ACL Tear Creve Coeur, MO

ACL Tear Greater Creve Coeur, 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 Creve Coeur, MO, we have devoted 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 create personalized, evidence-based treatment plans. If you’ve suffered an ACL tear, or any other injury, in Creve Coeur, MO, contact us online or locate the most convenient Axes location for you. Our mission is 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 Creve Coeur, MO flag football league, or carrying your children on your shoulders without any pain.

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament | Creve Coeur, MO Physical Therapy

Ligaments are bands found in joints made of durable, pliable fibrous tissue that attach two bones. The ligaments in the knee help maintain stability in your knee by attaching 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 stabilize the front and back motion of your knee, and the ACL safeguards the tibia from sliding too far forward on the femur and supplies 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 your movement will be affected. Regardless of how serious your injury, trust in the Creve Coeur, MO licensed physical therapists of Axes to help you fully heal.

Causes of an ACL Tear | Creve Coeur, MO Physical Therapy

There are as many as 250,000 ACL injuries in the United States every year, and it is one of the most frequent knee injuries and sports injuries. Athletes who play contact sports and/or sports where there is a lot of cutting and changing direction are the most likely to get ACL tears. According to reporting from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, the vast majority of ACL tears occur in non-contact injuries, such as changing direction rapidly, and the rest are due to direct blunt force trauma. External and internal factors could both contribute to an ACL tear:

External Factors

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

Landing on uneven ground or landing with improper form
Something or someone knocking into you
A sudden reduction in speed or switching direction
Spinning with a firmly planted foot
Sustaining a direct blow 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
Genetic differences

While many ACL tears occur in sports, they are also common in falls and work-related injuries. 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 owing to anatomical differences.

Symptoms of an ACL Tear | Creve Coeur, MO Physical Therapy

Following 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 signs that you might have torn your ACL include:

A “popping” sensation in your knee
Inability to continue activity
Rapid swelling
Loss of range of motion
Not being able to bear weight your knee

If you think you’ve sustained an ACL tear, it’s important to see a physician or a licensed physical therapist in Creve Coeur, MO to diagnose your injury and get you the treatment you need. We offer free, no strings attached injury screenings and have a wide network of trusted physicians in Creve Coeur, 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 Therapy Creve Coeur, MO | Physical and Occupational Therapy Near Creve Coeur

How to Treat an ACL Tear | Creve Coeur, MO Physical Therapy

It is vital to get effective and personalized treatment soon after your ACL tear. If your injury does not heal properly, it can result in 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 manage pain and swelling. A doctor will then examine you, assess your mobility, and likely order an MRI to verify the ACL tear and evaluate the severity of the injury.

As there is no blood flow to the ligament, a complete ACL tear cannot regenerate on its own. This means that you will need the help of licensed professional physical therapists in order to return to the activities you love. The only way to fully repair an ACL tear is through surgery. So, surgery is often recommended for younger people, athletes who need their knee reconstructed in order to perform, patients with other serious damage to their knee, or those whose ACL tear causes pain or weakness when carrying out basic, everyday activities. In an ACL surgery, a surgeon will remove the torn 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 in place, you still have a long way to go before you’ll feel fully back to normal. After surgery, you’ll probably be given crutches so you can get around for the next few weeks, as your quadriceps muscles will weaken from disuse. Axes Physical Therapy offers both pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation for ACL tears in Creve Coeur, MO to get you the best results for both your physical rehabilitation and your surgery. Our ACL tear physical therapy experts will be by your side throughout your recovery process with proven, customized physical therapy. Our treatment methods will help to:

Reduce pain and swelling
Provide patient education so you understand your injury and why our methods work
Gradually and effectively allow you to put weight on your knee again
Provide you with a brace and teach you how to safely use it
Do movement exercises and balance exercises to increase range of motion
Perform strength exercises to return you to full 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 expert Creve Coeur, MO area physical therapists of Axes. Before you know it, we will return you to tearing up the local softball league, or just enjoying the ability to sit down and stand up without your knee buckling.

How to Prevent an ACL Tear | Creve Coeur, MO Physical Therapy

Unfortunately, second ACL tears are common and they can lead to permanent consequences. Included in your treatment program in Creve Coeur, MO, our Certified Athletic Trainers will educate you on how to avoid another ACL tear down the line. 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 correct form, for example bending at the knees and hips when turning
Stretch consistently
Perform balance exercises
Perform warm-up exercises before sports or other physical activities
Always wear appropriate footwear

Our physical therapists dedicate themselves not only to retuning you to the activities you love, but doing what we can to make sure that you stay off the sidelines.

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

ACL Tear in Creve Coeur, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

It is normal to be anxious about your your 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 experienced professionals of Axes Physical Therapy to work in concert with you to create a proven, tailor-made rehabilitation plan to get you back to the football field, bowling alley, or just back to your normal, pain-free life. Contact us online or call the location are closest to you.