Crunching sounds during movement are not unusual

Dear Dr. Roach: Iama 64-year-old female in good health, but after years at a desk I have upper back and shoulder flexibility issues. About 20 years ago I had frozen shoulder syndrome that resolved through physiotherapy and exercise. I now want to keep my upper shoulder flexibility.

I have been doing some exercises to increase the movement of my shoulder. This creates a lot of crunching sounds in my shoulder joint. There is no pain. Am I doing damage to the joint, or loosening it up and getting rid of calcification? Should I keep crunching or stop? — D.

Dear D.: It’s not unusual to hear a crunching or popping sound or sensation in the joints. There are many different causes, both in the soft tissues of the joint as well as the bones, and not all of them are concerning. In people with osteoarthritis, an examiner can feel the crunching (called “crepitus”) associated with the bone spurs (called “osteophytes”) of that condition, and often be moderately sure of the diagnosis by feel alone.

Frozen shoulder is caused by inflammation of the joint capsule, the ligaments and the lining of the joint. The mainstay of treatment is physical therapy, sometimes with joint injections and rarely surgery. Regular range-of-motion exercises are wise in people with a history of frozen shoulder.

I can’t tell you for sure what is causing the crunching sounds in your shoulder. But exercise is good for both frozen shoulder and for osteoarthritis, and I would encourage you to continue them unless the exercises are causing pain. In that case, a reevaluation by the doctor who treated your frozen shoulder would be a good idea.