 Hey listeners, do you hear a click, pop, crack, maybe even creak? Are those sounds normal for our joints? We're here today with Dr. Nasir Ani, Chief of Orthopedics at Bayshore Medical Center. Dr. Ani is a board certified orthopedic and spine surgeon who's been serving the Jersey Shore for 32 years. He's affiliated with Hackensack Meridian Health and he's here to discuss why our joints may be making noises when we should seek treatment for this and more. Thanks for joining us, Dr. Ani. Thank you for having me. So let me ask you doctor, let's begin here first. I made all those noises. So what causes our joints to click and make some of those sounds? A clicking in the joint is often caused by movement of tendons or ligaments over a pony prominent. It can also cause by cartilage damage or a meniscal failure or loose bodies in the knees. If it is caused by a normal joint such as a cause of a knuckle cracking, it's usually not of a concern. However, however, if it is accompanied by pain or the swelling, it could indicate an underlying problem that needs to be evaluated. Doctor, what about athletes? Is it normal for those who are athletic to experience clicking in the joint? Athletes are more prone to experiencing clicking in the joint due to the repetitive stress they put on their joints. However, it's important for them to pay attention to any accompanying symptoms such as pain or swelling. This could be indicating of a more serious injury. So Dr. Ani, let me ask this question when my knees are clicking because occasionally they might do that or given me a little bit of pain. What's the treatment that we might want to seek? Well, first we want to see if the clicking is associated with any pain, swelling or a symptom. And the best way is to evaluate is to have an orthopedic surgeon to evaluate the knee or examine the joint. If there is any symptoms or a swelling that is associated with that, we need to have x-rays and possibly MRIs. And depending on the finding, we can tailor the treatment to the appropriate condition and the diagnosis. And the treatment can be conservative that includes physical therapy, or it can be micro surgery or arthroscopic surgery to the joint or to clean it out. If there is more advanced arthritis, then we're talking about a joint replacement. So there is a spectrum of treatment that we need to offer to our patients depending on the diagnosis. To learn more about orthopedic care at Hackensack Meridian Health, visit hmhorthopedics.com. Dr. Ani, thanks so much for taking time and sharing this information with us. Thank you for having me.