ACL Tear Greater Preston Woods, MO. ACL tears can suddenly upend your active routine and daily life. One second you’re flying down the court, taking part in your favorite sport or playing with your children, and the next instant you’re thinking about whether you’ll get to play or even go back to your job again. At Axes Physical Therapy in Preston Woods, 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 create customize treatments plans that have been empirically proven to be effective. If you’ve sustained an ACL tear, or any other injury, in Preston Woods, 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 what’s most important to you, whether that means breaking defender’s ankles on a Preston Woods, MO basketball court, or picking up your grandchildren without any pain.

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament | Preston Woods, MO Physical Therapy

Ligaments are bands found in joints made of durable, pliable connective tissue that connect two bones. The ligaments in the knee work to 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 control the front and back movement of your knee, and the ACL prevents the tibia from sliding too far forward on the femur and provides stability when the joint rotates.

ACL tears can be either partial or complete. Depending on the grade of your ACL tear, your ability to put weight on your knee and range of motion will be reduced. However significant your injury, trust in the Preston Woods, MO licensed physical therapists of Axes to help you fully recover.

Causes of an ACL Tear | Preston Woods, MO Physical Therapy

There are up to 250,000 ACL injuries nationwide every year, and it is one of the most frequent 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 the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, 70% of ACL tears happen in non-contact injuries, such as cutting quickly, and the rest are because of direct blows to the knee. External and internal factors could both contribute to an ACL tear:

External Factors

These are when your coordination is disrupted immediately before the injury. Some examples are:

• Landing on uneven ground or landing awkwardly
• Colliding with something or someone
• A sudden reduction in speed or changing direction
• Pivoting with a firmly planted foot
• Suffering a direct hit to the knee

Internal Factors

These are related to the structure and anatomy of the body. Some examples are:

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

ACL tears don’t just happen in sports, falls and work-related injuries can damage they ACL as well. The elderly are also at high risk, as our bodies degenerate as we age. Women are 4-6 times more likely to suffer an ACL tear, likely as a result of anatomical differences.

Symptoms of an ACL Tear | Preston Woods, 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 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
• 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 think you’ve sustained an ACL tear, it’s important to contact a physician or a licensed physical therapist in Preston Woods, MO to diagnose your injury and get you the treatment you need. We offer free, no strings attached injury screenings and know many trusted physicians in Preston Woods, MO that we can connect you with. 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.

How to Treat an ACL Tear | Preston Woods, 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 complications like obesity or osteoarthritis, which can significantly impact how you live your 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, evaluate your range of motion, and likely order an MRI or other tests to verify the ACL tear and assess the completeness and grade of your tear.

As there is no blood flow to the ligament, 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 necessary for younger people, athletes who need their knee reconstructed 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 performing 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 in place, you still have a long way to go before you’ll feel fully back to normal. After surgery, you’ll likely 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 Preston Woods, MO to optimize your recovery and the success of your operation. Our ACL tear physical therapy experts will lead you through 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 allow you to put weight on your knee again
• Provide you with a brace and teach you how to safely use it
• Do movement exercises and balance exercises to increase range of motion
• Do strength exercises to increase strength
• Possibly implement electrical stimulation to return strength and flexibility

You have the best chance for a full recovery by actively participating in it and trusting the expert Preston Woods, MO area physical therapists of Axes. Before you know it, we will get you back to tearing up the local softball league, or just enjoying the ability to climb stairs without feeling any instability in your knee.

How to Prevent an ACL Tear | Preston Woods, MO Physical Therapy

Unfortunately, many people suffer a second ACL tear and they can lead to life-long consequences. As part of our ACL tear physical therapy services in Preston Woods, MO, our Certified Athletic Trainers will educate you on how to avoid another ACL tear later on. Some of the preventive methods you can take in order to prevent further injury are:

• Strengthen your core
• Strengthen your hip and leg muscles
• Practice proper technique, for instance bending at the knees and hips when turning
• Stretch consistently
• Increase your balance
• Perform warm-up exercises before sports or other physical activities
• Make sure you are using appropriate footwear

Our physical therapists committed themselves not only to getting you back to the things you love to do, but doing everything possible to make sure that you can continue doing them without being interrupted by another injury.

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

• Back Pain Treatment
• 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

ACL Tear in Preston Woods, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

It is normal to be anxious about your what your life will look like in the future 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 experienced professionals of Axes Physical Therapy to work alongside you to create a proven, tailor-made 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.