to squat or not to squat
March 5, 2016 11:08 PM Subscribe
YANMD. Squatted a bunch and messed up my knee. Do I rest it or keep squatting to "strengthen" the knee? Very confused by what the internet says, and am abroad with no immediate access to doctor.
So I don't squat as part of an exercise routine but I do use the deep squat position when I need to reach down low (open a low drawer, shelve books, pet dogs, talk to toddlers etc). I am a fat person with often-crackly knees but I habitually use the ass to ground squat position for these purposes because I always thought it was a better option than bending from the back. Also grew up in Asia where you had to be able to deep squat to use the toilets in rural areas.
I don't have full stability in this position and often need to hold onto a wall to balance myself but I don't find it an uncomfortable one to be in.
I've had the crackly knee for years, doctor has diagnosed it as everyday wear and tear.
Anyway recently I was squatting and standing repeatedly while putting things away, and my knee felt painful when coming out of the position. After that for 3 days it hurt a fair bit though it doesn't hurt anymore. Am I safe to go back to squatting? Or will I re-damage it?
Can't believe I'm wasting my weekly question on this, but the internet has such contradictory things to say about squatting and knee health (it's good for your knees! no it'll destroy your knees!), and I am abroad at the moment with no immediate access to a doctor.
So I don't squat as part of an exercise routine but I do use the deep squat position when I need to reach down low (open a low drawer, shelve books, pet dogs, talk to toddlers etc). I am a fat person with often-crackly knees but I habitually use the ass to ground squat position for these purposes because I always thought it was a better option than bending from the back. Also grew up in Asia where you had to be able to deep squat to use the toilets in rural areas.
I don't have full stability in this position and often need to hold onto a wall to balance myself but I don't find it an uncomfortable one to be in.
I've had the crackly knee for years, doctor has diagnosed it as everyday wear and tear.
Anyway recently I was squatting and standing repeatedly while putting things away, and my knee felt painful when coming out of the position. After that for 3 days it hurt a fair bit though it doesn't hurt anymore. Am I safe to go back to squatting? Or will I re-damage it?
Can't believe I'm wasting my weekly question on this, but the internet has such contradictory things to say about squatting and knee health (it's good for your knees! no it'll destroy your knees!), and I am abroad at the moment with no immediate access to a doctor.
OP is not talking about exercise/gym squatting, but functional, every day squatting.
It would be helpful op, if you could tell us a little more about the pain. Whereabouts on your knee did the pain occur? At what point did the pain occur, ie during the squat or you only noticed afterwards etc. What kind of quality did the pain have, a dull ache? A sharp, knifing pain? When did the pain occur afterwards, when you bent your knee, or all the time? How did you treat it and what worked? How old are you and have you had knee trouble before?
None of this may help us help you, but it may provide some clues.
As a general guide, three days is pretty fast to recover, it sounds like an overuse injury, I would suggest gently easing back into it, and stopping at the first sign of pain and then seeing a professional.
Your broader question, squats are not inherently bad for knees,especially not body weight squats. They can cause damage, of course, but not if you do them sensibly.
Best of luck.
posted by smoke at 1:39 AM on March 6, 2016
It would be helpful op, if you could tell us a little more about the pain. Whereabouts on your knee did the pain occur? At what point did the pain occur, ie during the squat or you only noticed afterwards etc. What kind of quality did the pain have, a dull ache? A sharp, knifing pain? When did the pain occur afterwards, when you bent your knee, or all the time? How did you treat it and what worked? How old are you and have you had knee trouble before?
None of this may help us help you, but it may provide some clues.
As a general guide, three days is pretty fast to recover, it sounds like an overuse injury, I would suggest gently easing back into it, and stopping at the first sign of pain and then seeing a professional.
Your broader question, squats are not inherently bad for knees,especially not body weight squats. They can cause damage, of course, but not if you do them sensibly.
Best of luck.
posted by smoke at 1:39 AM on March 6, 2016
The rule of thumb that I've been given in the past for exercising with injuries is "if it hurts, stop."
posted by bunderful at 5:17 AM on March 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by bunderful at 5:17 AM on March 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
Go see a doctor. If you damaged the ligament somehow, that could be a very long-lasting injury. Even broken bones heal faster than ligaments.
posted by deathpanels at 6:17 AM on March 6, 2016
posted by deathpanels at 6:17 AM on March 6, 2016
Regarding whether squatting in general is good or bad for your knees, it is very important for you to use proper form for it to be good. I've been in physical therapy for knee problems and worked with a trainer because I'm an aging baby boomer in a sport that's hard on my knees, and I've always been told that when you do squats as exercise, you need to make sure your knees don't go past your toes. IAMNYD, but I think the deep squats you do in daily life would NOT be good as an exercise to strengthen your knees.
You don't say how old you are, but I'd recommend as a long-term strategy seeing a personal trainer for maybe five sessions to learn to properly do some exercises to strengthen the muscles around your knees (after following deathpanels advice to make sure you don't have a serious injury). Sometimes doctors are too quick to attribute something to getting older and suggest you learn to live with it when you can do quite a bit to keep yourself from getting worse. If you want to be able to continue to do the deep squats you need to do in your daily life (and you're right about back injury), strengthening exercises will make a huge difference. Try to find someone who has chosen training as a career rather than an athlete or student who got certified to make some extra bucks. I have worked with both kinds of trainers, and there's a world of difference. I recommend a trainer because it's really important to learn to do these exercises correctly to avoid hurting yourself, and you can't always see what's wrong with your form.
posted by FencingGal at 6:37 AM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
You don't say how old you are, but I'd recommend as a long-term strategy seeing a personal trainer for maybe five sessions to learn to properly do some exercises to strengthen the muscles around your knees (after following deathpanels advice to make sure you don't have a serious injury). Sometimes doctors are too quick to attribute something to getting older and suggest you learn to live with it when you can do quite a bit to keep yourself from getting worse. If you want to be able to continue to do the deep squats you need to do in your daily life (and you're right about back injury), strengthening exercises will make a huge difference. Try to find someone who has chosen training as a career rather than an athlete or student who got certified to make some extra bucks. I have worked with both kinds of trainers, and there's a world of difference. I recommend a trainer because it's really important to learn to do these exercises correctly to avoid hurting yourself, and you can't always see what's wrong with your form.
posted by FencingGal at 6:37 AM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
Squats and lunges are all about form and technique. Do them wrong and you create problems for yourself. Most importantly, the knees should not collapse inwards, i.e. stay perpendicular to the ground with no lateral stresses. Mobility WOD is good on this.
You may also be in need of a foam roller for your calves and thighs, and a tennis ball for your sole.
posted by idb at 7:47 AM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
You may also be in need of a foam roller for your calves and thighs, and a tennis ball for your sole.
posted by idb at 7:47 AM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
RICE your knee: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. And ibuprofen.
posted by Carol Anne at 9:02 AM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Carol Anne at 9:02 AM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
If you were doing a particular exercise, I'd say stop - but I wouldn't stop doing an everyday movement once the pain has gone away. Otherwise you'll atrophy and normal movements will become more difficult in other ways.
When people on the internet say squatting is bad for you, they mostly mean weight lifting, or high repetitions. In gym routines it's not unusual to do hundreds of squats without weight, or to load up a barbell with 100-300lbs.
If you're worried about doing it again, try to notice how you squat. Trainers always use these tips:
a) keep your feet a bit wider than your hips - about shoulder distance apart. if in doubt, go wider.
b) don't lean too far forward - make sure your knees don't creep farther forward than your toes
c) think about pushing your knees out when you're moving up or down - the opposite motion of letting your knees knock together
Also, if you don't already exercise, consider something like yoga or weightlifting that could help you strengthen your balance and make it less likely to injure yourself with daily motion.
posted by hyperion at 2:56 PM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
When people on the internet say squatting is bad for you, they mostly mean weight lifting, or high repetitions. In gym routines it's not unusual to do hundreds of squats without weight, or to load up a barbell with 100-300lbs.
If you're worried about doing it again, try to notice how you squat. Trainers always use these tips:
a) keep your feet a bit wider than your hips - about shoulder distance apart. if in doubt, go wider.
b) don't lean too far forward - make sure your knees don't creep farther forward than your toes
c) think about pushing your knees out when you're moving up or down - the opposite motion of letting your knees knock together
Also, if you don't already exercise, consider something like yoga or weightlifting that could help you strengthen your balance and make it less likely to injure yourself with daily motion.
posted by hyperion at 2:56 PM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
I don't have full stability in this position and often need to hold onto a wall to balance myself but I don't find it an uncomfortable one to be in.
Can you get assessed by a PT or a really good trainer associated with a reputable clinic (not J Random Trainer associated with a local gym?) Depending on how long you are abroad, this may be difficult and/or expensive, but if you can do this, I would recommend it.
I have similar knee issues and have been going back to the gym in an attempt to resolve them and get my full range of motion back, without pain, even if the cracking continues. I saw a very good trainer last week who assessed my range of motion and told me that while squatting deeply, with good form, is an excellent choice for keeping your knees healthy, it should be avoided when your knees are actively painful.
He put me through some alternative bodyweight exercises -- some with a straight leg, some with a single leg bent to a maximum 90 degrees but without bearing weight on it while bent. These exercises don't look as if they would tax you, but they tired me by the end of the session and delivered some very respectable DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) right on schedule 24-48 hours later. The DOMS means it's working :-)
Moving on to full squats in the gym and daily life is doable, but you may need to find some alternative ways to increase your strength, balance, flexibility and range of motion before you're ready to load your knees even with just your body weight.
In short: You may find that, as advised above, taking a wider stance with your toes pointing out may decrease or eliminate the pain in the short run (this works for me!), but in the long term, you should be getting assessed and taking real steps to improve your fitness for both your lower and upper body. Do it soon because your neglected joints will get even more unhappy as you get older.
posted by maudlin at 4:55 PM on March 6, 2016
Can you get assessed by a PT or a really good trainer associated with a reputable clinic (not J Random Trainer associated with a local gym?) Depending on how long you are abroad, this may be difficult and/or expensive, but if you can do this, I would recommend it.
I have similar knee issues and have been going back to the gym in an attempt to resolve them and get my full range of motion back, without pain, even if the cracking continues. I saw a very good trainer last week who assessed my range of motion and told me that while squatting deeply, with good form, is an excellent choice for keeping your knees healthy, it should be avoided when your knees are actively painful.
He put me through some alternative bodyweight exercises -- some with a straight leg, some with a single leg bent to a maximum 90 degrees but without bearing weight on it while bent. These exercises don't look as if they would tax you, but they tired me by the end of the session and delivered some very respectable DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) right on schedule 24-48 hours later. The DOMS means it's working :-)
Moving on to full squats in the gym and daily life is doable, but you may need to find some alternative ways to increase your strength, balance, flexibility and range of motion before you're ready to load your knees even with just your body weight.
In short: You may find that, as advised above, taking a wider stance with your toes pointing out may decrease or eliminate the pain in the short run (this works for me!), but in the long term, you should be getting assessed and taking real steps to improve your fitness for both your lower and upper body. Do it soon because your neglected joints will get even more unhappy as you get older.
posted by maudlin at 4:55 PM on March 6, 2016
Response by poster: Thanks for all the answers. Sorry to be vague regarding the pain, I was so busy trying to make clear what I meant by squatting (as there are so many different kinds) and why I was doing it (ie for functional and not exercise purposes), I forgot to go into detail regarding the pain. Anyway it was a pain above my knee and got worse when I bent it and better when I straightened it. I have tried squatting again and it felt a bit off, so I'll avoid it for now. I think I also need to be more mindful when squatting, to make sure my knees are right above my toes and don't collapse inwards. I guess because I'm not really approaching it as an exercise-move, I don't pay as much attention to form, but I will start to do so.
posted by Ziggy500 at 9:40 PM on March 8, 2016
posted by Ziggy500 at 9:40 PM on March 8, 2016
Pain in that spot could be patellofemoral syndrome -- the kneecap doesn't track properly because of weak and/or tight muscles, so it rubs against the femur. Ice, stretching and exercises can help. Reduce or eliminate any movement (such as some types of squatting) which cause pain until you get better. You find lots of discussion of PFS elsewhere in AskMe, such as this.
posted by maudlin at 10:33 AM on March 9, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by maudlin at 10:33 AM on March 9, 2016 [2 favorites]
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It's impossible to say what starting such exercises right now will do without internet-diagnosing your knee—which I'm not going to do—but I will say that in general I'm on Team Working Out Is Fun And Productive. If you have specific questions about what proper form means and so on, feel free to Memail.
posted by daveliepmann at 1:04 AM on March 6, 2016 [4 favorites]