ACL Tear Greater Marlborough, MO. ACL tears have an enormous 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 back to your job again. At Axes Physical Therapy in Marlborough, 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 with you as a team and develop personalized, evidence-based treatment plans. If you’ve sustained an ACL tear, or any other injury, in Marlborough, MO, contact us online or find the most convenient Axes location for you. We focus on getting every patient a positive outcome and getting you back to what’s most important to you, whether that means breaking defender’s ankles on a Marlborough, MO basketball court, or picking up your grandchildren without any pain.

What is the ACL? | Marlborough, MO Physical Therapy

Ligaments are bands found in joints made of tough, flexible connective tissue that attach two bones. The ligaments in the knee help maintain stability in your knee by connecting 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 movement of your knee, and the ACL safeguards the tibia from slipping too far forward on the femur and provides stability when the joint rotates.

Most ACL tears are partial, but they can be completely torn as well. Depending on the grade of your ACL tear, your capacity to bear weight and range of motion will be lowered. No Matter how significant your injury, trust in the Marlborough, MO licensed physical therapists of Axes to help you fully recover.

Why an ACL Tear Happens | Marlborough, MO Physical Therapy

There are up to 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, 70% of ACL tears occur in non-contact injuries, such as changing direction rapidly, and the rest are the result of 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 interrupted just before the injury. Some examples are:

• Landing on uneven footing or landing awkwardly
• Something or someone knocking into you
• Instantly decelerating or switching direction
• Pivoting with a firmly planted foot
• Receiving a direct blow to the knee

Internal Factors

These concern the structure and anatomy of the body. Examples include:

• The differences in anatomy between men and women
• Flexibility of the hamstring
• Genetic variations

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

Symptoms of an ACL Tear | Marlborough, MO Physical Therapy

Following an ACL tear, the pain will likely be at the center of the knee. You might not necessarily feel considerable pain after an ACL tear unless other constructive damage was done to the knee. Some signs that you may have torn your ACL are:

• A “popping” sensation in your knee
• Not being able to continue activity
• Rapid swelling
• Loss of range of motion
• Instability when bearing weight

If you suspect you’ve suffered an ACL tear, it’s crucial to reach out to a doctor or a licensed physical therapist in Marlborough, MO to diagnose your injury and come up with the treatment plan you need to recover. We offer no-cost, no strings attached injury screenings and have a great network of trusted doctors in Marlborough, MO that we can refer you to. Your Axes physical or occupational therapist, your doctor and medical providers, and you will join forces and work together to ensure your recovery is safe and efficient.

ACL Tear Treatments | Marlborough, MO Physical Therapy

It is vital to get prompt, effective, personalized treatment for your ACL tear. If you don’t, it can cause complications like obesity or osteoarthritis, which can greatly affect your quality of life.

In the minutes after your ACL tear, you should use over-the-counter pain medication and the R.I.C.E. method to mitigate pain and inflammation. A doctor will then examine you, evaluate your mobility, and likely order an MRI or other tests to confirm the ACL tear and assess the completeness and grade of your tear.

Because blood does not flow to ligaments, a complete ACL tear will not be able to heal on its own. This means that you will need the help of licensed professional physical therapists in order to get back 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 play, patients whose ACL tears were accompanied by other serious injury to their knee, or those whose ACL tear causes their knee to buckle in basic, everyday activities. 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’ll likely 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 Marlborough, MO to get you the best results for both your recovery and your operation. 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 effectively get you back to bearing weight
• Fit you for a brace and teach you how to safely use it
• Perform movement exercises and balance exercises to return mobility
• Do strength exercises to increase strength
• Possibly use electrical stimulation to return strength and flexibility

You have the best chance for a full recovery by actively participating in it and trusting the professional Marlborough, MO area physical therapists of Axes. Before you know it, we will get you back to tearing up the local pickleball league, or just enjoying the ability to sit down and stand up without any pain.

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

Unfortunately, second ACL tears are common and they can cause life-long consequences. Included in your treatment program in Marlborough, 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 correct form, for example landing evenly on both feet
• Stretch consistently
• Increase your balance
• Always warm up before sports or other physical activities
• Make sure you are using appropriate footwear

Our physical therapists devote themselves not only to retuning you to the things you love to do, but doing what we can to make certain that you can continue doing them without being upended by another injury.

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

It is normal to be nervous about your what your life will look like in the 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 experienced professionals of Axes Physical Therapy to work with you to design a proven, tailor-made physical therapy plan to get you back to the basketball court, gymnasts’ mat, or just back to your normal, pain-free daily activities. Contact us online or call the location are closest to you.