ACL Tear Greater Berkeley, MO. ACL tears can suddenly disrupt your active routine and daily life. One moment you’re running down the court, playing your favorite sport or having fun with your kids, and the next moment you’re thinking about whether you’ll get to play or even go back to your job again. At Axes Physical Therapy in Berkeley, MO, we have committed our practice to helping our patients regain their strength and mobility, and getting them back to the activities they love. Our ACL tear rehabilitation specialists work with you as a team and design personalized, evidence-based treatment plans. If you’ve suffered an ACL tear, or any other injury, in Berkeley, MO, contact us online or find the most convenient Axes location for you. We focus on getting every patient great results and getting you back to the things that matter most to you, whether that means burning corners in your local Berkeley, MO flag football league, or picking up your grandchildren without any pain.

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament | Berkeley, MO Physical Therapy

Ligaments are bands found in joints made of tough, flexible fibrous tissue that connect two bones. The ligaments in the knee work to maintain stability in your knee by affixing your tibia (shinbone) to your femur (thigh bone). The ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, is in the center of your knee and crosses the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) so they make an “x”. The ACL and PCL work in concert to stabilize the front and back movement of your knee, and the ACL shields the tibia from gliding too far forward on the femur and supplies rotational stability.

Most ACL tears are partial, but they can be completely torn as well. Depending on the grade of your ACL tear, your capacity to put weight on your knee and your motion will be affected. Regardless of how significant your injury, trust in the Berkeley, MO licensed physical therapists of Axes to help you fully heal.

Why an ACL Tear Happens | Berkeley, MO Physical Therapy

There are as many as 250,000 ACL injuries in the United States each year, and it is one of the most common knee injuries and sports injuries. Athletes who play contact sports and/or sports where there is a lot of cutting and changing direction are at high risk for ACL tears. According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, almost three-quarters of ACL tears occur in non-contact injuries, such as cutting quickly, and the rest are due to direct blows to the knee. External and internal factors could both be at play when you sustain an ACL tear:

External Factors

These are when your coordination is interrupted immediately before the injury. Some examples are:

• Landing on uneven footing or landing with improper form
• Colliding with something or someone
• A sudden reduction in speed or switching direction
• Spinning with a firmly planted foot
• Sustaining a direct hit to the knee

Internal Factors

These are related to the structure and anatomy of the body. Examples include:

• The differences in anatomy between men and women
• Flexibility of the hamstring
• Genetic variations

ACL tears don’t just transpire in sports, falls and work-related injuries can harm they ACL too. They can become more common as we age and our bodies weaken. Women are 4-6 times more likely to sustain an ACL tear, likely because of anatomical differences.

Symptoms of an ACL Tear | Berkeley, MO Physical Therapy

After an ACL tear, the pain will likely be at the center of the knee. An ACL tear does not always cause considerable pain except if other parts of the knee were also injured. Some indicators that you might have torn your ACL are:

• A “popping” sensation in your knee
• Having to stop activity
• Rapid swelling
• Loss of range of motion
• Instability when putting weight on your knee

If you suspect you’ve suffered an ACL tear, it’s vital to visit a physician or a licensed physical therapist in Berkeley, MO to verify your injury and start the treatment you need to recover. We offer free, no-obligation injury screenings and have a great network of trusted physicians in Berkeley, MO that we can refer you to. Your Axes physical or occupational therapist, your doctor and medical providers, and you will form a close team and work together to ensure your recovery is safe and efficient.

ACL Tear Treatments | Berkeley, MO Physical Therapy

It is important to get prompt, effective, personalized treatment for your ACL tear. If you wait, or your treatment is ineffective, it can cause health conditions like obesity or osteoarthritis, which can greatly affect you for the remainder of your life.

In the minutes after your ACL tear, it’s best to use over-the-counter pain medication and the R.I.C.E. method to reduce pain and swelling. A doctor will then examine you, evaluate your mobility, and likely order an MRI or other tests to verify the ACL tear and gauge the completeness and grade of your tear.

As there is no blood flow to the ligament, a complete ACL tear will not be able to heal on its own. That is why the aid of a licensed professional physical therapist is necessary to get back to the activities you love. The only way to fully repair an ACL tear is through surgery. So, surgery is often necessary for younger people, athletes who need their knee reconstructed in order to play, patients with other serious injury to their knee, or those whose ACL tear causes pain or weakness when performing basic, everyday tasks. ACL surgery is usually done by taking a graft from another tendon — either one of yours or a deceased donor’s — and then using small incisions to attach the graft to the femur and tibia.

Once the new ligament is in place, your journey back to normalcy and the activities you love is still a long way from over. After surgery, you may need crutches to move around, as your quadriceps muscles will weaken from disuse. Axes Physical Therapy offers both pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation for ACL tears in Berkeley, MO to get you a positive outcome for both your recovery and your surgery. Our ACL tear physical therapy experts will lead you through your recovery process with proven, customized physical therapy. As part of your treatment plan, we will:

• Mitigate pain and swelling
• Provide patient education so you understand your injury and why our methods work
• Gradually and successfully get you back to bearing weight
• Provide you with a brace and teach you how to safely use it
• Perform movement exercises and balance exercises to return mobility
• Perform strength exercises to increase strength
• Possibly implement electrical stimulation as a supplement to the exercises

You have the best chance for a full recovery by actively participating in it and trusting the licensed Berkeley, MO area physical therapists of Axes. Before you know it, we will get you back to dominating the local pick-up league, or just enjoying being able to to climb stairs without feeling any instability in your knee.

How to Prevent an ACL Tear | Berkeley, MO Physical Therapy

Unfortunately, many people suffer a second ACL tear and they can result in life-long consequences. Included in your treatment program in Berkeley, MO, our Certified Athletic Trainers will educate you on how to avoid another ACL tear down the road. Some of the preventive methods you can take in order to prevent further injury are:

• Having a strong core
• Strengthen your hip and leg muscles
• Practice correct technique, for instance keeping knees shoulder width apart while landing
• Stretch consistently
• Increase your balance
• Perform warm-up exercises before sports or other physical activities
• Always wear appropriate footwear

Our physical therapists devote themselves not only to getting you back to the things you love to do, but doing everything possible to make certain that you stay off the sidelines.

Some of the other services we offer in Berkeley, MO are:

• Back Pain Treatment
• Neck Pain Treatment
• Physical Therapy Clinic
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
• Sciatica Treatment
• Sports Medicine
• Hand Pain Physical Therapy
• Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment
• Hip Pain Treatment
• Plantar Fasciitis Treatment

ACL Tear in Berkeley, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

It is normal to be apprehensive about your what your life will look like in the future after suffering a severe injury. If you’ve sustained an ACL tear, you might be impatient to return to your active lifestyle and physical activities you value. Trust in the knowledgeable professionals of Axes Physical Therapy to work alongside you to design a proven, customized rehabilitation plan to get you back to the basketball court, gymnasts’ mat, or just back to your normal, pain-free life. Contact us online or call the location are closest to you.