ACL Tear Greater Jefferson Barracks, MO. ACL tears can abruptly disrupt 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 Jefferson Barracks, MO, we have committed 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 create customize, empirically-backed treatment plans. If you’ve suffered an ACL tear, or any other injury, in Jefferson Barracks, MO, contact us online or locate 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 dominating your local Jefferson Barracks, MO pickleball league, or carrying your children on your shoulders without any pain.

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament | Jefferson Barracks, MO Physical Therapy

Ligaments are bands found in joints made of tough, flexible connective tissue that affix two bones. The ligaments in the knee help keep your knee stable by connecting your tibia (shinbone) to your femur (thigh bone). The ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, runs down the center of your knee and forms an “X” with the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). The ACL and PCL work together to control the forward and backward movement of your knee, and the ACL prevents the tibia from slipping too far forward on the femur and supplies rotational stability.

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 severe your injury, trust in the Jefferson Barracks, MO licensed physical therapists of Axes to help you fully heal.

Why an ACL Tear Happens | Jefferson Barracks, 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 the most likely to get ACL tears. According to reporting from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, almost three-quarters of ACL tears occur in non-contact injuries, such as cutting rapidly, and the rest are caused by direct blows to the knee. External and internal factors could both be at play when you suffer an ACL tear:

External Factors

These are when your motion is obstructed immediately before the injury. Some examples are:

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

Internal Factors

These have to do with the structure and anatomy of the knee and legs. 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 transpire 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 | Jefferson Barracks, MO Physical Therapy

After an ACL tear, you’ll likely feel pain at the center of the knee. You might not necessarily feel sever pain after an ACL tear unless other parts of the knee were also injured. Some signs that you might have suffered an ACL tear are:

• A “popping” sensation in your knee
• Having to stop activity
• Your knee becoming inflamed quickly
• Reduction of range of motion
• Instability when bearing weight

If you suspect you’ve suffered an ACL tear, it’s vital to see a doctor or a licensed physical therapist in Jefferson Barracks, MO to diagnose your injury and start the treatment you need to recover. We offer no-cost, no-obligation injury screenings and work with many trusted doctors in Jefferson Barracks, 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.

How to Treat an ACL Tear | Jefferson Barracks, 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 lead to health conditions like 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 swelling. In an examination, a doctor will evaluate your range of motion, and likely order an MRI or other tests to confirm the ACL tear and gauge the extent of the injury.

Because ligaments do not receive blood flow, a complete ACL tear will not be able to regenerate by itself. That is why the aid of a licensed professional physical therapist is necessary to return to the activities you love. Surgery is the only means available to completely heal an ACL tear. So, surgery is often advisable for younger people, athletes who need their knee reconstructed in order to perform, patients whose ACL tears were accompanied by other significant injury to other parts of their knee, or those whose ACL tear causes pain or weakness when performing basic, everyday activities. 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 attached, you still have a long way to go before you’ll feel fully back to normal. 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 Jefferson Barracks, MO to optimize your recovery and the success of your operation. Our ACL tear physical therapy experts will be by your side throughout your recovery process with proven, customized physical therapy. As part of your treatment plan, we will:

• 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
• 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 return you to full strength
• Potentially utilize electrical stimulation as a supplement to the exercises

When you work with the knowledgeable Jefferson Barracks, MO area physical therapists of Axes and take an active role in your recovery, you have the greatest chance of a complete and timely recovery. Before you know it, we will return you to dominating the local pickleball league, or just enjoying the ability to climb stairs without feeling any instability in your knee.

How to Prevent an ACL Tear | Jefferson Barracks, MO Physical Therapy

Unfortunately, many people sustain a second ACL tear and they can lead to life-long consequences. Included in your treatment program in Jefferson Barracks, MO, our Certified Athletic Trainers will educate you on how to avoid another ACL tear down the line. We recommend some of the following steps to prevent further injury:

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

Our physical therapists dedicate themselves not only to getting you back to the things you love to do, but doing what we can to make certain that you stay off the sidelines.

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

• 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
• Stroke Rehabilitation

ACL Tear in Jefferson Barracks, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

It is normal to be anxious about your what your life will look like in the future after suffering a severe injury. If you’ve sustained an ACL tear, you probably want to get back to your normal, active lifestyle as quickly as possible. Trust in the experienced professionals of Axes Physical Therapy to work 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.