the little amount of damage caused by the ferocity of AS I experienced as a kid. Which is good. Am doing special exercises and having my knees 'taped' to try and correct the issue.

Furthermore I have had extreme click-clacking in my neck since early 20's. This is also classed as crepitus, although the cause is thought to be slightly different here. Liagments can suffer inflammation too as a result of AS. And when they do they can become a little 'wooden' and lose a little of their elasticity. As a result, where they would normally slide smoothly over muscle and other tissue, they get caught, and then release with a bit of a snap or whipcrack. This is the case in my neck.

Also, as George mentioned, where there is some fusion present, close proximity of bone where there shouldn't be will cause noises when you move as well.

For my neck, I just stretch it all as much as I can to keep the ligaments and muscles as flexible as they can be... and put up with the noises.

Although there is an amusement factor when my neck does a really loud one at work to the horror of my work colleagues sitting 6 feet away.

Thankfully this is rare.

I hope this helps
Cheers
Jo