There is no real way to tell what you have without going to see a doc. There are several knee conditions that are possible, but it would be foolish of me, or anyone else, to say "X" this is what you have because (1) we are not physicians and (2) there could be something worse inside (like a tendon or ligament prob.) that there have no way of knowing short of an X-ray and possibly and MRI. Generally I am a big fan of conservative treatment by physicians. I know both those who are very conservative and those who are not and there are benefits to each. I can tell you of a friend of mine who is getting sued now because he didn't operate on a man's foot after a car accident (conservative) thinking that he didn't need to. And he may have been right, the guy couldn've not listened to the conservative treatments and messed his foot up even more, that's the thing...you can't really tell on some cases. And then I know another physician who will literally cut on almost anyone. I actually had a buddy with a shoulder problem (he said) that he got at work and wanted workers comp. for it. I sent him to my friend who is conservative and he wouldn't operate, so he went to this other surgeon I knew of and he did operate. My friend (that got surgery) got his workers comp. and now several months later has confided in me that there was really nothing wrong with his shoulder in the first place. I believe that unless there is something major wrong with our bodies they can heal themselves usually.
That being said...here are the most common knee injuries associated with squatting as well as some symptoms of each and some common treatments. However, I want to be clear that if you try the treatments and they do not work you may need to go see a physican. I understand what it's like not have insurance, one of the things I have found is that university medical schools will take care of you for a deeply discounted price. You are worked on by a licensed physican, but he is also teaching at the same time so the amount of time you are in the office is usually much longer.
Chondromalacia patellae: This is the degeneration of the atricular cartilage (cartilage that covers the bone) on the back of the patella (kneecap). What happens is the femur rubs against the patella due to the imparied cartilage not being good enough to allow the gliding motion, this roughens the cartilage even more. This needs to be diagnosed by an MRI as an X-ray is not defenitive enough. However, the good news is 75-85% of these cases are cured by using conservative care for 2-5 months (non-urgical). This is often misdiagnosed as Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (Runner's Knee).
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: This is characterized by pain in the front of your knee and is caused by the wearing down, roughening, or softening of the cartilage under then kneecap. It can be caused by overuse, injury, excessive use, or a patellar not tracking properly. The main symptom is knee pain, especially when sitting with bent knees, squatting, jumping, or climbing stairs. The pain normally intensifies during activity.
---Conservative treatment for the problems listed above---
(1) Avoid sitting or kneeling in bent knee positions for long periods of time
(2) Avoid running (using an elliptical is a good idea)
(3) Avoid squatting or other 90 degree excercises (let extensions/leg curls)
*These three will make symptoms worse
(4) Taking non-prescription anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or naproxen sodium to decrease swelling, stiffness, and pain. (However, there are differing opinions to how well these actually help your body heal).
(5) Ice it, elevate it, compress it, and rest it.
(6) Physical therapy exercises like stretching and straight leg raises to strengthen the quad.
(7) Taping or bracing the kneecap during exercise (if you have not tried this is suggest you do it immediately).
(8) If you try all of these for a period of time and you see no improvement surgery may be the only option left.
OTHER COMMON KNEE INJURIES:
Locked Knee: Usually the result of a severe meniscus tear. The torn meniscus dislocated into the joint and your knee can lock up completely or become very stiff and swollen.
Swelling and Tightness: If you have swelling and tightness in your knee it nearly almost always indicates an internal injury of somekind.
Crepitus: Basically just noisy knees. Normally no cause of concern unless accompanied by swelling and tightness.
The conservative treatments listed above are all I would feel comfortable telling you. I would try those and see if you can get some relief. I would strongly suggest I.C.E. and wrapping your knees when you are squatting. If you are having pain and you don't take the time to let your body heal itself you are not likely to get any better. I know it sucks to hear that especially when you don't want to lay off of anything, but often that's the easiest thing to do. I have seen several cases where people have had surgery because they didn't listen to the doc. and lay off of certain things at the onset of joint pain. That's my .02
