Knee pops refer to sounds or sensations that occur in the knee joint, often manifesting as a popping or cracking noise. It can occur for various reasons, such as the movement of tendons or ligaments over bones, changes in pressure within the joint, or the release of gas bubbles. In some cases, knee pops might be harmless and not associated with pain or discomfort, while in other instances, they could be indicative of an underlying issue, such as joint instability or inflammation. If someone experiences persistent or painful knee pops, it’s advisable to consult with a healthcare professional for a proper diagnosis and guidance on potential treatments or exercises.
The knee is one of the most vulnerable joints in our bodies. From exercise to daily activities, any kind of pressure on it can cause it to react by producing an audible cracking sound (crepitus).
At least, this sensation is usually not painful and generally doesn’t indicate serious damage to your knees; nevertheless, it can be bothersome.
1. Poor form
Squatting is an exercise that engages many muscles simultaneously and involves multiple movement sequences. When performed incorrectly, however, you place unnecessary stress on your knees and could cause cracking joints or ligament over-stretch which may result in injury to ligaments, tendons and cartilage as well as limited progress being made on this squat exercise. Poor form may also prevent you from reaping all its potential benefits and progress being made towards reaching goals faster.
The knee joint is an intricate system comprised of bones from both femur and tibia, the patella (kneecap), ligaments, tendons and cartilage. While its constituent parts may seem packed together at first glance, there is ample space and air pockets throughout its capsule. As you squat, pressure changes in your knee joint force some gas bubbles within to move and burst, creating what’s known as crepitus: an audible pop followed by popping sensation.
Some people experience discomfort when getting up from a chair, walking across the room or doing weighted squats, although this should not cause alarm unless accompanied by pain – that may indicate damage to cartilage in your knee that leads to meniscus tears – which could be serious issues requiring immediate medical treatment.
Gluteal muscles play an integral part in supporting and evenly distributing load to all components of the knee joint, with weak glutes having the potential to pull it out of alignment and cause clicking sensations and pain. Furthermore, Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS), also known as outer knee pain syndrome or tightness running along one leg from hip to kneecap can occur as a result.
Avoid these problems by practicing proper technique when performing your squats, such as warming up with light cardio exercises and dynamic stretches before engaging in foam rolling and activation exercises to increase body temperature and blood flow to knees, and thus helping prevent excessive tension from building up in quads, hip flexors and knees.
2. Excessive tension
Knee cracking when squatting is a fairly common occurrence among lifters of all ages and genders, provided it doesn’t cause pain and there has been no history of trauma to the knee joint. These sounds should usually not cause concern as part of normal function and structure of knee joint which allows large amounts of fluid and gas in and out of joint capsule during quadriceps muscle contractions.
Conversely, there can be various reasons for knee joints to crack or pop when performing physical activities, and some problems can be serious. If these clicks, snaps, and cracks accompany pain or swelling then they should be seen to as medical concerns immediately and addressed swiftly.
One of the main factors leading to knee popping when squatting is excessive tension on their knees. This often occurs when lifters lean too far forward or fail to maintain an appropriate shin-ankle alignment; these errors place more resistance onto their knees, creating bubbles within them that then burst with similar force as cracking your knuckles, creating noise as they do so.
One reason the knees may experience excessive tension during squats may be related to weakness in the muscles supporting them, usually as a result of poor technique, although it could also occur due to lifting at too heavy or volume of weight or volume.
For optimal results, consult with a professional to assess the health of your knees and their supporting muscles, ligaments and cartilage. They will likely suggest physical therapy sessions to correct any deficiencies that cause improper squatting motion or reduce stress on them altogether.
3. Poor alignment
Unstable knees can make walking, sitting and other movements such as lunging uncomfortable; they also increase your risk of knee popping when squatting and lunging, which must be prevented with strengthening exercises by a knee specialist or physical therapist. To address this, strengthen the muscles that support the knee through rehabilitation exercises designed by these professionals – or seek professional assistance in doing them yourself from them yourself.
Dependent upon your condition, knee braces or orthotics may also be needed to keep the knee in an ideal position and reduce injuries. A doctor or podiatrist may suggest special orthotics that fit seamlessly into your shoes for best results.
Cracked sounds accompanied by pain warrant a medical evaluation, especially if the discomfort persists after rest. It could indicate cartilage injury such as meniscus tear which might require medical intervention from specialists.
Keep in mind that resting squatting is a natural human movement; your body was designed to utilize this position for extended periods. Babies naturally squat.
Squatting is an explosive movement that requires a great deal of force to propel through your knees. Any stiffness or tightness in your hips, knees or ankles may alter how much force goes through them when squatting, leading to click or grating noises when doing it and possibly leading to discomfort when doing so.
Chondromalacia patella, or softening of the cartilage that lines the back of your kneecap, is usually responsible for this discomfort, usually experienced only when squatting, usually manifesting itself with dull aching pain rather than sharp snapping sensations. You can learn more about this condition as well as symptoms and treatment in our Runners Knee section. Similarly, cartilage damage front of your kneecap known as chondral degeneration could also cause this pain which often presents as dull and achy rather than grinding sensations when squatting.
4. Injury
Knee popping is a common phenomenon for those engaging in lunges and squats as part of their exercise regime, often without any cause for alarm; often serving as an indicator that their knees are working normally but in rare instances can signal injury or an issue within the joint itself.
Knee popping is usually caused by damage to the cartilage lining the knee joint, usually as a result of forceful twisting or hyper-flexing of the knee, leading to tears in its surface and potentially resulting in pain, swelling and an “ouch!” sound from walking or moving around.
Squatting knee popping could also be caused by tightness in the patellar tendon. This muscle runs from your shin bone to your kneecap and when overworked or misused can become tight enough to produce clicking or popping noises when squatting – something which could happen from overtraining, poor technique or direct blows to the kneecap.
Knee popping can also be caused by an imbalance in the quadriceps muscles. The quadriceps serve to support your knee joint, so when you squat, they can become tight or rigid and cause excessive pressure to build on them, which in turn results in stiff and uncomfortable knees as well as snapping or cracking noises caused by quadriceps trying to force an unnatural position on them.
If your knees are popping when squatting, it is crucial that you identify its cause so that you can fix it. This may involve altering your technique, decreasing weight or avoiding exercises which cause them to crack or pop. In order to increase flexibility of muscles and increase blood flow to them before performing exercises like hip swings and circles, walking lunges, resistance band X walks or Cossack squats; warming up with dynamic warm-up exercises can also help. Foam rolling may provide further self-myofascial release while increasing mobility and increasing flexibility of both joints.
