ACL Tear Greater Kirkwood, MO. ACL tears have a tremendous effect on your active routine and daily life. 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 Kirkwood, 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 put in place personalized, empirically-backed treatment plans. If you’ve sustained an ACL tear, or any other injury, in Kirkwood, MO, contact us online or check out 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 running the bases in your local Kirkwood, MO league, or picking up your grandchildren without any pain.
The Anterior Cruciate Ligament | Kirkwood, MO Physical Therapy
Ligaments are bands found in joints made of tough, flexible fibrous tissue that connect two bones. The ligaments in the knee help keep your knee stable 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 forward and backward movement of your knee, and the ACL stops the tibia from sliding too far forward on the femur and provides 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 range of motion will be reduced. However serious your injury, trust in the Kirkwood, MO licensed physical therapists of Axes to help you fully heal.
Causes of an ACL Tear | Kirkwood, MO Physical Therapy
There are as many as 250,000 ACL injuries nationwide annually, and it is one of the most frequent knee injuries and sports injuries. They are common in contact sports that require frequent and fast cutting and switching directions, such as football, baseball, soccer, and basketball. According to data from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, 70% of ACL tears occur in non-contact injuries, such as changing direction rapidly, and the rest are because of direct blunt force trauma. 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
- Being hit by something or someone
- A sudden reduction in speed or changing direction
- Swiveling with a firmly planted foot
- Suffering a direct blow to the knee
Internal Factors
These have to do with the structure and anatomy of the body. Some examples are:
- The anatomical differences between men and women
- How flexible the hamstring and other surrounding muscles are
- Genetic variations
ACL tears don’t just happen in sports, falls and work-related injuries can hurt they ACL too. They can become more common as we age and our bodies weaken. Women are 4-6 times more likely to suffer an ACL tear, likely because of anatomical differences.
Symptoms of an ACL Tear | Kirkwood, MO Physical Therapy
When you suffer an ACL tear, you’ll likely feel pain at the center of the knee. An ACL tear does not always cause significant pain except if other constructive damage was done to the knee. Some indicators that you may have suffered an ACL tear are:
- A “popping” sensation in your knee
- Not being able to continue activity
- Rapid swelling
- Loss of range of motion
- Not being able to put any weight on your knee
If you suspect you’ve sustained an ACL tear, it’s crucial to see a physician or a licensed physical therapist in Kirkwood, MO to diagnose your injury and get you the treatment you need. We offer no-cost, no-obligation injury screenings and have a great network of excellent physicians in Kirkwood, MO that we can connect you with. Your Axes physical or occupational therapist is an indispensable part of your recovery team, working closely with you and your doctors and medical providers to collaborate on your safe and efficient recovery.
How to Treat an ACL Tear | Kirkwood, MO Physical Therapy
It is important to get prompt, effective, personalized treatment for your ACL tear. If your injury does not heal properly, it can lead to health conditions like obesity or osteoarthritis, which can greatly affect how you live your life.
Immediately after your ACL tear, you should use over-the-counter pain medication and the R.I.C.E. method to manage pain and inflammation. A doctor will then examine you, assess your mobility, and likely order an MRI to confirm the ACL tear and judge the severity of the injury.
Because ligaments do not receive blood flow, a complete ACL tear cannot heal 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 necessary for younger people, athletes who need a fully functioning ACL in order to perform, patients with other significant injury to their knee, or those whose ACL tear causes pain or weakness when performing basic, everyday tasks. ACL surgery is typically 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’ll probably 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 Kirkwood, MO to optimize your recovery and the success of your surgery. Our ACL tear physical therapy specialists will be by your side throughout your recovery process with proven, customized physical therapy. As part of your treatment plan, we will:
- Alleviate pain and swelling
- Provide patient education so you understand your injury and why our methods work
- Gradually and effectively 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 range of motion
- Perform strength exercises to increase strength
- Possibly use electrical stimulation as a supplement to the exercises
When you work with the knowledgeable Kirkwood, MO area physical therapists of Axes and take an active role in your rehabilitation, you have the greatest chance of a complete and efficient recovery. Before you know it, we will return you to tearing up the local pickleball league, or just enjoying being able to to sit down and stand up without any pain.
How to Prevent an ACL Tear | Kirkwood, MO Physical Therapy
Unfortunately, second ACL tears are common and they can have life-long repercussions. As part of our ACL tear physical therapy services in Kirkwood, MO, our Certified Athletic Trainers will educate you on how to avoid another ACL tear later on. We recommend some of the following steps to prevent further injury:
- Strengthen your core
- Having strong hip and leg muscles
- Practice correct technique, for example bending at the knees and hips when turning
- Maintain flexibility
- Increase your balance
- Always warm up before sports or other physical activities
- Make sure you are using appropriate footwear
Our physical therapists committed themselves not only to retuning you to the activities you love, but doing everything possible to ensure that you can continue doing them without being interrupted by another injury.
Some of the other services we offer in Kirkwood, MO are:
- 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
- Hip Replacement Physical Therapy
ACL Tear in Kirkwood, MO | Axes Physical Therapy
It is normal to be nervous 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 alongside you to implement a proven, customized physical therapy plan to get you back to the football field, gymnasts’ mat, or just back to your normal, pain-free daily activities. Contact us online or call the location are closest to you.
