Squatting is a position when a person lowers their hips from a standing position. We come in this position multiple times during the day such as when lifting something up from the floor, or during sports like basketball. If you have knee pain when squatting, this is a matter of concern and should not be ignored, as squats only aggravate mild knee pain that you may be ignoring in your day-to-day life.

Why Take It Seriously?

The knees are one of the most critical joints in our body considering that they support the whole body during an activity as frequent as walking. Having bad knees can heavily deteriorate the standard of living. Moreover, knee pain is indicative of different joint problems. If not catered to on time, the condition can become so critical that you have to resort to the ultimate solution: knee replacement surgery. If your knees hurt when squatting, it means they require attention as squats put pressure on the knees.

Why Do Knees Hurt When Squatting?

If your knees hurt when squatting, the exact location of the knee pain may vary based on the reason behind the pain. Some of the common causes are mentioned below:

• Meniscus Tear

• Chondrosis

• Medial Patellofemoral Retinaculum

• Suprapatellar Bursa

• MCL sprained.

How To Avoid Knee Pain When Squatting?

If your thigh or calf muscles aren’t strong enough, normal squats put direct pressure on your knees leading to pain behind knee. Hence, you should swap them for one of the following:

• Spanish Squat

For this, you take a big elastic band and tie it to a pole. The other end of the band goes around your knees. Then, you change the angle of your body with the ground such that you make an obtuse angle with the ground. Then, you do a squat such that you go in a sitting position, all the while keeping your knees directly above your feet. By doing this, you take the pressure off your knees and still exert the quads against the band.

• Box Squat

Box Squats can be done both with and without weights. You stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, next to a box or a bench. If you are adding weights, then you put those on your upper back. Either way, your back is arched forward. Now, you sit on the box and then return to standing. This exercise works your muscles without putting too much pressure on your knees.

Conclusion

If you have knee pain when squatting, it means you have a knee pain condition that may be leading to mild knee pain which you don’t feel in your day to day life. Hence, you should consult a doctor to diagnose the cause of this pain. Experts at Premier Pain would recommend lifestyle changes such as the ones mentioned above and more whilst they identify the root cause behind the knee pain.