Reason #: Valgus Knees During Squats
This next reason your knees could be causing pain when you squat is pretty easy to spot.
Take a look in the mirror as you squat. Are your knees staying more or less pointed straight forward? OR, are they starting to point in towards each other?
If the second situation is the case, valgus knees could be the cause of your pain. This improper positioning can be caused by a variety of issues, including weak gluteus medius muscles and internally rotated hips.
Image by www.childrenshospital.org
Having a knock-kneed form could set you up for something a lot more serious than some pain with squats. Valgus knees can make you more prone to serious issues like ACL or PCL tears .
To address valgus knees, try exercises like those I suggest in this article outlining different exercises to target the gluteus medius. These moves will help wake up those glute muscles that will help fix valgus knees and encourage better balance all along the lower body
Why Would A Teenager Have Knee Pain
Knee pain isnt a condition that only happens to older people. Despite being young, your teenager can develop knee pain too.
Knee pain in teens is a common result of overuse, but also results from specific knee injuries and medical conditions that affect the knee. Knee pain can also be temporary and not related to an injury, but rather a change in your teens level of activity or sport.
Because of the many different reasons for knee pain, if your teen complains of pain, its wise to get it checked. Never think that knee pain in your teen is simply growing pains. This is not a typical cause of knee pain in a teenager.
Can Knee Pain In Teens Be Prevented
Most knee pain that is caused by injury or overuse can be prevented with some attention and work by your teen, including:
- Make sure your teen wears proper shoes for the activity/sport and wears knee pads and leg guards . Replace worn out footwear and gear.
- Engage in muscle strength training exercises. Check with a trainer to make sure proper form and body alignment are being followed. Always do warm up and cool down exercises before and after workouts.
- Keep your muscles flexible by proper stretching exercises or yoga.
- Dont engage in activities that cause or worsen knee pain.
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Pain In The Front Of The Knee: 6 Common Causes
Pain in the front of the knee or anterior knee pain is very common. Do any of these scenarios seem familiar to you? You come to a stairway and cringe at the thought of having to walk downstairs. You love to run, but the anterior knee pain you have when running downhill has taken the joy out of running. If youve been sitting for a while, the thought of having to get up is becoming too much to bear. While I could say youre not alone, thats not very comforting. You are here for answers. Lets see how we can help educate you on why the front of your knee hurts so much.
Why Does My Knee Feel Tight
More…
Of course, the answer isnt simple. Numerous underlying causes are to blame for an uncomfortable condition such as this one. Imagine, as someone who likes running, not being able to bend your knee correctly. Torture, right?
Since finding the cause is the first, vital step to getting better, today Im going to focus on all the whys of knee tightness, so keep on reading!
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How Can I Prevent Runner’s Knee
- Keep your thigh muscles strong and limber with regular exercise.
- Use shoe inserts if you have problems that may lead to runner’s knee.
- Make sure your shoes have enough support.
- Try not to run on hard surfaces, like concrete.
- Stay in shape and keep a healthy weight.
- Warm up before you work out.
- Donât make sudden workout changes like adding squats or lunges. Add intense moves slowly.
- Ask your doctor if you should see a physical therapist.
- If your doctor or physical therapist suggests it. Try a knee brace when you work out.
- Wear quality running shoes.
- Get a new pair of running shoes once yours lose their shape or the sole becomes worn or irregular.
How Do You Treat Kneecap Pain
Treatment for patellofemoral pain will depend on the type of knee injury. In most cases, knee cap pain can be treated with a combination of exercises and physical therapy, knee ice wraps, painkillers and a knee brace. You can find out everything you need to know in the knee joint pain treatment section.
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See The Doctor If You Have:
- An inability to walk comfortably on the affected side
- An injury that causes deformity around the joint
- Knee pain that occurs at night or while resting
- Knee pain that persists beyond a few days
- Locking in the knee
- Swelling of the joint or the calf area
- Signs of an infection, including fever, redness, or warmth
- Any other unusual symptoms
When To Call The Doctor For Knee Pain
When you are deciding whether to call the doctor about your knee pain, a good rule of thumb exists for most long-term knee injuries. If your symptoms have not gone away after trying a week of PRICE therapy and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain meds, you should set up an appointment with your doctor, physical therapist, or a sports medicine orthopaedic specialist to further evaluate the pain. This rule can also be applied to new knee injuries that are not disabling. Remember, however, that this rule should only serve as a guide. If you are concerned about the pain, you should call the doctor.
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When To Contact A Medical Professional
- You cannot bear weight on your knee.
- You have severe pain, even when not bearing weight.
- Your knee buckles, clicks, or locks.
- Your knee is deformed or misshapen.
- You cannot flex your knee or have trouble straightening it all the way out.
- You have a fever, redness or warmth around the knee, or a lot of swelling.
- You have pain, swelling, numbness, tingling, or bluish discoloration in the calf below the sore knee.
- You still have pain after 3 days of home treatment.
As A Result Of An Injury
Ive said it many times before, and I dont mind saying it again:
While running is an excellent exercise to keep you in top shape, as well as health, its also kind of notorious for having a huge impact on your joints. Its no surprise, then, that various types of injuries can occur.
Ive previously talked about the impact running may have to your Achilles tendon , and your feet in general, but today I want to focus on the knees.
Meniscus Tear
Probably the most common knee injury, a meniscus tear, happens as a result of sudden movements and is often observed in those who play sports. That makes us, avid runners, pretty strong candidates for such an injury, don’t you think?
So, if you recently had a sprain, and possibly damaged the meniscus along the way, it’s entirely possible that the tightness you’re experiencing is a result of a torn meniscus. If this C-shaped, rubbery disc suddenly stops being able to do its job which is to provide cushioning and stability your knee won’t be able to work correctly, either.
Note:
An injury is an injury, and no matter how physically fit you are, an injured knee is going to take you out of action for the time being. You’re going to have to sit this one out.
Of course, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can’t do about it there are plenty of knee stability exercises you could try.
Knee Tendonitis
While it’s deemed the most common, a meniscus tear isn’t the only type of injury that could leave you wondering:
Note:
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How To Identify The Culprit And Which Drugs Injections And Habits Will Bring You The Most Relief
by Alison Gwinn, AARP, September 20, 2019| 0
En español | Oh, my aching knees! If that’s your daily refrain, whether you’re walking the dog, climbing stairs or just sleeping, you’re not alone.
For many, the culprit behind that nagging soreness is osteoarthritis, which affects an estimated 31 million Americans quite often, in this particular joint according to the Arthritis Association.
But there are other common causes of knee pain, stemming from the fact that knees are our largest, most complex joints. Knee joints allow you to stand up straight, walk stairs and get up and down from sitting, says Daniel Saris, an orthopedic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic and professor of orthopedic surgery at the Mayo Medical School. But they are also the most difficult joint because they’re not stable. Hip joints and ankles are both pretty stable by themselves, but the knee is just three bones trying to be good friends, and they need muscles and ligaments for stability.”
Knee pain is not to be taken lightly. A Japanese study, published last year in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, found a link between the onset of knee pain in people 65 or older and depression. And a recent study from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine Thurston Arthritis Research Center and Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that knee pain in men and women over age 45 correlated with higher rates of death.
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What You Need To Know
- The most common causes of knee pain are related to aging, injury or repeated stress on the knee.
- Common knee problems include sprained or strained ligaments, cartilage tears, tendonitis and arthritis.
- Diagnosing a knee injury or problem includes a medical examination and usually the use of a diagnostic procedure such as an x-ray, MRI, CT scan or arthroscopy.
- Both non-operative and surgical treatment options are available to treat knee pain and problems depending on the type and severity of the condition.
The Pros And Cons Of Cortisone Shots
If you’re experiencing pain that makes it difficult for you to start physical therapy to address your knee problem, your doctor might recommend that you get an injection of cortisone to lessen the pain.
The shot injects a corticosteroid drug and a local anesthetic into the joint to temporarily relieve pain and swelling. But it isn’t a long-term fix. “Often people think that injections, especially cortisone injections, will fix a knee problem. What they do is provide a window of pain relief so you can make progress with rehabilitation,” says Dr. Rebecca Breslow, an instructor in orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School. “But when cortisone injections are overused, there is some evidence that they can actually accelerate osteoarthritis.”
In short, while cortisone shots put you on the path to healing, they should be used judiciously and aren’t a permanent solution to the underlying problem that’s causing your knee pain.
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What’s The Outlook For Teenagers With Pain In Their Knees
Most knee pain in teenagers can be managed with simple treatments. However, many soft-tissue tears and bone breaks require surgery. Most teenagers recover without long-term problems if they follow the recover plan provided by their healthcare providers. Because there are many causes of knee pain, be sure to ask your healthcare provider for specific information on long-term prognosis for your teen’s knee condition.
Reason #: Meniscus Problems
Problems with the meniscus in your knee joint are a common cause of knee pain from squatting. In fact, Ive experienced this type of knee pain from squats.
This pain is usually caused by small tears in the meniscus, a disc of cartilage that sits between your femur and tibia and absorbs shock and pressure in the knee .
A major meniscus tear can be a serious problem that requires surgery, but a minor or microtear can simply cause pain and irritation during certain movements like say, during squats.
The pain is typically felt on the medial side of your knee, and often it feels like your knee joint suddenly locks or catches with pain as you squat.
I have a slight meniscus tear and find the pain comes and goes randomly. I find my knee will just click into place and then I wont have any problems for months until something clicks back out of place.
One exercise that helps keep meniscus issues from causing me pain and interrupting my squats are SB Leg Curls.
This technique will help provide stability to the knee by strengthening the hamstrings as they flex at the knee and extend at the hip. Youll feel stronger and more stable at the knee joint by incorporating this move into your routine, especially since the hamstrings are often weak relative to the quads.
SB Leg Curls
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When Should I Get My Teens Knee Pain Evaluated By A Healthcare Provider
Make an appointment to see your healthcare provider if:
- Your teens pain has lasted longer than two weeks or anytime theres an increase in pain level.
- Your teens knee is red, swollen or warm to the touch.
- Your teen cant put weight on their leg they limp.
- Your teens knee locks and cant move.
- Your teens kneecap feels like it slides out of place or the knee looks twisted.
- Your teen has knee pain during or after activity.
- Theres painful popping or clicking sound in your teens knee.
- Your teens knee doesnt have strength or full range of motion.
- Your teens pain wakes them up at night.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 04/30/2021.
References
Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injury
The posterior cruciate ligament is the ACLs partner. Its another band of tissue that connects your thighbone to your shinbone and supports your knee. However, the PCL isnt as likely to get injured as the ACL.
You can injure the PCL if you take a hard blow to the front of your knee, such as in a car accident. Sometimes injuries occur from twisting the knee or missing a step while walking.
Stretching the ligament too far causes a strain. With enough pressure, the ligament can tear into two parts.
Along with pain, a PCL injury causes:
- swelling of the knee
- trouble walking
- weakness of the knee
Rest, ice, and elevation can help a PCL injury heal faster. You might need surgery if youve injured more than one ligament in your knee, have symptoms of instability, or you also have cartilage damage.
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Anterior Knee Pain In Middle
- Osteoarthritis : Arthritis of the patella causes pain because the cartilage under the kneecap is thinning. Arthritis, which only involves the patella in your knee, is more common in women. Physical therapy can be very effective in the early stages of osteoarthritis of the patella. Injections and over the counter medications may have a role in some patients. In some situations, when the arthritis is severe, a patient will need to consider a tibial tubercle osteotomy, replacement of the patella, or a total knee replacement if the arthritis is elsewhere within the knee.
Other Possible Causes Of Severe Knee Pain
In addition to the conditions listed above, severe knee pain can be related to an infectioneither an infection in the knee joint or a systemic infection, such as the flu, that causes an auto-immune reaction that leads to knee pain. Knee pain related to infection is discussed on the next page.
Other possible causes of severe knee pain in the absence of trauma include soft tissue injuries that can develop over time, such as severe tendinopathy and IT band syndrome. In these cases, knee pain often develops gradually, and knee pain is less likely to be accompanied by localized redness, swelling, and warmth.
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Five Common Reasons For Inside Knee Pain
Pain on the inside of the knee can happen to anyone, whether youre a runner, footballer or casual gym-goer. Today, physiotherapist Matt looks in detail at five of the most common causes of medial knee pain. He also shares tips on how to avoid a knee injury and what to do if you it happens to you.
Medial Collateral Ligament Strain
The MCL is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. The others are the ACL , PCL and LCL . The role of these ligaments is to maintain the stability of the knee joint and prevent forces from moving the thigh and shin bones apart. The MCL runs vertically along the inside of the knee from the thigh bone , across the knee joint to the shin bone . Ligament injuries often occur due to an obvious mechanism of injury, such as a twist or a force hitting the outside of the knee . Dependent on the severity of the injury, there may be swelling, bruising and pain on the inside of the knee. You may also experience difficulty walking and a feeling of instability in the knee.
Medial Meniscus Injury
Wear and Tear
Pes Anserine Bursitis
Plica Syndrome
What can you do?
What can we do?
Need some support?
If you are in pain, and would like to consult a physiotherapist simply book in for an initial assessment online.