Worried About the Snap, Crackle and Pop in Your Joints?

QUESTION: When I exercise, my elbow makes a popping noise, and sometimes it feels as if it is going to lock up. Is this normal?

ANSWER: Popping, grinding or crackling noises in the joints are usually nothing to worry about, unless you are also experiencing pain or swelling when this occurs. Often a joint will feel tight or close to getting "stuck," but after the popping noise occurs, it seems to feel fine.

Other times, a loud pop is heard first and then the joint will lock up. This may indicate a joint problem that should be evaluated by your physician. The same advice would hold true if you notice that you are losing range of motion or function of the joint.

The exact reason that our joints pop and snap isn't fully understood, but there are several theories that make sense, one being that popping may be due to tendons or ligaments sliding over the bones around the joint.

Another theory is that air bubbles found in the fluid inside the joint are released when the joint is moved in certain ways, such as happens with cracking the knuckles. Joints that are arthritic also often make grinding or cracking noises that can be heard when the joint is moved.

If the problem becomes bothersome or gets worse, seek the advice of your physician.

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QUESTION: My husband and I take a walk every evening after dinner. We wouldn't mind losing a few pounds, but are primarily interested in greater heart health. When we are walking, how can we be sure we are gaining the greatest benefit?

ANSWER: I am glad to hear you and your husband have a regular walking plan. There are many things to take into consideration in order to get the most out of your exercise routine, and consistency is certainly one of them. It is very heart-healthy to engage in regular exercise as opposed to being physically inactive and then suddenly deciding to go out and do an intense workout.

When engaging in cardiovascular exercise, no matter what the type, one way to gauge level of intensity is to start paying closer attention to your breathing. After a few minutes of warming up, get into the more intensive part of your walk by maintaining a pace where you are somewhat winded, moderately out of breath, a brisk walking pace. For most healthy adults, a brisk walking pace is usually about a 15-minute mile.

Once your body adapts to a given level of intensity, which it will eventually do, it becomes important to make sure you create new challenges. In other words, if you have been walking at the same pace, same route, same number of minutes and same number of days per week for some time now, you are really on a "maintenance" program, not losing benefit but not gaining, either. Increasing your intensity will allow you to go to the next level of cardiovascular fitness. I often see people putting in the time, but not working hard enough during that time to reap any greater benefit than they did with their last workout.

Feeling challenged does not mean you have to be continually huffing and puffing, but if you are ready to kick up the intensity, one way might be to alternate between one to two minutes of a very speedy pace, followed by your normal pace for another few minutes and then back to the speedier pace. You could also try alternating activities, such as walking for a few minutes and then jogging for a few minutes.

For heart health, it is a good idea to shoot for 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. For those with medical conditions or who are unaccustomed to exercise, start out with what you can do safely and then increase minutes as you build strength and endurance.

Make sure that you cool down at the end of your exercise session and take time to do some gentle stretches. Drink water before, during and after exercise to avoid dehydration.

Marjie Gilliam is an International Sports Sciences Association Master certified personal trainer and fitness consultant. She owns Custom Fitness Personal Training Services and her Web site is www.ohtrainer.com.

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