Why Squats Cause Knee or Back Pain (And How to Fix It Properly)

 

If you're working out to lose weight or improve your physique,
you’ve probably included squats in your routine.

But let me ask you something

Have you ever felt knee pain or lower back discomfort while squatting?

You're not alone.

🔹 My Story (Why This Matters)

I didn’t start learning about movement and exercise just for fitness.

Back in high school, I was diagnosed with scoliosis.
I went through multiple clinics and manual therapy sessions, but the pain kept interfering with my daily life.

That’s when I decided to start exercising on my own.

At the time, around 2010, personal training wasn’t as popular as it is today.
So I relied on YouTube, watched how others trained, and learned through trial and error.

With much of own experience, I got stronger over time.

But there was a problem.

My knee started to hurt, and my back pain never really went away.

That experience eventually led me to more education and I ended up graduting with a degree in Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) U.S.

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🔹 Back to the Point: Why Squats Cause Pain

If you feel pain during squats,

it’s not just about “bad form.”

In many cases, it comes down to two key factors:

👉 Mobility (especially hips)
👉 Stability (especially core)

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🔹 1. Hip Mobility (Why Your Knees Take the Load)

During a proper squat, your hips should move in a hinge pattern.

But if:

• your hip muscles are tight
• or your joint mobility is limited

your body compensates

👉 Your knees travel too far forward

👉 You rely more on a “sitting down” pattern

This increases stress on the knees — leading to pain.

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🔹 2. Core Stability (Why Your Lower Back Hurts)

A squat should primarily load your legs, not your lower back.

To do that, your spine—from head to lower back—needs to stay in a neutral position.

But if your core stability is weak:

• your spine loses neutrality
• your torso shifts excessively forward or backward

👉 This creates unnecessary stress on your lower back.

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🔹 3. Muscle Coordination (Often Overlooked)

Even if you are strong and mobile,
you can still have pain.

Why?

Because movement isn’t just about strength.

It’s about timing and coordination.

Your muscles need to:

• activate at the right time
• relax when needed

This process is controlled by your nervous system.

If that coordination is off,
your movement becomes inefficient — and pain can follow.

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🔹 What This Means for You

If you experience pain during movement,
don’t just push through it or stretch randomly.

👉 You need to:

• identify the root cause
• correct movement patterns
• reinforce with proper exercises

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🔹 Final Thought

My goal is simple:

To help you move better — without pain — while achieving your fitness goals.

Whether it’s fat loss, performance, or aesthetics,
you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your body in the process.