Cracking, clicking, and popping sounds, AKA joint crepitus, are quite common in the joints. Scientists have thought that the noise may have something to do with the release of gas from the fluid or the spaces within the joints.
Badminton player (Or racket player) have prone to have it?
Badminton is a high-paced game and is considered the fastest of the racquet sports. Players require aerobic stamina, agility, strength, speed and precision. It is also a technical sport, requiring good motor coordination and the development of sophisticated racquet movements.
The game is physically challenging and demands complex movements with constant postural variations in the form of lunges, reaches, retrievals and jumps. Moreover, repetitive overhead forehand and backhand strokes executed with a very short hitting action, and incorporating deception, apply excessive stress on the upper limbs.
Why shoulder got “Clicking, Popping” or “Grinding” sounds?
- Cracking sounds emitted from human synovial joints, it happens when sudden collapse of a cavitation bubble as joint surfaces are separated (Kawchuk et al., 2015).
2. Excessive movement of the head of the humerus causes it to scrap against the cartilage which hold the humerus within the joint. Over time, this scrapping wears out the cartilage and the tendons nearby, it causes the joint become hyper-mobile. The ‘clunking’ sound comes from the head of the humerus popping in and out slightly from the shoulder joint. (“Clunking or Clicking” Shoulders – Part I, 2022)
3. Overhead throwing sports like tennis and badminton, popping sound caused by a few key muscles losing control of the joint and holding it stable. (“Clunking or Clicking” Shoulders – Part I, 2022)
4. Shoulder Impingement
Shoulder Impingement is some structures pass through the shoulder joint getting compressed. The structures that can get compressed are the rotator cuff muscles and/or the nerves supply for your arm, hand and fingers.
Rotator Cuff muscles are to stabilize the shoulder joint, make sure “ball” inside the ”Socket” (Maruvada, 2023). The muscle which is compressed will be inflamed and painful. Over time, the biomechanics of shoulder slowly altered, then start to get closer together and rub. The pop or click or grind could be originating from the long-term change in mechanics leading to and /or causing impingement.
5. Snapping Shoulder Blade
If you hear and feel a snapping while moving their shoulder blades. This can be due to inflammation in a fluid-filled sac called a bursa. The purpose of the bursae is to reduce friction in joints. Inflammation in one or more bursae is called scapulothoracic bursitis.
Snapping scapula syndrome is defined as an audible clicking of the scapula during movements of your shoulder.
Scapulothoracic bursitis and a snapping shoulder blade often develop as a result of overuse from activities that involve lifting the arms over your head
6. Shoulder Arthritis
Ostearthritis is a degenerative joint disease involving the articular cartilage, subchondral and periarticular bone, and periarticular soft tissues including ligaments, muscles, and synovium.
Primary OA is diagnosed when no predisposing factors that could lead to joint malfunction are present. Secondary OA may occur as a result of chronic dislocations and recurrent instability, trauma, surgery, avascular necrosis, inflammatory arthropathy, and massive rotator cuff tears. (Chillemi & Franceschini, 2013)
7. Other conditions
Other similar condition that can causes your shoulder snapping and popping are: Bursitis, Tendinitis, Biceps tendon tear, Rotator Cuff muscles tear, Labral tear.
You can seek for help from which specialists?
- Physiotherapist
A physician may diagnose a shoulder injury by first conducting a physical exam and asking you questions about the clicking noises you’ve been hearing in your shoulder.
2. Doctor
Doctor takes imaging tests such as X-rays, MRIs, and ultrasounds to view the shoulder and its surrounding tissues better.
3. Sport specific trainer or coach
They will provide sport specific training, related techniques and strategies to reduce the risk of injury.
What you can do at home?
- Proper Warm Up and Cool Down
Which including some stretching and preparation activities
A. Thoracic wall rotation in lunges
B. High Elbow Stretch
C. Posterior Shoulder Stretch
2. Strengthening specifc muscle groups (especially Rotator Cuff muscles)
A. Wall angle
B.Side Lying dumbbell Rotation exercise
C. Resistance Band Rowing
3. Proper techniques
You can seek for your friends who are professionally trained in the sport
– How to grip the handle?
– How to do “back hand flip” or “smash”…
– How to step or move, so you have better trunk and upper limb movement?
References
“Clunking or Clicking” shoulders – Part I. (2022, April 11). Core Concepts Physiotherapy. https://www.coreconceptsphysio.sg/article/clunking-shoulders/
Maruvada, S. (2023, March 27). Anatomy, rotator cuff. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441844/
Chillemi, C., & Franceschini, V. (2013). Shoulder osteoarthritis. Arthritis, 2013, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/370231
Ibounig, T., Simons, T., Launonen, A. P., & Paavola, M. (2020). Glenohumeral osteoarthritis: an overview of etiology and diagnostics. Scandinavian Journal of Surgery, 110(3), 441–451. https://doi.org/10.1177/1457496920935018
Kawchuk, G. N., Fryer, J., Jaremko, J. L., Zeng, H., Rowe, L. J., & Thompson, R. B. (2015). Real-Time visualization of joint cavitation. PLOS ONE, 10(4), e0119470. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0119470
Prepared by
Teh Qi Shun
Your Physio Sri Petaling