Is Your Teen Always Cracking Their Joints?
Is your teen always cracking their joints? Learn why it happens, when to be concerned, and how posture checks, treatment & corrective exercises can help.
It’s a familiar sound in many homes – the click of a knee, the pop of a hip, or the crack of knuckles as your teenager moves around.
Parents often wonder:
- Is this normal?
- Is it a sign of something wrong?
- Could it affect their future health?
The truth is, joint clicking is very common in growing bodies. Most of the time it isn’t harmful, but it can be a signal that your child’s muscles, joints, and posture are under extra strain.
Why Do Teens’ Joints Click?
- Growth spurts – Muscles and tendons can become tight as bones grow quickly, creating tension around joints.
- Poor posture – Slouching at desks, leaning over phones, or carrying heavy backpacks can put pressure on the spine, hips, and shoulders.
- Sports and activity ⚽ – Repetitive training or matches can make joints feel stiff or achy, leading kids to “click” them for relief.
- Hyperactivity – Can’t rest / sit still. Boredom and fidgeting; cracking can make them feel more settled and relaxed.
Parents! — When to Pay Attention
Clicking on its own isn’t usually serious. But if your child also has:
- Regular aches or pains (knees, hips, back, shoulders)
- Stiffness after school or sport
- Complains about pain
- Fidgeting around
- Anxious tapping, cracking, movement
- Tiredness or tension in their muscles
- A habit of constantly clicking to “loosen up”
…it may be a sign that their body is working harder than it should — and now is the time for action.
How We Can Help at Lincs Injury Clinic
We regularly see children and teenagers who struggle with:
- Growing pains in legs and joints
- Back and neck tension from sitting too long
- Sports injuries from training or matches
- Posture issues made worse by heavy school bags and screens
Through gentle treatment and advice, we can:
- ✅ Ease discomfort from tight muscles via manual methods
- ✅ Check posture and alignment
- ✅ Give advice on school bags, seating, and stretching
- ✅ Support young athletes with recovery and injury prevention
- ✅ Teach corrective exercises to build strength and better movement habits
Simple Exercises to Try at Home
- Desk Stretch – Sit tall, interlace hands, and stretch arms overhead. Hold for 20 seconds.
- Backpack Reset – Roll shoulders back, squeeze shoulder blades together for 10 seconds. Repeat 3–5 times.
- Hamstring Stretch – Sit with one leg extended, reach towards the toes, and hold for 20 seconds.
- Hip Flexor Stretch – Step forward into a lunge, back knee down. Lean gently forward to stretch the front of the hip.
- Glute Bridge – Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Lift hips, squeeze glutes, hold for 3 seconds, and lower. Repeat 10–12 times.
These aren’t a replacement for treatment, but they can help kids feel looser and more comfortable day to day.
Love Emma and The Lincs Injury Team x
P.S. Whether your child is 9, 14, or 17 – early support makes a huge difference to how they move, feel, and grow.
Book a consultation
We offer a FREE 15-minute consultation to discuss concerns and next steps.