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Old 06-29-2011, 04:14 PM   #1  
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Default Knees popping during squats/lunges

They don't hurt or anything but they've recently started popping when I'm doing squats/lunges... I don't *think* my form has changed or anything (I've been trying to watch in the mirror at the gym to make sure). I've heard that do really low squats (as in your thigh is below parallel to the floor) can help? Anybody know?

ETA: Now that I think about it I've been running more on the treadmill lately too... that's the only change I can think of.

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Old 06-29-2011, 05:27 PM   #2  
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Hi Running: The popping may be something you want to mention during an appointment with a doc. See what they have to suggest about the cause.

I know you've been doing this a while but sometimes it's helpful just to go over a few reminders just to be sure there isn't a little something that could be tweaked that might quiet those knees:

Keep feet a little wider than hip distance apart
Toes turned out
Keep natural curve in lower back
Sit hips waaay back
keep chest up (think superman here)
***important part for me....When going down or up actively pushing my knees OUT. Think about someone placing their hand along side your lower thigh and you trying to push out against their hand.

When you are going up initiate the movement in the glutes first. Rise the glutes up out of the bottom of the squat. Make certain that you are pushing down into your heels through the floor. And also be certain that you are stil pressing those knees outward (against that pretend persons hand) as you rise up.
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Old 06-30-2011, 02:20 PM   #3  
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***important part for me....When going down or up actively pushing my knees OUT. Think about someone placing their hand along side your lower thigh and you trying to push out against their hand.
I don't do this, and my knees have started to pop more, too. I'm going to focus on that when I'm doing some tomorrow.

Running - I have found that the more I run on the treadmill versus outside the more I notice little knee pops and shin pain, I wonder if it is because we force ourselves to go faster than we might normally on the treadmill and get a little more wear in a more repetitive pattern with the belt moving us in a straight line? My outside running wanders more and varies much more in speed.
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Old 06-30-2011, 07:54 PM   #4  
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Thank you both for the advice. Today I really tried to pay close attention to what I was doing and I realized that if I dropped the weight a bit on the leg workouts and really watched my form then my knees stopped popping. So I think maybe I was a little overexcited about moving up in weight too quickly. Add to that that I recently switched from Stage 1 to Stage 2 so I was dealing with new exercises and I think that's what caused my problem.

However, I'm going to take a short break from now until Monday and just go swimming the next few days to let my knees rest a bit just in case it's the running or anything else.

ETA: I'd love to go to the doctor but we've really been having problems finding good doctors here. It's a huge long saga and most likely they would never encourage a female to lift weights (there are same insane stereotypes here too) so, well, we'll see if we're able to do that or not...

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Old 07-13-2011, 06:56 PM   #5  
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I actually used to get that with just squats not lunges. I figured it was cause I was getting older, lol. But since I started a regular running program, I don't 'pop' anymore. I think it's because my legs are more muscular and built up more. I also heard backward lunges don't put as much pressure on your knees as opposed to forward ones. Hope this helps.

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Old 07-18-2011, 03:29 PM   #6  
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So the knee thing is still around. I actually hurt my back last week after sleeping on it funny so I took off of working out for a week (with the exception of going swimming once and my usual walking that can't be avoided). Seriously, does anybody have suggestions of a good workout that avoids moves like squats/lunges and basically anything with my knees? If I did something like the elliptical would I feel it there? I know even that day I went swimming my knees felt strange afterwards...

In my head I'm thinking about doing something like:
upper body lifting: rows, bicep curls, dumbell press, lat pull downs etc
swimming (but try and focus on strokes that use mostly my upper body)
leg lifts (they don't seem to bother me)
core exercises (planks, swiss ball crunches etc)

If anybody has any other ideas, I'm all ears!!!
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Old 07-18-2011, 07:31 PM   #7  
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I've been suffering from patellar tendonitis and have seen an orthopedist. One of the things he said is do not do any leg work that has your feet off the floor or a platform. Thus, do not do leg extensions.

I have the problem in only one knee and i wear a small band under the patella and that helps. You can find them in a drug store, and perhaps sports stores. They are made for patellar tendonitis, or jumper's knee, or Osgood Schlatter's. It's just a simple band but it helps me a lot.

You might consider that your quads may be much stronger than your hamstrings and that is bothering your knees. If that were true, you'd want to strengthen your hamstrings.

Sometimes the elliptical bothers my knee and sometimes not. Check your posture. Have you tried the recumbent bike? That does not hurt my knee.
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Old 07-18-2011, 07:38 PM   #8  
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I've been suffering from patellar tendonitis and have seen an orthopedist. One of the things he said is do not do any leg work that has your feet off the floor or a platform. Thus, do not do leg extensions.

I have the problem in only one knee and i wear a small band under the patella and that helps. You can find them in a drug store, and perhaps sports stores. They are made for patellar tendonitis, or jumper's knee, or Osgood Schlatter's. It's just a simple band but it helps me a lot.

You might consider that your quads may be much stronger than your hamstrings and that is bothering your knees. If that were true, you'd want to strengthen your hamstrings.

Sometimes the elliptical bothers my knee and sometimes not. Check your posture. Have you tried the recumbent bike? That does not hurt my knee.
That's a really good idea about getting some sort of knee band. I might try that. Actually, I wasn't thinking about this before but I am flat footed (and probably should be wearing arch supports...) could that be at all related to my knee problem now?

How could I strenthen my hamstrings without bother my knees? Any exercise suggestions (I could definitely see this as a possibility too because I have pretty strong quads).

We don't have a recumbent bike at our gym... We have just the normal bikes, treadmills, an elliptical, and the pool.
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Old 07-18-2011, 09:07 PM   #9  
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Well, I can say that I am supposed to wear orthotics and did so for years before starting lifting last year. I quit wearing them but recently thought that I should go back to them and plan to consult a podiatrist. The physical therapist told me that just the commercially available ones might be good enough. Why not try them?

Try the bike but make sure that your alignment is correct. The orthopedist told me that I could continue spinning IF I did not stand up AND the alignment was correct. I haven't gone back to it. It was in spinning class that I first noticed the pain.

As for hamstrings, use the machine for that BUT don't bend your knee more than 90 degrees...that's what I was told anyway
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Old 07-18-2011, 09:20 PM   #10  
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Quote:
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Well, I can say that I am supposed to wear orthotics and did so for years before starting lifting last year. I quit wearing them but recently thought that I should go back to them and plan to consult a podiatrist. The physical therapist told me that just the commercially available ones might be good enough. Why not try them?

Try the bike but make sure that your alignment is correct. The orthopedist told me that I could continue spinning IF I did not stand up AND the alignment was correct. I haven't gone back to it. It was in spinning class that I first noticed the pain.

As for hamstrings, use the machine for that BUT don't bend your knee more than 90 degrees...that's what I was told anyway
Thanks, good idea. I'll try that with the inserts. Our insurance might cover them but, ugh, that would be at least another month or more away between finding a doc and getting an appointment.

When you mean alignment do you just mean the seat at the right height? Is there anything else I should consider?

Ok, thanks, I didn't know that about 90 degrees.
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Old 07-19-2011, 08:34 AM   #11  
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Yes, by alignment I mean seat height and distance from front of bike. It's about the knees so you want your knees slightly bent but not greatly. There might be some sources on the 'net about what it should be. I haven't looked.

The 90 degrees warning is from the orthopedist. So, do squats he said, but not "*** to the grass" ones. He said to go as far down as I can before it hurts. Perhaps you could squat and lunge only as low as you can before your knees pop. Perhaps it's possible that the popping is nothing dangerous. I was told to let pain be the guide and do nothing that hurts.
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Old 07-19-2011, 09:14 AM   #12  
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How could I strenthen my hamstrings without bother my knees?
Try some one legged deadlifts. Just body weight works for me.
And hamstring/glute bridges.
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Old 07-19-2011, 02:11 PM   #13  
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I've had issues with my knees, too. At one point I learned how to tape my kneecap where it belonged from a physical therapist, until it would stay where it it was suppose to be. The strengthening exercise that worked best at the time was the Thigh Master. These can usually be found at yard sales cheap. Squeezing an 8 inch ball between my mid to lower thighs would also work. Do not irritate the knee area, by placing anything directly on it.

(The Thigh Master works very well for me. I only have to use it for about 5 minutes twice per month, when I notice my kneecap starting to track differently.)

In the mean time I've managed to injure my other knee. The area behind my kneecap had become sore, after my kneecap had popped out of position landing wrong while zip-lining. The medical website I looked at advised strengthening my quads and abductors.

(The Thigh Master works on the adductors and the little muscle whose name I can't remember.)

I do not go past 90 degrees when bending my knees because it irritates them.

I've been thinking about getting one of the under knee bands. After reading Tejas's post, I will have to try one.

Which brand do you use, Tejas?
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Old 07-20-2011, 08:15 AM   #14  
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One band is made by Mueller, the other by Futuro. I prefer Futuro's closing-a D ring and velcro. But, both work well. I wear them only while exercising [and tap dancing ].

I bought mine in drug stores just because I was there. They were about $16.00--ridiculous. But, I don't know other prices in other places.

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Old 07-20-2011, 03:12 PM   #15  
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Thanks, Tejas!

I'll have to see what I can find locally.
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