You squat for multiple reasons, and during that time, you may experience a cracking or popping sound in your knees. Most of you may wonder, “Why do my knees crack when I squat?” The answer is simple. It is because squatting puts pressure on your knees. The cracking sound is called crepitus, and if this sound is followed by knee pain, it means you may have knee problems.
Experts believe that knee cracking is not a serious problem until it results in pain. However, knee pain while squatting can result from an underlying condition. Before understanding those underlying conditions, you must understand the knee’s anatomy.
Knee joint anatomy
Your knees are among the most delicate parts of your body. It is made of bones, cartilages, ligaments, and synovium. The knee joint comprises bones, including the femur, tibia, fibula, and patella. In addition, it consists of a meniscus that aims to reduce the friction between the tibia and the femur. The synovium fluid maintains the lubrication in the knee joint, and the ligaments connect the significant bones. You must take care of your knee as a sudden blow to the joints or an improper lifestyle can hamper your health.
Why do my knees crack and hurt when I squat?
If you exercise regularly or perform any activity that puts pressure on the knees, you may experience cracking of your knees. In addition, you may experience a cracking sound while bending your knees. However, it is not a cause of concern. Some of the reasons that may cause knee cracking include:
- Gas bubbles in the synovial fluid
Synovial fluid maintains the swiftness in your knees. However, it can get affected by the gas bubbles. Over time, gas bubbles develop in this fluid. As a result, when you bend or flex your knees, you may hear a cracking or popping sound. However, you must not worry as it does not cause any pain.
- Knee surgery
Knee surgery may make your knees noisy. It can occur because of changes in the knee anatomy or alteration in the joints. If you experience knee cracking after surgery, do not worry. It does not affect your well being or cause pain in any manner. Doctors believe that noisy knees after knee surgery make patients more concerned about their health and often lead to questions such as ‘Why do my knees crack when I squat?’ or ‘why do my knees crackle when I squat?’. In such cases, you may try to find the answer in your health history. If you have undergone knee surgery, you are likely to experience knee cracking after the surgery.
- Knee osteoarthritis
Why do my knees crack and hurt when I squat? It could be due to knee osteoarthritis. If you are aged over 50, you may experience knee osteoarthritis. It is a common knee problem in men and women. It happens due to the breakdown of the knee cartilage and may cause pain and inflammation in the joints. Therefore, you must visit a doctor to diagnose your knee health.
- Knee injury
You may hurt your kneecap after a sudden fall or accident. It can cause a noisy sound while bending or squatting. Knee injuries can be classified into the following three conditions:
- Meniscus tears
- Runner’s knee
- Chondromalacia patella
Understanding these conditions will help you understand the root cause of your pain. If you experience crunching or popping sound in your knees followed by pain and discomfort, you must visit an orthopaedic doctor for treatment.
Why do my knees crack when I squat? Visit Ujala Cygnus Central Hospital to know the answer.
How can you stop knee cracks while squatting?
Does the cracking sound of your knees make you apprehensive or shy? Many people may want to get rid of this unpleasant sound. To prevent cracking knees, you may try to move as much as possible. When you move your body, your joints lubricate themselves. But when you stay inactive, gas may form in the synovial fluids of the knee joints. As a result, you develop knee cracks.
If you want to eliminate the cracking or popping sound from your knees, you may try the following:
- Choose the right style to perform different exercises. If you do not perform the activities accurately, you may harm your joints and muscles. Moreover, try to include knee-stabilising exercises in your fitness routine.
- Try to strengthen your knee muscles and joints by following the appropriate exercises. You may strengthen the quadriceps and gluteal muscles through squats and lunges. You may learn the proper techniques from a health instructor or a gym trainer.
- Do not squat in any way you like. Instead, try to squat in a proper form. Learn the right techniques to prevent gas formation in the synovial fluids.
- While squatting, do not put pressure on your knees. Instead, try to put your body weight on your butt. It will help you reduce friction in the knee joints.
- If you feel uncomfortable while performing a specific activity, make it simple.
- If you are bulky, try to lose excess weight. As it can strain your knees, it is essential to maintain the ideal body weight. The knee joints may not take your excess weight, leading to brittle bones. Moreover, it also leads to other health complications.
- Try to perform stretching exercises before and after intense workouts. Give popper time to your body to cool down after rigorous physical activities. If you experience a popping sound in the knees after physical activities, you may wonder, “Why does my knee click when I squat even after being active?” It may result from a lack of proper warm-up and cool down after exercise.
- If your legs are not aligned, you may hear a cracking sound while bending your knees. In such cases, you may use prescribed orthotics to align your legs.
These are some ways to control the sounds made by your knees. Correct exercise methods have a unique role in promoting the popping or crackling sound. If you do not maintain an appropriate form while exercising, you may hear sounds from your knees. Moreover, it is essential to squat in the right way. Proper squats strengthen your knees and prevent the sounds. Why does my knee click when I squat? Maybe, you do not perform squats properly. So next time you wonder, “Why do my knees crackle when I squat?”, consider correcting the way you squat.
Knee popping when squatting is a common problem, and you must not be afraid of this sound. However, it can affect your general life in multiple ways. For example, you may feel embarrassed when your knees crack while getting up from a chair in your office.
If you want to know the reasons for knee cracks, you may contact Ujala Cygnus Central Hospital. Moreover, you may contact us to understand why does the knee clicks when I squat or to get an answer to ‘why do knees pop when I squat?’.
For free teleconsultation with our doctor, call us at 88569-88569 or fill the form to share your problem.
