ACL Tear Greater Labarque Creek, MO. ACL tears have an enormous 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 back to your job again. At Axes Physical Therapy in Labarque Creek, MO, we have dedicated 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 in concert with you as a team and develop tailored treatments plans that have been empirically proven to be effective. If you’ve suffered an ACL tear, or any other injury, in Labarque Creek, MO, contact us online or locate the most convenient Axes location for you. We dedicate ourselves to 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 Labarque Creek, MO league, or picking up your grandchildren without any pain.

What is the ACL? | Labarque Creek, MO Physical Therapy

Ligaments are bands found in joints made of durable, pliable fibrous tissue that attach two bones. The ligaments in the knee work to keep your knee stable by attaching 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 front and back movement of your knee, and the ACL impedes 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 capacity to bear weight and range of motion will be reduced. No Matter how severe your injury, trust in the Labarque Creek, MO licensed physical therapists of Axes to help you achieve a complete recovery.

Why an ACL Tear Happens | Labarque Creek, MO Physical Therapy

There are up to 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 entail frequent and fast cutting and changing directions, such as football, baseball, soccer, and basketball. According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, the vast majority of ACL tears happen in non-contact injuries, such as cutting quickly, and the rest are the result of direct blunt force trauma. External and internal factors could both contribute to an ACL tear:

External Factors

These are when your movement is obstructed just before the injury. Some examples are:

• Landing on uneven footing or landing awkwardly
• Colliding with something or someone
• Suddenly decelerating or switching direction
• Pivoting with a firmly planted foot
• Sustaining a direct blow 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
• Differences in genetics

ACL tears don’t just transpire in sports, falls and work-related injuries can damage 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 sustain an ACL tear, likely because of anatomical differences.

Symptoms of an ACL Tear | Labarque Creek, MO Physical Therapy

After an ACL tear, the pain will likely be in the middle of the knee. An ACL tear does not always cause significant pain except if other parts of the knee were also injured. Some signs that you might have suffered an ACL tear include:

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

If you think you’ve sustained an ACL tear, it’s critical to see a physician or a licensed physical therapist in Labarque Creek, MO to diagnose your injury and start the treatment you need to recover. We offer complimentary, no-obligation injury screenings and work with many trusted physicians in Labarque Creek, 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 | Labarque Creek, MO Physical Therapy

It is vital to get effective and personalized treatment soon after your ACL tear. If your injury does not heal don’t, it can lead to problems like obesity or osteoarthritis, which can significantly impact your quality of life.

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

Because blood does not flow to ligaments, 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 get back to the activities you love. Surgery is the only means available to completely heal an ACL tear. So, surgery is often necessary for younger people, athletes who need their knee reconstructed in order to perform, patients with other serious injury to their knee, or those whose ACL tear causes pain or weakness when carrying out 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 attached, you still have a long way to go before you’ll feel fully back to normal. After surgery, you’ll probably need crutches to move around, as your quadriceps muscles will have weakened. Axes Physical Therapy offers both pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation for ACL tears in Labarque Creek, MO to optimize your recovery and the success of your surgery. Our ACL tear physical therapy experts will work with you throughout your recovery process with a personalized treatment plan that has been proven to work. As part of your treatment plan, we will:

• Reduce pain and swelling
• Educate you on your injury and the rehab process
• Gradually and effectively get you back to bearing weight
• Fit you for a brace and teach you how to safely use it
• Do movement exercises and balance exercises to increase mobility
• Do strength exercises to increase strength
• Potentially utilize 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 Labarque Creek, MO area physical therapists of Axes. Before you know it, we will return you to tearing up the local pick-up league, or just enjoying being able to to sit down and stand up without your knee buckling.

How to Prevent an ACL Tear | Labarque Creek, MO Physical Therapy

Unfortunately, many people suffer a second ACL tear and they can result in life-long repercussions. As part of our ACL tear physical therapy services in Labarque Creek, 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 proper technique, for instance bending at the knees and hips when turning
• Stretch consistently
• Perform balance exercises
• Always warm up before sports or other physical activities
• Make sure you are using 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 ensure that you can continue doing them without being interrupted by another injury.

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

It is normal to be nervous about your prognosis and road to recovery 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 in concert with you to produce a proven, tailor-made 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.