In the last few months my joint have started to pop frequently. At first it was just
the shoulders but now more joints are popping and its becoming more frequent.
Is this typical for us old-timers?
FWIW I’m 63 and yes, I have made an appointment with a doctor for this and the
other pains I’ve been having. While I prefer my doctor’s opinion over what is out
there on the 'net I would be in interested in hearing about your experiences.
Thank you.
X.L.Lent
I’m in my mid-sixties. Ankles audibly pop constantly (can be heard in a quiet room). Neck and back also does this frequently, but makes no noise. Occasionally (like this week), it “pops” in some way that makes me almost immobile. Friday I was working underneath a vehicle and the weird sensation as I twisted my neck around has resulted in days of being bound to couch or bed. Eventually a doc visit with injections and muscle relaxers. Still working it out 6 days later, unable to drive or do much at all.
When I asked the reason, the doc said: “too many birthdays”.
As far as I know it’s typical. The annoying part is not knowing whether an upcoming movement will be ignored by my bod, or put me down for a week. There’s no rhyme nor reason to it.
I’M SORRY I CAN’T HEAR YOU!
You’ll have to speak up. Joints very noisy
I came in to say you’ve probably got a seed in it but you didn’t mean that
sort of joint did you ?
Mostly the ones that pop are popped by me (for example arching my back to make my spine pop or extending my arms to make my elbows pop) rather than of their own accord.
It’s a pretty constant thing. 30 years of martial arts didn’t help much. I’m so happy that most of them are working that I don’t mind if they make a little noise.
Frequently. Generally ankles and knees are audible. Shoulders pop silently. As long as there is no pain I ignore it. A couple of years ago I had a doc look into (painless) popping in my ankles that I can repeat on demand. After X-rays, MRI, and examination the diagnosis was “dunno”.
Left knee recently started catching a bit upon straightening, with pain until it pops. Planning to get that looked at sometime.
In my early 20s, I had a bout of TMJ (Tri-mandibular junction; the jaw locks up) that was really loud when it let up. Forty years later, guess what’s returned? although now it pops when I chew. Repeatedly.
But I did get a bone spur! Just like TFG. Except, you know, mine was real.
55 here. (And today’s my B-day. 
) I don’t experience joints popping or snapping. The only thing I experience is the internal sound of cracking in my neck when I stretch my neck.
61 - no popping or snapping
Just my outer thumb joints. While lying down in bed. Always shortly after drinking water. 60, but it’s been doing this for a half-dozen years.
Weird.
The occasional crackling here or there - I have no idea how often. Sometimes I’ll try to move a knee or a hip and it’ll feel like something is “catching”; I flex then re-extend without even thinking about it, and it seems like “whatever is catching” is no longer a problem.
One thing that I’ve noticed that is the opposite: I can no longer crack my knuckles. Haven’t been able to do so for decades, I think. I tried just now, with the typical “interlace all fingers, bend slightly the wrong way” approach, and nothing.
Then I tried grasping the last joint of one finger with the fingers of the other hand, and tugging - I could feel it stretch a bit and sort of a bump sensation, but no audible POP.