My knees crack after taking long breaks away from yoga

Tagged: cracking, knees

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jbeale
Participant

July 20, 2016 at 7:44 pm

Post count: 2

#21449

Hello! I’ve been going to hot yoga 3-4 times a week for over 2 years now. Lately I’ve been slacking (going once or twice a week) but I’ve noticed that when I take a long break (maybe 2 weeks without it) my knees start cracking really bad. It’s when I squat and walk up stairs / incline. When I reach down to feel my knees, I can actually feel a lot of stuff moving around when they make that noise, but there’s no pain at all. When I jump back into the yoga, the crackling goes away. I know the answer is “just keep going all the time!” but I don’t know much about the anatomy and wondering what could be going on? A friend suggested that when you work your thigh muscles too much, if they start to get lazy, it affects your knee muscles. Could that be whats happening? I’m only 27 I don’t want to start falling apart just yet! 🙂

Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
Forum Owner

August 2, 2016 at 8:01 am

Post count: 3048

#21468

Hello jbeale

Your friend is correct about the relationship between thigh muscles and knees. I prefer to say “pull the kneecap up with the quadriceps muscles” rather than “lock the knee” (although I do say that occasionally if I need a shortcut and my students understand what “locking” means).

It’s possible that you don’t routinely engage your quadriceps (etc) and create the space in your knee at times other than in your yoga practice. Maybe you have a sedentary job and never use those muscles except in class. I know I have felt that in myself in the beginning.

You mention you can feel ‘stuff moving around’. I am wondering what that means. Are you able to elucidate? Is it fluid, is it inflammation, a mass, small large?

I think that that observation in and of itself warrants a visit to a physiotherapist. It’s possible that you need to address this professionally regardless.

I started writing this ages ago. I must apologise. I thought I pressed ‘submit’. 🙁

So, hopefully you’ll come back and tell me more about that ‘stuff’. 🙂

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

jbeale
Participant

October 12, 2016 at 10:23 pm

Post count: 2

#21537

Hi Gabrielle!

Thanks for replying – I almost forgot all about this post!

Yes my legs (and the rest of my body) don’t get as much attention during the rest of the day. I work in an office and I’m either sitting or standing all day, and I don’t do much physical activity otherwise.. On my days off yoga, I try and do some fitness at home – skip rope, jumping jacks, sit ups / push ups, planks, things like that.

When I “feel stuff moving around” I mean, when I’m bending my knees (the only time I hear this crunching sound) I can feel small things moving around here and there, on and under my knee caps – maybe it’s tendons moving around? It’s hard to explain. Nothing is inflamed, and I don’t think it’s fluid, but it might be.

I’ve been thinking about seeing a physiotherapist so maybe I’ll just do that! Another person suggested I take a foam roller and roll the sides of my thighs – that seemed to help for them.

Thanks for your words of wisdom 🙂

JB
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