ACL Tear Greater Robertsville, MO. ACL tears can suddenly upend 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 to work again. At Axes Physical Therapy in Robertsville, MO, we have devoted our practice to restoring our patients’ mobility and returning them to the activities they love. Our ACL tear rehabilitation specialists work in concert with you as a team and create tailored, empirically-backed treatment plans. If you’ve suffered an ACL tear, or any other injury, in Robertsville, 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 burning corners in your local Robertsville, MO flag football league, or picking up your grandchildren without any pain.

What is the ACL? | Robertsville, MO Physical Therapy

Ligaments are bands found in joints made of tough, pliable connective tissue that connect two bones. The ligaments in the knee work to maintain stability in your knee 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 together to stabilize the forward and backward motion of your knee, and the ACL shields the tibia from sliding too far forward on the femur and provides stability when the knee 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 impacted. However significant your injury, trust in the Robertsville, MO licensed physical therapists of Axes to help you achieve a complete recovery.

Why an ACL Tear Happens | Robertsville, MO Physical Therapy

There are as many as 250,000 ACL injuries nationwide each year, and it is one of the most frequent knee injuries and sports injuries. They are common in contact sports that require frequent and rapid cutting and changing directions, such as football, baseball, soccer, and basketball. According to reporting from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, 70% of ACL tears happen in non-contact injuries, such as changing direction rapidly, 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 motion is disrupted just before the injury. Some examples are:

• Landing on uneven ground or landing with improper form
• Colliding with something or someone
• A sudden reduction in speed or switching direction
• Spinning with a firmly planted foot
• Receiving a direct blow to the knee

Internal Factors

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

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

ACL tears don’t just happen in sports, falls and work-related injuries can hurt 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 suffer an ACL tear, likely owing to anatomical differences.

Symptoms of an ACL Tear | Robertsville, MO Physical Therapy

After an ACL tear, you’ll likely feel pain at the center of the knee. You might not necessarily feel sever pain after an ACL tear except if other parts of the knee were also injured. Some indicators that you might have torn your ACL include:

• 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 think you’ve suffered an ACL tear, it’s crucial to see a physician or a licensed physical therapist in Robertsville, MO to verify your injury and get you the treatment you need. We offer free, no-obligation injury screenings and have a wide network of excellent doctors in Robertsville, 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.

How to Treat an ACL Tear | Robertsville, MO Physical Therapy

It is important to get effective and personalized treatment soon after your ACL tear. If you don’t, it can result in problems 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 manage pain and swelling. In an examination, a doctor will evaluate your mobility, and likely order an MRI or other tests to confirm the ACL tear and assess the severity of the injury.

Because blood does not flow to ligaments, a complete ACL tear cannot heal 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 their knee reconstructed in order to perform, patients whose ACL tears were accompanied by other serious damage to other parts of their knee, or those whose ACL tear causes pain or weakness when performing basic, everyday tasks. ACL surgery is generally 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 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 Robertsville, MO to get you the best results for both your physical rehabilitation and your surgery. Our ACL tear physical therapy professionals will be by your side throughout your recovery process with proven, customized physical therapy. Our treatment methods will help to:

• Mitigate pain and swelling
• Educate you on your injury and the rehab process
• Gradually and successfully allow you to put weight on your knee again
• Fit you for a brace and teach you how to safely use it
• Perform movement exercises and balance exercises to increase mobility
• Perform strength exercises to return you to full strength
• Potentially 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 expert Robertsville, MO area physical therapists of Axes. Before you know it, we will get you back to tearing up the local pick-up league, or just enjoying the ability to climb stairs without feeling any instability in your knee.

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

Unfortunately, many people suffer a second ACL tear and they can result in permanent repercussions. As part of our ACL tear physical therapy services in Robertsville, MO, our Certified Athletic Trainers will help you understand the best practices that help to avoid another ACL tear later on. We recommend some of the following steps to prevent further injury:

• Strengthen your core
• Having strong hip and leg muscles
• Practice correct technique, for example bending at the knees and hips when turning
• Maintain flexibility
• Increase your balance
• Always warm up 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 activities you love, but doing what we can to ensure that you stay off the sidelines.

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

It is normal to experience anxieties 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 experienced professionals of Axes Physical Therapy to work with you to create a proven, personalized physical therapy plan to return you to the football field, bowling alley, or just back to your normal, pain-free daily activities. Contact us online or call the location are closest to you.