The reason why your knees 'creak' - and the worrying thing it means for your future: 'A concerning discovery'

A physiotherapist has revealed the concerning reason why your knees creak - and the exact symptom that means you need to see a doctor.

Researchers at La Trobe University in Australia discovered that almost 13million people across the nation suffer from creaky knees.

Creaky knees, also known as knee crepitus, is the audible crackling or grinding noise during knee movement. 

Graduate researcher and physiotherapist Jamon Couch said: 'One of the more concerning discoveries we made was that people with knee crepitus were more than three times as likely to be diagnosed with osteoarthritis.

'They are also twice as likely to exhibit knee joint changes linked to osteoarthritis on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans.'

The findings were published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine this week. 

Osteoarthritis is a common condition that causes joint pain, stiffness and reduced movement - for which there is no cure.

The degenerative disease causes the tissues in the joint to break down over time.

You should visit a doctor if your creaky knees are accompanied by pain or swelling. 

Knee crepitus has a myriad of causes - some of which are harmless.

The crunching sound could be a result of arthritis, injury, ligament movement, or gas bubbles in the joint fluid. 

Mr Couch added that people with creaky knees often worry there are serious underlying health conditions, but that is not true unless you're also experiencing pain. 

'Although investigation of the long-term consequences of knee crepitus is ongoing, people should generally not be concerned about their noisy knees and be encouraged to continue to exercise,' he said.

'If it's not painful, it's likely not doing any damage.'

How can I prevent osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis can affect any joint in your body but mostly occurs in the knees, hips, hands, feet and spine.

While there's no sure-fire way to prevent it, you can do several things to reduce your risk.

Healthdirect Australia recommends avoiding joint injuries or overuse and enrolling in a sports injury prevention program if you're at risk.

You can also prevent the joint disease by maintaining a healthy weight by watching your diet and regular exercise.