Why Do My Knees Click on the Stairs?

The short answerKnee clicking when climbing stairs is very common, and on its own, without pain, it's usually harmless. The sound may come from tiny gas bubbles in the joint fluid, a tendon or ligament flicking over a small bump of bone, or a soft fold of joint lining catching as the knee bends. A 2025 review of 103 studies estimated these noises in about 4 in 10 knees in the general population, and in about a third of knees in people with no knee pain, though the researchers rated this evidence as very low certainty. If the clicking comes with pain, swelling, locking or a knee that gives way, see a doctor.

The escalator at the LRT station is out of order again, so you take the stairs. Halfway up, there it is: a click or a soft crunch from one knee. You might also hear it on the steep steps of a shophouse walk-up, on an overhead pedestrian bridge, or on the staircase of your parents' terrace house.

You're far from alone. Knee noises are very common (more on that below), and knees are a common concern in Malaysia generally. In a community survey of 2,594 people aged over 15 in a semi-rural, multi-ethnic area of Malaysia (published in 2007), the knee accounted for nearly two in three joint pain complaints (64.8%). Clicking on its own, without pain, is a different matter, and usually much less worrying. Here's what knee clicking when climbing stairs usually means, and when it's worth getting checked.

1. What causes knee clicking when climbing stairs?

The medical name for the sounds a knee makes as it bends and straightens is knee crepitus. The term covers popping, cracking and grinding. Many Malaysian families simply say noisy knees (膝盖响).

A review of knee noises in an orthopaedic journal says that in most cases the noise is harmless, and a clear explanation is usually all that's needed. Harmless noises tend to come and go, and they aren't linked to pain, swelling or an injury. Common harmless sources include:

• Gas bubbles. Your knee sits in a small pocket of fluid that keeps it moving smoothly. Scientists think the crack may come from tiny gas bubbles forming in that fluid, though the exact cause is still debated. After a crack there's a pause before the same spot can crack again, even if you keep moving.
• A tendon or ligament flicking. As you bend, one of these tough bands can stretch slightly over a small bump of bone and snap back into place, a little like a plucked guitar string.
• A fold of joint lining catching. The joint has a soft lining with small folds. As your kneecap glides up and down in its shallow channel at the lower end of your thighbone, a fold can occasionally catch along the way.

How common is it? A 2025 review that pooled 103 studies estimated knee crepitus in about 41% of knees in the general population, and in about 36% of knees in people with no knee pain. The researchers rated the evidence as very low certainty, so treat these numbers as a rough guide.

2. Why do your knees click on the stairs?

Stairs ask a lot of the joint behind your kneecap, where it meets your thighbone. Its medical name is the patellofemoral joint. On every step, your knee is bent and carrying your full body weight at the same time. Squatting, or getting up from a low stool at the pasar, works the same way.

An international expert consensus on kneecap pain lists going up and down stairs, squatting and running as activities that load this joint while the knee is bent. The same experts define this kneecap condition, called patellofemoral pain, by pain around or behind the kneecap. A grinding feeling may come with it, but it isn't needed to name the condition. In plain terms, the sound on its own can't tell you much. How your knee feels tells you more.

Coming down counts too, whether it's a steep station stairway or the trail back from Bukit Gasing or Broga. If it feels uncomfortable, a slower pace and shorter steps may feel easier.

3. Is knee clicking when climbing stairs normal?

Usually, yes. A click with no pain and no swelling is generally nothing to worry about.

What matters is what comes with the sound. The orthopaedic review mentioned above says the key is telling everyday knee noises apart from noises linked to a problem, and pain and swelling are the main clues. A loud pop with pain during a fall or twist, or noises that are becoming louder or more frequent over time, also deserve a closer look. Noises are also more common in knees that already have a condition such as osteoarthritis, though plenty of healthy, pain-free knees make noise too. That's why clicking with pain, swelling or stiffness is worth checking.

The sound can still play on your mind. UK researchers who interviewed 11 people with kneecap pain and noisy knees found the noise worried them. Some felt it meant their knees were ageing early, and some began avoiding certain movements. The researchers noted that the noise is still poorly understood. Knowing the usual causes can help you keep moving with confidence.

4. Everyday habits that are kind to your knees

These habits won't necessarily silence knee clicking when climbing stairs, and that isn't the goal. They're about looking after your knees, and the muscles around them, in daily life.

• Keep moving. Unless something hurts, there's usually no need to avoid stairs. Walking and the activities you enjoy keep the muscles around your knees working.
• Build your thigh and hip muscles. If your knees click but don't hurt, simple moves such as standing up slowly from a firm chair, or straightening one knee at a time while seated, are an easy start. If you have pain around the kneecap on stairs or when squatting, see a doctor or a registered physiotherapist first. A Cochrane review of 31 small trials in people with this kind of pain found very low-quality but consistent evidence that exercise therapy may ease pain and help the knee work better. Adding hip exercises to thigh-strengthening exercises may ease pain more than thigh exercises alone, but that evidence is very weak too. A physiotherapist can tailor a plan for you. Check with your doctor first if you have a heart or other health condition, and stop if pain sharply increases.
• Take stairs at your own pace. Hold the handrail on station stairs and overhead bridges, place your whole foot on each step, and don't rush for the train. When the mall escalator is out of service, there's no prize for taking two steps at a time.
• Wear comfortable shoes. Well-fitting everyday shoes with a grippy sole help you keep your footing on wet tiles after an afternoon downpour.
• Keep to a healthy weight, in a way that suits you. A 2021 Malaysian expert consensus on managing knee osteoarthritis lists weight loss, for people who are overweight, as one of its core steps for that condition. Whatever your knees are like, a healthy weight is part of looking after your general health. Small, steady changes are easier to keep up, and your doctor can help you set a realistic goal.

5. What a doctor or physiotherapist can do

If knee clicking when climbing stairs comes with pain, or simply worries you, a doctor, a registered physiotherapist or your nearest government klinik kesihatan is a good place to start. They will ask about your symptoms, watch how your knee moves and check whether anything needs a closer look.

For many people, that explanation and some reassurance are all that's needed. Others may be offered an exercise programme with a physiotherapist. If a condition such as osteoarthritis is found, the same 2021 Malaysian consensus includes education, exercise and, for people who are overweight, weight loss in the core care for everyone with it. Physiotherapy, medicines, joint injections or, for some people, surgery may be added. The panel also noted that physiotherapy could be used more often in Malaysia, so it's fine to ask your doctor whether it might help you. You and your doctor decide together what fits you.

6. If it's your parent's knees that click

Many people reading about knee clicking on stairs are doing it for a mum or dad. A few kind ways to help:

• Ask how it feels, not how it sounds. Pain, swelling or stiffness tells you far more than the noise.
• Walk with them. Suggest an easy stroll at the park or the mall, rather than telling them to stay off the stairs.
• Make home stairs safer. Good lighting, a sturdy handrail and clutter-free steps help everyone in the family.
• Go along to appointments. Offer to go with them, and jot down their questions beforehand.

The bottom line

Knee clicking when climbing stairs is common, and a click without pain is usually harmless. Pay more attention to how your knee feels than to how it sounds. Staying active, building your thigh and hip muscles, taking stairs at your own pace, wearing comfortable shoes and looking after your weight in a way that suits you are all kind everyday habits. Next time you take the stairs, take your time and notice how your knee actually feels. If pain or swelling joins the noise, or something doesn't feel right, see a doctor, a registered physiotherapist or your nearest klinik kesihatan. With your doctor, you can look at the full range of options, from exercise and physiotherapy to medicines, injections or surgery where needed.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Please see a doctor or physiotherapist about your own symptoms.

If you're in your 50s or older, or caring for a parent who is, regular check-ups with a healthcare professional are a good habit, even when nothing hurts.

References

1. Veerapen K, Wigley RD, Valkenburg H. Musculoskeletal pain in Malaysia: a COPCORD survey. J Rheumatol. 2007;34(1):207-13.
2. Song SJ, Park CH, Liang H, Kim SJ. Noise around the knee. Clin Orthop Surg. 2018.
3. Couch JL, King MG, De Oliveira Silva D, et al. Noisy knees – knee crepitus prevalence and association with structural pathology: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2025.
4. Crossley KM, Stefanik JJ, Selfe J, et al. 2016 Patellofemoral pain consensus statement from the 4th International Patellofemoral Pain Research Retreat, Manchester. Part 1: Terminology, definitions, clinical examination, natural history, patellofemoral osteoarthritis and patient-reported outcome measures. Br J Sports Med. 2016.
5. Robertson CJ, Hurley M, Jones F. People's beliefs about the meaning of crepitus in patellofemoral pain and the impact of these beliefs on their behaviour: a qualitative study. Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2017.
6. van der Heijden RA, Lankhorst NE, van Linschoten R, Bierma-Zeinstra SM, van Middelkoop M. Exercise for treating patellofemoral pain syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015.
7. Yeap SS, Abu Amin SR, Baharuddin H, et al. A Malaysian Delphi consensus on managing knee osteoarthritis. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2021.

Source consulted: a Medical News Today explainer on knee crepitus (updated April 2025).