ACL Tear Greater Matson, 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 back to your job again. At Axes Physical Therapy in Matson, MO, we have committed 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 tandem with you as a team and put in place personalized, evidence-based treatment plans. If you’ve suffered an ACL tear, or any other injury, in Matson, MO, contact us online or check out 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 Matson, MO league, or carrying your children on your shoulders without any pain.

What is the ACL? | Matson, MO Physical Therapy

Ligaments are bands found in joints made of tough, pliable fibrous tissue that affix 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, 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 control the front and back motion of your knee, and the ACL prevents the tibia from gliding too far forward on the femur and supplies 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 your motion will be affected. However significant your injury, trust in the Matson, MO licensed physical therapists of Axes to help you fully recover.

Why an ACL Tear Happens | Matson, MO Physical Therapy

There are as many as 250,000 ACL injuries nationwide each year, and it is one of the most common knee injuries and sports injuries. They are common in contact sports that call for frequent and rapid cutting and changing directions, such as football, baseball, soccer, and basketball. According to data from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, almost three-quarters of ACL tears occur in non-contact injuries, such as changing direction 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 coordination 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 changing direction
• Swiveling 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 knee and legs. Examples include:

• The anatomical differences between men and women
• How flexible the hamstring and other surrounding muscles are
• Genetic variations

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 sustain an ACL tear, likely due to anatomical differences.

Symptoms of an ACL Tear | Matson, MO Physical Therapy

Following an ACL tear, you’ll likely feel pain in the middle of the knee. You might not necessarily feel considerable pain after an ACL tear unless other constructive damage was done to the knee. Some indicators that you might have torn your ACL are:

• Feeling or hearing a pop in your knee
• Having to cease activity
• Your knee becoming inflamed quickly
• Reduction of range of motion
• Instability when putting weight on your knee

If you suspect you’ve sustained an ACL tear, it’s important to reach out to a doctor or a licensed physical therapist in Matson, MO to verify your injury and get you the treatment you need. We offer complimentary, no-obligation injury screenings and have a great network of excellent physicians in Matson, MO that we can refer you to. 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 | Matson, MO Physical Therapy

It is essential to get effective and personalized treatment soon after your ACL tear. If you wait, or your treatment is ineffective, it can result in problems such as obesity or osteoarthritis, which can significantly impact how you live your life.

Directly following your ACL tear, it’s best to use over-the-counter pain medication and the R.I.C.E. method to manage pain and inflammation. In an examination, a doctor will evaluate your mobility, and likely order an MRI or other tests to confirm the ACL tear and judge the severity of the injury.

Because blood does not flow to ligaments, a complete ACL tear will not be able to heal by itself. 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 a fully functioning ACL in order to perform, patients with other significant injury to other parts of their knee, or those whose ACL tear causes pain or weakness when carrying out 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 in place, 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 Matson, MO to optimize your recovery and the success of your surgery. Our ACL tear physical therapy experts will guide you through your recovery process with a personalized treatment plan that has been demonstrated to work. Our treatment methods will help to:

• Reduce pain and swelling
• Educate you on your injury and the rehab process
• Gradually and successfully 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 increase range of motion
• Perform strength exercises to return you to full strength
• Potentially use electrical stimulation to return strength and flexibility

When you work with the knowledgeable Matson, MO area physical therapists of Axes and take an active role in your rehabilitation, you have the greatest chance of a complete and quick recovery. Before you know it, we will return you to tearing up the local flag football league, or just enjoying being able to to climb stairs without any pain.

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

Unfortunately, many people suffer a second ACL tear and they can have life-long consequences. Included in your treatment program in Matson, 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:

• Strengthen your core
• Having strong hip and leg muscles
• Practice proper technique, for instance landing evenly on both feet
• Maintain flexibility
• Perform balance exercises
• Perform warm-up exercises before sports or other physical activities
• Always wear appropriate footwear

Our physical therapists committed themselves not only to retuning you to the things you love to do, but doing everything possible to make certain that you stay off the sidelines.

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

• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy
• Workers Comp' Physical Therapy
• Migraine Relief
• Sprain and Strain Treatment
• Geriatric Physical Therapy
• Injury Rehabilitation
• Pain Management Services
• TMJ Treatment
• Herniated Disc Treatment

ACL Tear in Matson, 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 might be impatient to return to your active lifestyle and physical activities you value. Trust in the knowledgeable professionals of Axes Physical Therapy to work with you to produce a proven, personalized rehabilitation plan to return you to the basketball court, bowling alley, or just back to your normal, pain-free daily activities. Contact us online or call the location are closest to you.