ACL Tear Greater Boles, MO. ACL tears have a tremendous effect on your active and daily routine. You go from having a blast in a sport or playing with your kids, to suddenly wondering whether you’ll get to play or even go to work again. At Axes Physical Therapy in Boles, MO, we have dedicated our practice to restoring our patients’ mobility and returning them to the activities they love. Our ACL tear rehabilitation specialists work in concert with you as a team and develop personalized, evidence-based treatment plans. If you’ve sustained an ACL tear, or any other injury, in Boles, MO, contact us online or find the most convenient Axes location for you. Our mission is getting every patient great results and getting you back to what’s most important to you, whether that means dominating your local Boles, MO pickleball league, or picking up your grandchildren without any pain.

What is the ACL? | Boles, MO Physical Therapy

Ligaments are bands found in joints made of durable, flexible fibrous tissue that affix two bones. The ligaments in the knee work to keep your knee stable 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 tandem to control the front and back movement of your knee, and the ACL stops the tibia from moving too far forward on the femur and provides stability when the knee rotates.

ACL tears can be either partial or complete. Depending on the grade of your ACL tear, your ability to put weight on your knee and range of motion will be reduced. No Matter how significant your injury, trust in the Boles, MO licensed physical therapists of Axes to help you fully heal.

Causes of an ACL Tear | Boles, MO Physical Therapy

There are as many as 250,000 ACL injuries nationwide every year, and it is one of the most common knee injuries and sports injuries. They are common in contact sports that call for frequent and rapid cutting and switching directions, such as football, baseball, soccer, and basketball. According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, 70% of ACL tears occur in non-contact injuries, such as changing direction quickly, and the rest are the result of direct blows to the knee. External and internal factors could both contribute to an ACL tear:

External Factors

These are when your motion is interrupted just before the injury. Some examples are:

• Landing on uneven ground or landing awkwardly
• Colliding with something or someone
• Instantly decelerating or switching direction
• Pivoting with a firmly planted foot
• Sustaining a direct hit to the knee

Internal Factors

These have to do with the structure and anatomy of the body. Some examples are:

• The differences in anatomy between men and women
• How flexible the hamstring and other surrounding muscles are
• Differences in genetics

ACL tears don’t just transpire in sports, falls and work-related injuries can harm they ACL too. The elderly are also at high risk, as our bodies degenerate as we age. Women are 4-6 times more likely to suffer an ACL tear, likely as a result of anatomical differences.

Symptoms of an ACL Tear | Boles, MO Physical Therapy

When you sustain an ACL tear, the pain will likely be in the middle of the knee. You might not necessarily feel significant pain after an ACL tear unless other parts of the knee were also injured. Some signals that you may have suffered an ACL tear include:

• A “popping” sensation or sound in your knee
• Inability to continue activity
• Your knee becoming inflamed quickly
• Loss of range of motion
• Instability when putting weight on your knee

If you suspect you’ve suffered an ACL tear, it’s critical to see a physician or a licensed physical therapist in Boles, MO to diagnose your injury and get you the treatment you need. We offer free, no strings attached injury screenings and know many trusted doctors in Boles, MO that we can refer you to. Your Axes physical or occupational therapist is a fundamental part of your recovery team, working closely with you and your doctors and medical providers to collaborate on your safe and efficient recovery.

ACL Tear Treatments | Boles, MO Physical Therapy

It is essential to get prompt, effective, personalized treatment for your ACL tear. If you wait, or your treatment is ineffective, it can lead to complications such as obesity or osteoarthritis, which can significantly impact how you live your life.

Directly following your ACL tear, you should use over-the-counter pain medication and the R.I.C.E. method to reduce pain and inflammation. In an examination, a doctor will evaluate your range of motion, and likely order an MRI to confirm the ACL tear and evaluate the extent of the injury.

Because blood does not flow to ligaments, a complete ACL tear cannot regenerate on its own. That is why the aid of a licensed professional physical therapist is necessary to return 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 whose ACL tears were accompanied by other serious injury to other parts of their knee, or those whose ACL tear causes their knee to buckle in basic, everyday tasks. In an ACL surgery, a surgeon will remove the damaged ACL, take a graft from another one of your or a donors tendons, and use small incisions to attach it to the bones.

Once the new ligament is attached, you still have a long way to go before you’ll feel fully back to normal. After surgery, you may be given crutches so you can get around for the next few weeks, as your quadriceps muscles will have weakened. Axes Physical Therapy offers both pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation for ACL tears in Boles, MO to get you a positive outcome for both your recovery and your surgery. Our ACL tear physical therapy professionals will lead you through your recovery process with proven, customized physical therapy. As part of your treatment plan, we will:

• Reduce pain and swelling
• Educate you on your injury and the rehab process
• Gradually and successfully allow you to put weight on your knee again
• Fit you for 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 utilize electrical stimulation to return strength and flexibility

When you work with the experienced Boles, MO area physical therapists of Axes and take an active role in your rehabilitation, you have the greatest chance of a complete and timely recovery. Before you know it, we will get you back to dominating the local softball league, or just enjoying being able to to climb stairs without any pain.

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

Unfortunately, second ACL tears are common and they can have permanent repercussions. As part of our ACL tear physical therapy services in Boles, 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
• Having strong hip and leg muscles
• Practice proper technique, for instance keeping knees shoulder width apart while landing
• Maintain flexibility
• Increase your balance
• Always warm up before sports or other physical activities
• Always wear appropriate footwear

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

Some of the other services we offer in Boles, 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 Boles, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

It is normal to be apprehensive about your your future after being seriously injured. 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 in concert with you to produce a proven, customized physical therapy plan to get you back to the basketball court, bowling alley, or just back to your normal, pain-free life. Contact us online or call the location are closest to you.