Knee pain within the kneecap?

I'm a high school athlete, and I've noticed that I experience a great deal of pain during and after forwards and backwards lunges and squats. If I don't do them for a few days, the pain goes away, but unfortunately, they're part of practice. The pain is located in the upper knee, and feels as if it's under the kneecap. I've tried icing it without any success, and I think that may be because the pain is actually in the knee itself. It fades after about ten or fifteen minutes or so, but when I sit down or get (any action that requires putting more stress/weight on my knees), the pain is back with a vengeance and lasts for a few days. I'm just curious if anyone else has experienced similar symptoms and what that might indicate. Thanks in advance for your help.
Answer:
Obviously you are straining and re- injuring something and it is telling you that you are asking too much too soon. Squats---deep squats -- are really tough on knees. And they will tell you about it with pain. Without an exam from your orthopedist, no one can really tell what you have done --- anything from a torn ligament, to a torn meniscus. Knees are an architectural nightmare, actually, because they are a hinge joint, rather than a ball and socket. In your place, at your age, I'd back off of the hard squats until you saw an ortho. If you damage the cartilage now, you are looking at replacement joints way sooner than you will want to. When you are in your 20's and no longer doing this sort of stuff, if will go away, for 20 or so years, then come back. So at 50, you will be looking at a knee replacement, and tho it is a successful surgery, it is a nasty one. (Unless some genius comes up with a way to inject a knee with something that allows it to heal itself.. and who knows, it may happen.)In the mean time, get an evaluation from an orthopedist.

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That sounds really serious. Go immediately to a sports medicine doctor and find out what it is. Both my wife and I ended up with permanent knee damage that was life altering because we ignored knee pain. Stop what you are doing immediately until you see a doctor!

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My friend had identical sympotms and it turns out his kneecap was not properly formed. He has had several operations to scrape the bone behind the cap but is still in pain. Get it checked out by a doc and if the pain continues, insist on an MRI.

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i expierence the same thing ithink its cause of the cartiledge in the knee joint is wearing away and bones are grinding and yes in serious i also expierience a cracking sound like knuckles when ever i do a squat type movement

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Does it make any noise? I'd better dollars to donuts you have quadriceps tightness and glute dysfunction along with a tight IT Band. Have you ever heard of a foam roller? These things are the poor mans massage tool and everybody who ever uses them sees good things come out of it. Check the link below and buy one of these things. You'll be so stinking happy you did because it is without a doubt the most underrated thing ever. And all your teamates will be jealous. By the way, i'm a CSCS at a Physical Therapy office.Also, most high school athletes are unaware that they are not using their butt muscles when performing squats and lunges. So next time you do them, lift your big toe of the ground and push through your heel. This will cause you to use what we call backside mechanics, being your hamstring and glutes. On the lunge make sure to keep your knee in line with your toe. If your knee dives inward, you got underactive glutes and a quadricep dominant motor pattern. If you have a certified athletic trainer at your school see him/her. They'll be able to tell you whats going on.

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