Cracking and popping joints, medically known as crepitus, are normal. Joints are points in your body where two bones meet. You might occasionally hear your knees popping or notice your back or bones crack as you move them.
Hip pain can be caused by overuse or damage to the hip joint, cartilage, or surrounding muscles, and can significantly impact your ability to perform everyday activities, including walking, going up and down stairs, and sitting and standing for prolonged periods of time.
Hip pain at night can make it more difficult to sleep, but the effects don't stop there. Twisting and turning to find a more comfortable position to sleep in combined with lack of sleep can contribute to health and quality of life issues that you experience during the day, too.
Hamstring stretches, hip flexor stretches, straight leg raises, and bridges are just some of the exercises and stretches for hip pain. By keeping your hip joint limber and strong, you can improve your mobility, help with hip range of motion, and alleviate pain.
Chondromalacia patella, also known as runner's knee, is a knee condition that can cause pain and grinding when the knee is flexed. It's due to the breakdown in the cartilage on the undersurface of the kneecap (patella) that causes bones to rub against each other. Overuse (especially from running or cycling), trauma, such as a fracture, or a misalignment of the kneecap and femur can all cause chondromalacia.
