RDL knee grinding and crackling

Pain & Rehab Forum [Moderated]
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I don’t know if I am in the correct forum… I started here with the understanding that it just might be training, however I thought this was a solid place to start.

When doing RDL’s when the bar passes about an inch before my L knee and an inch above both going up and down I have an uncomfortable grinding and crackling in the knee. It is not painful perse, more like a the sensation you feel when you touch a low voltage hot wire, it doesn’t hurt but you really don’t want to keep touching it due to it being pretty uncomfortable. My knee’s are soft when I do the RDL and it it not a sensation from the bar touching my knee, it is more deep within my knee and not on the surface. I legit have a knee situation however I can do deadlifts with no issues so not sure what is happening. The sensation is only in one knee.

Any advice, strategies or suggestions?

Thanks!!

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Normally, if it’s not causing symptoms above your tolerance and doesn’t affect how you’re doing the movement, I would say you can train that movement without any worries or issues. That being said, if it’s above your discomfort tolerance, there may be variables we can address.
Is this a fairly recent symptom or something that you’ve experienced for a long time? What does your programming look like right now? Are there any ways to improve the comfort of the movement that you’ve tried (position, load, cueing, etc)?

1 Like
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@MikeAmato Hey thanks for the response and great questions… First it really isn’t about pain as it is not past a threshold of pain in any way shape or form it is uncomfortable and annoying but not painful as I said low level electric shock…think of putting your tongue on a 9 volt battery, so not terrible more of a sensation then pain. I am not at all worried about the lift or sensation being damaging or creating issues to my knee as I know it absolutely does not!

Answers to questions asked.

  1. I have had this sensation during RDL’s for two years or so
  2. My programming lifting 3x per week RDL’s on one day at reps of 10 (although they annoy me enough where this may change to a stiff leg deadlift).
  3. I find there is no sensation until the 4th or 5th rep and if the load is super light. I have tried different knee positions meaning varying the softness of my knee. I wonder if I did super slow RDL’s if it would be better… just a thought might not help but I haven’t tried… I could totally try this!!

I could also choose not to do them at all (and have chosen this in the past) which is fine there are always other options. Just didn’t know if anyone had strategies, suggestion or options I could try so that maybe I could do them successfully without the sensation

Thanks:)