Squatting is part of everyday life.
You squat to pick something up, get out of a low chair, exercise at the gym or play sport. So when your knee starts hurting during a squat, it can be frustrating — especially if you cannot work out why it is happening.
You may start wondering whether you have damaged something, whether you should stop squatting completely, or whether the pain will eventually go away.
The answer depends on what is contributing to your knee pain.
Why Can Squatting Cause Knee Pain?
A squat places load through the knee while it bends and straightens. This is a normal movement, but the amount of load your knee experiences can change depending on your technique, strength, mobility, activity level and the depth of the squat.
Knee pain during squatting can be associated with several different problems, including:
- Patellofemoral pain
- Tendon irritation
- Osteoarthritis
- Previous knee injury
- Muscle weakness or reduced control
- Changes in how the knee, hip or foot are moving together
This does not mean that pain while squatting automatically indicates damage.
The same movement can cause pain for very different reasons in different people.
Is Your Squat the Problem?
Not necessarily.
It is easy to assume that if your knee hurts when you squat, your technique must be wrong.
However, there is no single “perfect” squat that works for everyone.
Knee symptoms can be influenced by several factors, including the amount of load you are currently used to, how quickly you have increased your activity, your strength and mobility, and how your knee responds to repeated loading.
For example, someone who suddenly increases their gym training after a period of inactivity may experience knee pain even though they have not made any obvious technical mistake.
What About Squatting Deep?
You may have heard that deep squats are bad for your knees.
That is too simplistic.
A deeper squat increases the demands placed on the knee, but that does not automatically make it harmful. What matters is whether your knee is currently able to tolerate that level of load.
If deep squats are painful, temporarily reducing the depth or modifying the exercise may allow you to continue training while you gradually build your capacity.
The aim is not necessarily to avoid the movement forever.
What If Your Knee Hurts Every Time You Squat?
If the same movement consistently causes pain, it is useful to look beyond the movement itself.
A physiotherapy assessment may consider:
- Your symptoms — where the pain is, when it starts and what makes it better or worse.
- Your movement — how your knee, hip and ankle work together during movement.
- Your strength — whether weakness or reduced control could be contributing.
- Your activity levels — whether your current workload has increased recently.
- Your goals — whether you want to return to the gym, sport or simply move comfortably.
This can help identify what may be contributing to the problem rather than simply treating the painful movement.
Can Strengthening Help?
In many cases, rehabilitation includes exercises designed to improve strength, movement and control around the knee and lower limb.
The key is choosing exercises and loading levels that are appropriate for your current ability. You do not necessarily need to stop exercising simply because your knee hurts. Instead, your physiotherapist can help you identify movements and levels of loading that you can tolerate, before gradually progressing them over time.
As your strength and capacity improve, the aim is to increase your ability to tolerate the activities that are important to you, whether that is walking, squatting, running, gym training or everyday activities.
When Should You Get Your Knee Checked?
Knee pain during a squat does not always require physiotherapy, particularly if it is mild and settles quickly.
However, an assessment may be worthwhile if:
- The pain keeps returning
- Your knee is swelling or red
- Your knee feels unstable or gives way
- You have difficulty with everyday movements
- You have reduced your activities because of the pain
- Symptoms are not improving despite modifying your activity
- The pain started following an injury
Getting the cause assessed can help you make a more informed decision about what to do next.
Your Squat Doesn't Have to Be the Enemy
Knee pain during squatting does not automatically mean you need to stop squatting forever.
Sometimes the answer is changing how much you are doing. Sometimes strength or mobility needs attention. In other cases, the knee needs further assessment to understand what is causing the symptoms.
The goal of knee pain physiotherapy treatment is not simply to tell you which movements to avoid.
It is to help you understand your symptoms, build your capacity and gradually return to the activities that matter to you.
Physio for Knee Pain at The Physiotherapy Centre
If knee pain is affecting your squats, gym training, sport or everyday movement, physio for knee pain can help identify factors that may be contributing to your symptoms and guide an appropriate rehabilitation plan.
The Physiotherapy Centre provides knee pain physiotherapy across its Sittingbourne and Sheerness clinics, with assessment and treatment tailored to the individual rather than relying on a generic exercise programme.
