Crepitus is actually the description of a sound. For instance, when we breathe, one of the sounds that we hear in the lung sometimes is called crepitus. It’s a very broad diagnosis and can encompass a variety of issues.
So all crepitus really is is a sound. Often you will find crepitus in joints, and is very common in knees. People can sometimes have crepitus of the neck and sometimes in their ankles. Essentially it’s a crackling of the joint.
You can even have crepitus in your neck, but one of the types of crepitus is a tiny gas bubble that forms and collapses within the joint. This type of popping does not typically cause pain.
What can happen, is the tendons and ligaments repeatedly snap over the joints, body structure, etc. This snapping can sometimes cause pain.