Knee Caving In When Squatting
If you experience consistent or excessive knee caving inward while trying to stand up a front squat, back squat, snatch or clean, keep reading! We are going to discuss what may be going on in your movement pattern that is contributing to this.
At first glance, some may think that knee caving may be a knee problem in itself. Though this may produce symptoms at the knee, it is rarely a knee issue. This is why regional interdependence and an appropriate physical therapy evaluation is so key. We believe at Loon State Physical Therapy that though this is happening at the knee, it is usually a hip or ankle issue. Not to worry, this is completely fixable!
If coming from the hip, we consider a couple of factors as physical therapists specializing in knee pain. Hip range of motion may be limited, causing the knee to track differently. The other strong possibility is glute strength, specifically glute medius, may be not strong enough and this knee caving is a symptom of that. We thoroughly evaluate both of these items to check if this is the case.
If it is an ankle issue, it is more often than not a mobility restriction into dorsiflexion (think knee over toe). Without the ability for the knee to translate forward over the toe, the ankle and knee will still try to find a path of least resistance. This tends to be the knee caving inward. This is more common on the descent of a squat rather than standing it up, but can be both ways.
The motion and needs of a successful squat can be a decent sized list, so don’t get hung up too much! Find a trusted physical therapist who understands squat mechanics and you will be on your way to squatting better!
We would be happy to discuss further how Loon State Physical Therapy can be a teammate in getting you back to moving and feeling your best while eliminating pain! Our convenient Hopkins physical therapy, Edina physical therapy, and Stillwater physical therapy locations will happily welcome you to get you back to moving at your best. Call us at (612) 405-8503 or book with us online at www.loonstatephysicaltherapy.com for an in-person or virtual appointment.
We look forward to being your teammate through this recovery journey!
Andrew Eccles
Owner and Physical Therapist at Loon State Physical Therapy
