ACL Tear Greater Otto, MO. ACL tears can abruptly upset 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 Otto, 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 tandem with you as a team and design personalized, evidence-based treatment plans. If you’ve sustained an ACL tear, or any other injury, in Otto, MO, contact us online or check out the most convenient Axes location for you. Our mission is getting every patient positive results and getting you back to what’s most important to you, whether that means breaking defender’s ankles on a Otto, MO basketball court, or carrying your children on your shoulders without any pain.

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament | Otto, MO Physical Therapy

Ligaments are bands found in joints made of durable, flexible connective 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 gliding too far forward on the femur and supplies 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 ability to put weight on your knee and range of motion will be lowered. Regardless of how significant your injury, trust in the Otto, MO licensed physical therapists of Axes to help you fully heal.

Causes of an ACL Tear | Otto, MO Physical Therapy

There are up to 250,000 ACL injuries nationwide 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 at high risk for ACL tears. According to reporting 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 due to direct blunt force trauma. External and internal factors could both contribute to an ACL tear:

External Factors

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

• Landing on uneven ground or landing with improper form
• Being hit by something or someone
• Instantly decelerating or changing direction
• Spinning 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. Examples include:

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

While many ACL tears transpire 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 because of anatomical differences.

Symptoms of an ACL Tear | Otto, MO Physical Therapy

After an ACL tear, you’ll likely feel pain in the middle of the knee. You might not necessarily feel sever pain after an ACL tear unless other parts of the knee were also injured. Some indicators that you might have sustained an ACL tear include:

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

If you think you’ve sustained an ACL tear, it’s vital to see a doctor or a licensed physical therapist in Otto, MO to confirm your injury and get you the treatment you need. We offer free, no strings attached injury screenings and have a wide network of trusted doctors in Otto, 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 | Otto, MO Physical Therapy

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

In the minutes after your ACL tear, it’s best to use over-the-counter pain medication and the R.I.C.E. method to mitigate pain and inflammation. A doctor will then examine you, assess your range of motion, and likely order an MRI to verify the ACL tear and assess the completeness and grade of your tear.

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. 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 whose ACL tears were accompanied by other significant damage to their knee, or those whose ACL tear causes pain or weakness when performing basic, everyday activities. 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, you still have a long way to go before you’ll feel fully back to normal. After surgery, you may 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 Otto, MO to get you a positive outcome for both your recovery and your surgery. Our ACL tear physical therapy specialists will lead you through 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 successfully 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 return range of motion
• Perform strength exercises to increase strength
• Potentially use electrical stimulation to return strength and flexibility

When you work with the experienced Otto, MO area physical therapists of Axes and take an active role in your rehabilitation, you have the best chance of a complete and quick recovery. Before you know it, we will get you back to tearing up the local pickleball league, or just enjoying being able to to sit down and stand up without feeling any instability in your knee.

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

Unfortunately, many people sustain a second ACL tear and they can have life-long consequences. As part of our ACL tear physical therapy services in Otto, MO, our Certified Athletic Trainers will educate you on how to avoid another ACL tear in the future. 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 instance landing evenly on both feet
• Stretch consistently
• Perform balance exercises
• Perform warm-up exercises before sports or other physical activities
• Make sure you are using appropriate footwear

Our physical therapists dedicate themselves not only to getting you back to the activities you love, but doing what we can to make sure that you can carry on doing them without being upended by another injury.

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

It is normal to experience anxieties about your prognosis and road to recovery 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 create a proven, personalized physical therapy plan to get you back 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.