Crepitus - non-painful clicking, popping, crackling in shoulder.

[hopeful]

Does anyone else suffer from this condition. I noticed at a certain movement that my shoulder pops. Its actually quite annoying. Is there anything that can be done about this?

[matt182]

Im no specialist. But i suspect possibly that you have bicipital inflammation. Or maybe something more specific to the rotator cuff, sometimes when the cuf has been partially torn it provides a clicking noise. Shoulders quite complex and theres a lot of structures that could be casuing this. :)

[hopeful]

hi matt. thanx for your input. after some research, i believe the clicking is caused partially by the rotator cuff tears as well as the AC separation. I guess crepitus is almost a certainty even with grade 1 ac sprains. and any sort of rotator cuff tears.

i just wish to know if the clicking, at least improves over time. makes me wish i never used my arms cos of the noise and feeling.

[pumbertot]

yeah I get clicking too and sometimes the shoulder feels like its clicked slightly out of the socket and I have to click it back in. years of heavy powerlifting abuse are to blame, if I knew what I know now.....................................

[kjwilkin]

hi matt. thanx for your input. after some research, i believe the clicking is caused partially by the rotator cuff tears as well as the AC separation. I guess crepitus is almost a certainty even with grade 1 ac sprains. and any sort of rotator cuff tears.

i just wish to know if the clicking, at least improves over time. makes me wish i never used my arms cos of the noise and feeling.

Hi there,

I'd suggest you go and get some professional advice. There is no substitute for professional advice.

I have multi-directional instability in my right shoulder and am due to see Greg Hoy this week. Will be really interested to see what he says.

If I was you I'd go and see a sports physician that specialises in shoulders. They can then refer you to an appropriate physio that should be able to help you. Check out www.acsp.org.au to find a sports physician.

There are probably lots of things that you can do.

Good luck and let us know how you go !!

[hopeful]

yeah im planning to see martin raftery mid next year if shoulder doesnt get any better. just wondering if you have crepitus on your shoulder kjwilkin??

[angieliu]

Hi hopeful,

I don't know if I have crepitus in my shoulder but my shoulder does click a lot with certain movements. My physio believes that the clicking should decrease but maybe not disappear entirely. I'd be interested in finding out what you hear if you are seeing someone about it.

I guess the clicking is more of an annoyance than anything.

[kjwilkin]

yeah im planning to see martin raftery mid next year if shoulder doesnt get any better. just wondering if you have crepitus on your shoulder kjwilkin??

That seems a very long time to leave it. It's best to seek treatment now rather than wait and get the right advice from the beginning.

I'm not sure if I have crepitus but my shoulder clicks a lot and suffer from a tight capsule and multi-directional instability.

[hopeful]

hi ang..

do you mean that your bad shoulder clicks more than your good shoulder?

i think all joints click, but def. my injured shoulder clicks more often. my physio said that the clicking may go or they may stay.

kj, did you find that after shoulde surgery that your affected shoulder clicked more than usual?

thx

[kjwilkin]

hi ang..

do you mean that your bad shoulder clicks more than your good shoulder?

i think all joints click, but def. my injured shoulder clicks more often. my physio said that the clicking may go or they may stay.

kj, did you find that after shoulde surgery that your affected shoulder clicked more than usual?

thx

Hi Hopeful,

After shoulder surgery my shoulder actually clicked less. I hope this helps.

[angieliu]

hi ang..

do you mean that your bad shoulder clicks more than your good shoulder?

i think all joints click, but def. my injured shoulder clicks more often. my physio said that the clicking may go or they may stay.

kj, did you find that after shoulde surgery that your affected shoulder clicked more than usual?

thx

Hi hopeful,

My bad shoulder clicks more than my good shoulder when I do certain movements like lifting my arms up and also out to the side.

A

[jellybean]

Hi Hopeful,

I think you?re right with the all joints clicking bit, but it does seem that injury increases the clicking.

I have clicking (and occasional bigger ?clunks? and ?grinds?) in both shoulders (I?ve injured both but have only ever sought treatment for one for various reasons). The clicking in my right shoulder (the one I've had diagnosed/treated - rotator cuff tear amongst other things) is like yours - not painful, just annoying. It definitely improved (less clicking) as I got further into rehab (just conservative - lots of rotator cuff ex?s plus mobilisation by physio, no surgery) but hasn?t gone away completely and is worse with certain activities, e.g., reaching above my shoulder/head and away from my body). My physio also told me that it would reduce over time but probably wouldn?t go away completely. He was right.

Until fairly recently, the clicking in my left shoulder (I injured that in 2000) was not painful and again mostly occurred with overhead activities. However, recently it?s started occurring more frequently and has become painful. (I?ve also woken up recently feeling like the shoulder was trying to dislocate - definitely painful!). If it doesn?t settle down again soon I will get it looked at (very busy at work and a bit over being on the medical treadmill).

In terms of reduction in clicking after surgery ? 'can?t comment on shoulders but can on knees. Prior to my last knee ?scope (had two last year) I had a lot of clicking that was not painful, just annoying. For 4 weeks after the scope (meniscus trim, chondroplasty and removal of loose bodies) I had no clicking, but it returned again after 4 weeks. The use of an unloader knee brace (my knee is slightly malaligned) changed the little clicks to more occasional, big clunks ? not painful. As long as it?s not painful, I?m thinking that that is just something that has to be tolerated.

As to what causes the clicking ??? Maybe someone with a medical background can shed some light?

Cheers,

JB

P.S. Given Martin Rafferty works with the ARU and shoulder injuries are pretty common in rugby union, you?d expect that he?d be pretty good in providing advice about shoulder injuries.

[angieliu]

I'd be interested in finding out what the causes of clicking. To me it sounds like the muscle is grinding over the bone but you know from what I read there could be lots of reasons for the clunking sound.

On the weekend I didn't do my shoulder stabilisation exercises because I was flat out and because I didn't do them, yesterday when I was teaching, every movement I made which involved putting my arms up or to the side there was a loud clunk. A little disconcerning though, it hasn't clunked so much in a long while. I guess that will teach me for not doing my exercises on the weekend.

[the_chariot]

hi hoperful,
when u rotate ur shoulder, do you feel some clicking, crackling and popping? cause both of my shoulder feel the same way to, and im also seeking some advise, i think i have this almost a year..