Q:

My knees seem to pop every time I bend them. It's not really painful, but sometimes it can feel a little uncomfortable or maybe even a little sore. I looked it up online and it said this could be related to a magnesium deficiency? Also, my mother recently developed degenerative arthritis in one of her knees, so it sounds like there's gravel in her knee when she walks up stairs. I'm curious if this is something I should be concerned about and what I can do to stop the popping and prevent anything serious from developing. If you could point me in the right direction, that would be wonderful. Thanks!

 

A:

Most knee (and other joint) "popping" is related to gasses, mostly nitrogen, bubbling out of the joint fluid when the joint is moved and pressure changes in the joint occur. It is not a disease process, and does not indicate that a person who has it is developing arthritis or other serious problems.

Rarely, especially after an episode of injury, joint popping or grating can be caused by degenerative changes or mechanical changes related to the injury. In these cases, the symptoms is usually accompanied by pain, and evaluation by a health care provider is needed to determine the cause of the problem.

It would be unlikely that magnesium deficiency would have anything to do with the symptoms you describe.

Unfortunately, some people seem destined to develop degenerative arthritis in some joints, while others are not so destined. It is difficult to predict in younger people. Basic advice would be to maintain good physical fitness, get regular exercise, and if joints are specifically bothering you, see a health care provider for evaluation.

~The Doc