# Pain under the knee caps after squatting



## injasuti (Mar 21, 2005)

Can anyone throw some light on a problem I experienced yesterday when I was squatting? It's probably not a lot of weight for most you big guys, but yesterday I increased the weights for my squat to a personal best of 85 Kg. It seemed to go well, but suddenly I was aware of a sharp pain sort of under my knee caps. I ignored it, and continued, but today I find my knee caps ache like hell. Is this normal; should I be worried and have it seen to?

I'd appreciate any help. I want to get up to 140 Kg but at this rate, there's no chance if every increase causes a major breakdown of my knees!!! LOL.

Cheers, and thanks,

Injasuti


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## Pete1436114491 (Nov 3, 2003)

I've had knee problems before, but mine is more like a swelling under my left knee cap, which is a constant dull pain but as soon as I bend my knee it's an excrutiating sharp pain! The knee clicks and grinds aswell, but this is only when it's swollen. I couldn't risk squatting for months, I just did leg extensions very carefully, then moved onto smith machine squats, because I can place my feet further forwards. i find that it's when my knee travels forward of my toes that I get the pain back, so it's not worth the risk cos it can mean not training legs for a month or so! I think the injury originally came about throuogh bad squatting form. I studied what I was doing and noticed my left knee moving inwards when squatting, so I now make sure it stays over my foot. I can now do ormal squats aswell, but am very wary about them. Supermarket trollies don't help either.....I've hurt my knee just wheeling one around, when it was still weak!


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## Captain Hero (Jun 13, 2004)

I get this sometimes, was doing Leg press last night and when the weight came down kept feeling my knee cap move slightly, nothing painful just felt weird. Im guessing something to do with cartalidge? Did used to get it doing squats as well mate no pain but it does seem a bit odd! maybe you could get some knee wraps?


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## verve (Sep 10, 2003)

Perhaps try doing lower weight higher reps for a while? It's good to mix it up a bit, instead of going heavy every week.

I get some bad knee pain as well, which is think is because I had bad form when I started. Nowadays they never heard during a workout funnily enough, only on random days when I move my leg a certain way and feel pain.

Mine click and grind also Pete, although I can't say there's ever been any difference between either of them. Do you ever do leg curls? My knees click like crazy doing them.


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## big (Sep 14, 2004)

Form issue. Usually this is either because:

1. Your knees are going inwards when you squat. Keep them outwards. This is imperative. Make sure your knees aren't bowing inwards. Keep your toes pointed slightly outwards, and ensure your knees stay in-line with your toes (i.e. they don't go inwards).

2. You're squatting too much from the knees (not always a problem for everyone, but it might be for you). Let your hips break before your knees and sit back, not down.

Try squatting with more of a powerlifting style. That is, let hips break first, sit back not down, use a wide stance, keep knees pointed outwards.

Personally I prefer to use an olympic style squat (narrow stance, break at the hips and knees together), but if this is causing you pain, try the powerlifting style for a while.

Lay off the heavy weights until the pain goes, and just do some prehab joint work.


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## ChefX (Jan 10, 2005)

also try stretching your calves.. it helps releive shearing in the knee

IMO


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## Pete1436114491 (Nov 3, 2003)

vervefan said:


> Mine click and grind also Pete, although I can't say there's ever been any difference between either of them. Do you ever do leg curls? My knees click like crazy doing them.


I do do leg curls (hee hee, I said doodoo), but my knee doesn't really grind unless it's swollen up under the knee cap, in which case I can't even bend it enough to walk properly, so I don't train legs at all when it's like that. It's not even necessarily training that hurts my knee, it can be something like getting out of a car, or pushing a trolley, when my knee is under strain at a strange angle. But I do make sure my knee doesn't travel further forward than my toes. I daren't do hack squats.


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## Lauren (Jan 20, 2005)

I use to have many problems with my knees from squatting and doing leg xtensions.

The aching and grinding/clicking is from the quad muscle being over extended causing it to tighten up. Therefore pulling on the kneecap. This will make your knee cap feel really tight and sometimes hard to get up stairs.

Also the constant aching is from fluid behind the knee cap, this needs to be disoersed from a sports massage, not a physio!!!!

Personally I think physios are a waste of time, sports massages are sooo much better. They actually work for one!!!! LOL

I suggest you book in with your local sports massage person, a very good one tho, and after 2 or 3 sessions you will be feeling great.

However you may have to lay off leg exercises for a while until the pain etc goes. Just focus on some light bike work to give them a little stretch and workout. I know sounds rubbish, but better to sort your knees out sooner rather than later.

I had to get mind done straight away as I could hardly walk up the stairs at all. Found it very hard, what with the constant aching too, its not nice.


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## SD (Sep 3, 2004)

SOunds like Chondromalacia Patella (sp) this is a roughening of the gliding surface under the patella. Cause is usually wear and tear, treatment is rest.

Also could be Patellar drift, whcih is the patella (kneecap) gliding left or right as you squat.

ALways:


Set your foot position according to your hip angles.

Set your foot width according to hip width.

Allow your knees to follow the direction of your feet as you squat.

Do not allow knees to come over toes.

Do not squat below 60 degrees, statisticaly as you go beyond this you are casung sheering damage regardless of technique.

Practise core stability

Retract shoulders to correct spinal alignment.

Squat in bare feet or weight training shoes to aid proprioception (mind muscle awareness). (Arnie did this, amongst others)

HTH

SD


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## verve (Sep 10, 2003)

SportDr said:


> ALways:
> 
> [*]Set your foot position according to your hip angles.
> 
> ...


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## samurai691436114498 (Jan 6, 2005)

bump for later


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## SD (Sep 3, 2004)

vervefan said:


> Eh?


THis method was shown to me by Paul Chek himself and it works great. Squat down so that your ass touches your heels, sit like this moving your feet until you find a position which is comfortable for you to sit in for a few minutes.

Stand up and look down at your feet, they will be at differing angles to your body and at a width probably wider than normal.

You have just matched your foot position to your hip angles 



vervefan said:


> How?


PIlates, yoga, hundreds of swiss ball exercises, personally I like plank or bridge type exercises held for 30-60 seconds. Stop when TVA fatigues and allows back posture to go.

Do a search on the net for core stability there are thousands of links.

Oh and next time try saying please 

HTH

SD


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## Jimmy1 (Aug 14, 2003)

bumping both lauren and sport doctor

especially the over tightening the Patellar tendon

i used to get a nasty dull ache when sitting....never standing or walking.

this was a fluid build up under the kneecap

i was advised to stop squatting/pressing so deep

hey presto, problem solved


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## injasuti (Mar 21, 2005)

Thanks for all the advice and help here. I took it, especially about knees not over the toes, and not bending inwards, not squatting so deep, and yesterday could squat pain-free. What a relief. I know what to watch out for now.

Cheers,

Injasuti


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