Knee Pain While Squatting and 3 Tips to Prevent It!
The all-too-well-known position of squat. It’s for training, it’s for functional work. It is feared and revered. With so much mystery around this position, let’s take a look at what it really is…
Anatomy of the knee:
The knee joint is one of the largest joints in the human body and is a lot more complex than most people realize. The bones that comprise the knee joint include the femur (thigh bone), tibia (shin), and patella (kneecap). The fibula, which is a small bone of the lower leg that runs alongside the tibia is not directly involved in the knee joint, however, it provides a surface for many important muscles and ligaments to attach onto.
The quadriceps, which is a group of four muscles that attach to the front of the knee work to extend (straighten) the knee. For example, the quadriceps muscles are active when you move from a squatting position to standing. The hamstring muscles are the muscles at the back of the knee and thigh. When these muscles contract the knee bends.
There are two important ligaments found on either side of the knee: the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) which stabilize the knee in a side-to-side direction. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) stabilize the knee in the forward and backward directions.
The knee also contains two menisci (the lateral and medial meniscus) which are specialized structures made of cartilage. The menisci help to distribute the weight of the body over a larger surface area thereby reducing the pressure on the knee joint, and they also help to stabilize the joint alongside the ligaments.
As you can tell, the knee joint is a very complex joint. The extensive network of muscles, ligaments, and bone allows the knee to support the body’s full weight when standing, and much more than that while walking and running. Knee problems are a common complaint among active individuals of all ages and understanding the basic structure of the knee will allow you to better understand what happens when these issues occur.
Knee pain while squatting:
The knee is designed to move through flexion and extensions and facilitate the squatting motion. For most healthy individuals, squatting should not cause knee pain, however, knee pain while squatting is a very common complaint. Usually, the issue stems from poor movement patterns when performing the exercise due to muscle imbalances, limited mobility, and poor form. When left unaddressed, these issues can lead to acute and chronic knee injuries.
Common causes of knee pain while squatting:
Patella femoral pain syndrome:
Patella-femoral pain syndrome occurs when there is some type of malalignment of the patella as the knee moves through its range of motion such as the knees collapsing or tracking inwards as you lower into a squat. This usually occurs when there are muscle imbalances in the quadriceps or hips.
2. Iliotibial band Syndrome:
The iliotibial (IT) band is a band of tissue that runs alongside the outside of the thigh from the hip to the knee. The IT band transmits forces from the gluteal muscles to support the knee. If the IT band becomes tight or inflamed, it can cause pain around the knee. This usually occurs when the hip muscles are not strong enough to support the knee effectively.
3. Ligament sprains:
Ligaments connect the bones of the knee together and help to stabilize the knee. One of the four ligaments of the knee (ACL, PCL, MCL, or LCL) can become overstretched or torn due to excessive force, impact, or awkward twisting motions.
4. Tendon and muscle strains:
Small tears can occur in the tendons connecting the hamstrings, quadriceps, or calf muscles to the knee joint due to overwork, excessive load, or an acute injury.
5. Meniscal tears:
Degeneration or traumatic injury can cause the cartilage inside the knee or underneath the kneecap to tear.
Most often, knee pain while squatting is caused by muscle imbalances, postural changes, or lack of joint movement at the hips, knees, or ankles. Squats are one of the best lower body exercises you can do and have many benefits beyond leg strength. If you are experiencing knee pain while squatting, try the following tips!
Tips to reduce knee pain while squatting:
1: Improve your ankle mobility
Ankle mobility is a big factor in proper squatting mechanics. If you have limited ankle mobility, as you squat deeper your knees will cave inwards and your heels will lift off the ground. Both these movement patterns increase pressure on the knees and are associated with knee pain when squatting. Improve your ankle mobility with these exercises:
knee to wall stretch
goblet stretch
passive calf stretch
2: Strengthen your hips
The muscles around your hips have a major influence on how your knees move during the squat. Weak hip muscles, specifically gluteal muscles play a role in almost all common knee conditions including those discussed above. Here are three exercises to strengthen your glutes and prevent knee pain:
lateral band walks
banded box squats
side lying hip abduction
3: Improve your hip mobility
In addition to weak hip muscles, overly tight hip muscles can contribute to improper squat form, and ultimately knee pain. The following hip stretches can help!
frog stretch
pigeon stretch
butterfly stretch
Can physiotherapy help with knee pain?
If you’ve given the strategies mentioned above a try but are still experiencing knee pain while squatting, it’s a good idea to seek advice from a physiotherapist. Physiotherapy can play a huge role in preventing and eliminating knee pain while squatting.
If you live in the Vancouver area and are looking for a comprehensive, individualized assessment, treatment, and prevention of knee pain pay the physiotherapists at Elios Health a visit! The experienced clinicians at Elios Health will conduct a thorough assessment to identify strength and mobility deficits contributing to your knee pain. Once the cause of your pain is determined, your physiotherapist will provide hands-on treatment to reduce pain and relieve muscle tension. Your physiotherapist will also prescribe exercises for your knee that will progress to strengthen weak muscles, increase range of motion, and achieve optimal movement patterns and biomechanics while squatting.
The exercises your therapist prescribes will be specifically tailored to your individual weaknesses and the anatomical structures affected so that you can be on your way to pain-free squatting!
Original Post by Physio Beta
Photo by gbCaptured
