What Is Crepitus in Your Shoulders?
Crepitus is a sound like crackling, grinding, or squeaking in a joint when you move it. It can happen in your knees, elbows, or neck, as well as your shoulders. Crepitus has many causes. Often, it's harmless and painless. But if you have shoulder crepitus along with pain, it’s often the result of damage to your cartilage and joint tissue.
Causes of Crepitus in Your Shoulders
Your shoulder is an important and complex joint. The humerus bone in your upper arm connects to your scapula, or shoulder blade, with cartilage, muscles, and tendons. You may hear noise from your shoulder if any of these connections don’t work the way they should.
Shoulder problems that cause these pops and creaks can become more common with age.
Here are some of the most common causes of shoulder crepitus.
Cavitation. Small bubbles of gas can collect in your joints and cause cracking sounds when you move too quickly. This sound is known as cavitation. Cracking your knuckles is another example of cavitation. This type of noise is harmless.
Bursitis. Your joints are protected by cushions known as bursa sacs, or bursae. They keep your joints moving comfortably. But your bursae may swell and become painful when irritated. This can cause a stabbing or warm sensation in your shoulder, along with a snapping sound when you move your arms.
Labral tears. Your labrum is the cartilage that connects your arm to your shoulder. You’ll notice frequent or constant pain in the joint if it gets torn because of overuse or injury. You may also have a grinding or popping noise when you move your arm.
Arthritis. Arthritis causes the cartilage in your joints to break down over time. This can lead your bones to touch each other and make clicking or grinding noises.
Shoulder fractures. The bones in your shoulder joint may not heal perfectly after a break. Even hairline fractures in your humerus or scapula can heal into ridges instead of their original smooth condition. This can cause your shoulder joint to make noise when you use your arms.
Osteochondromas. The bones in your shoulder or rib cage may form a benign growth called an osteochondroma. These growths can cause your shoulder to pop or click. But they may not have any other symptoms.
Effects of Shoulder Crepitus on Your Health
If your shoulder joint makes noise sometimes but you don’t notice any pain or discomfort, your shoulder is probably fine. But if you have pain, warmth, or soreness in your shoulder joint along with shoulder crepitus, you may need medical treatment.
Leaving injuries and arthritis untreated can cause your shoulder joint to get worse over time. Minor damage to your cartilage can add up. Injuries that could have been treated with noninvasive methods may require surgery if they’re ignored for months or years.
Talk to your doctor about the cause and potential treatments if your shoulder regularly hurts and makes noise when you use it.
Treatment of Crepitus in Your Shoulders
Your doctor may recommend one of several treatments for the cause of crepitus in your shoulder. Most medical professionals focus on treating underlying conditions and not the noise itself.
These solutions can help reduce pain and help your shoulder joint heal.
Anti-inflammatory medications. Conditions such as osteoarthritis often involve inflammation in the affected joints. Anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen can help reduce the swelling and pain of arthritis.
Physical therapy. Physical therapy can help you regain more use of a joint after an injury. It can help your muscles and tendons recover and become less tight and painful if your shoulder crepitus is from an injury.
Corticosteroid shots. A corticosteroid shot can help ease inflammation and encourage your joint to heal. Your doctor may recommend steroid shots if you have an injury or arthritis that’s causing your shoulder joint to get more painful over time.
Surgery. This may be the best option when shoulder crepitus is due to a serious injury. Your doctor can repair tendons, remove osteochondromas, or reconstruct the joint. Your joint should be more comfortable, easier to use, and less noisy after the surgery.
Preventing Crepitus in Your Shoulders
You may be able to treat crepitus at home and keep it from getting worse if your shoulders crack sometimes without pain. A couple of things to try:
Good posture. Slouching may misalign your shoulders. This causes gas bubbles to build up and make noise when you move. Improving your posture may be enough to reduce or stop the noise if your crepitus is caused by cavitation.
Icing the joint. Ice may help if you have a minor shoulder injury that seems connected to the popping noises. Icing your shoulder for 10-15 minutes several times a day can reduce swelling and make you more comfortable while you heal.
Exercises for shoulder crepitus
Strengthening your shoulder joint can help you feel more comfortable and may help prevent cracking noises. You are most likely to benefit from gentle options, such as yoga, which can help you build strength without stressing or injuring your shoulders. Or you may try tai chi, Pilates, or swimming.
If you've had a shoulder injury or are recovering from shoulder surgery, your doctor or physical therapist may prescribe a shoulder strengthening and conditioning program to help you recover and prevent the return of symptoms such as pain and crepitus. The program might include:
Stretches. For example, you might do a crossover arm stretch in which you pull one arm at a time across your chest and hold it in place for 30 seconds.
Strengthening moves. Using stretchy resistance bands, hand weights, or weight machines at a fitness center, you might do several exercises to strengthen the muscles that support your shoulders and surrounding areas, including the upper back and upper arms. You can do some exercises without equipment.
For example, you might try an exercise called scapula setting. For this exercise:
- Lie on your stomach with your arms at your sides, with a pillow under your forehead, if you need it for comfort.
- Gently bring your shoulder blades together and down your back as far as possible.
- Ease the blades back about halfway and hold for 10 seconds.
- Relax and then repeat 10 times.
Once you've recovered, keeping up these exercises two or three times a week will help keep your shoulders strong.
Takeaways
If your shoulders are making crackling, popping, or grinding noises, they may be trying to tell you something. You may have arthritis, an injury or irritation from overuse, or other shoulder problems. If you have shoulder crepitus, but your shoulders don't hurt, there's probably nothing seriously wrong. But if you do have pain or warmth around the joint, talk to your doctor.
Shoulder Crepitus FAQs
Why do my shoulder blades crunch when I roll them?
Movements like rolling your shoulder blades or rotating your shoulders may release gas bubbles built up in the joint. It's like cracking your knuckles. If that's your only symptom, it's probably harmless. If your shoulders also hurt when you roll or rotate them, you may need your doctor's help to figure out the cause.
Can a chiropractor help with shoulder crepitus?
A chiropractor might be able to help, depending on what's causing your shoulder crepitus. Chiropractors treat problems with joints, including shoulders. Their treatments can include gently moving the joint to decrease pain and increase the range of motion. They can also teach you exercises to keep your joints working well. However, chiropractic care is considered complementary medicine, which means it's something used in addition to standard approaches. So, talk to your primary care doctor about whether it could be right for you.