ACL Tear Greater Saint Paul, MO. ACL tears have a tremendous effect on your active routine and daily life. One second you’re sprinting down the field, competing in your favorite sport or having fun with your kids, and the next second you’re thinking about whether you’ll get to play or even go to work again. At Axes Physical Therapy in Saint Paul, MO, we have dedicated 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 develop tailored treatments plans that have been empirically proven to be effective. If you’ve suffered an ACL tear, or any other injury, in Saint Paul, MO, contact us online or find the most convenient Axes location for you. Our mission is getting every patient a positive outcome and getting you back to the things that matter most to you, whether that means burning corners in your local Saint Paul, MO flag football league, or carrying your children on your shoulders without any pain.
The Anterior Cruciate Ligament | Saint Paul, MO Physical Therapy
Ligaments are bands found in joints made of durable, pliable fibrous tissue that connect 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 together to control the front and back motion of your knee, and the ACL stops the tibia from slipping 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 your movement will be affected. Regardless of how significant your injury, trust in the Saint Paul, MO licensed physical therapists of Axes to help you fully heal.
Causes of an ACL Tear | Saint Paul, 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 the most likely to get ACL tears. According to 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 sustain an ACL tear:
External Factors
These are when your motion is obstructed immediately before the injury. Some examples are:
- Landing on uneven ground or landing with improper form
- Something or someone knocking into you
- Instantly decelerating or changing direction
- Pivoting with a firmly planted foot
- Suffering a direct blow to the knee
Internal Factors
These concern the structure and anatomy of the knee and legs. Some examples are:
- The differences in anatomy between men and women
- Flexibility of the hamstring
- Genetic differences
ACL tears don’t just transpire 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 sustain an ACL tear, likely because of anatomical differences.
Symptoms of an ACL Tear | Saint Paul, MO Physical Therapy
Following an ACL tear, the pain will likely be in the middle of the knee. An ACL tear does not always cause considerable pain except if other constructive damage was done to the knee. Some signs that you might have suffered an ACL tear are:
- Feeling or hearing a pop in your knee
- Having to stop activity
- Your knee becoming inflamed quickly
- Loss of range of motion
- Instability when bearing weight
If you suspect you’ve suffered an ACL tear, it’s necessary to see a doctor or a licensed physical therapist in Saint Paul, MO to confirm your injury and get you the treatment you need. We offer free, no strings attached injury screenings and have a great network of excellent physicians in Saint Paul, MO that we can refer you to. Your Axes physical or occupational therapist is an integral 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 | Saint Paul, MO Physical Therapy
It is vital to get prompt, effective, personalized treatment for your ACL tear. If your injury does not heal properly, it can result in health conditions such as obesity or osteoarthritis, which can greatly affect 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 swelling. In an examination, a doctor will evaluate your mobility, and likely order an MRI to verify the ACL tear and evaluate the extent of the injury.
As there is no blood flow to the ligament, a complete ACL tear cannot regenerate by itself. This means that you will need the help of licensed professional physical therapists in order to return to the activities you love. The only way to fully repair an ACL tear is through surgery. So, surgery is often advisable for younger people, athletes who need a fully healthy ACL in order to perform, patients with other serious damage to their knee, or those whose ACL tear causes pain or weakness when performing basic, everyday tasks. In an ACL surgery, a surgeon will remove the injured 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 in place, your journey back to normalcy and the activities you love is still a long way from over. After surgery, you may be given crutches so you can get around for the next few weeks, as your quadriceps muscles will have weakened. Axes Physical Therapy offers both pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation for ACL tears in Saint Paul, MO to get you a positive outcome for both your recovery and your surgery. Our ACL tear physical therapy experts will lead you through your recovery process with a personalized treatment plan that has been demonstrated to work. 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 range of motion
- 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 professional Saint Paul, 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 any pain.
How to Prevent an ACL Tear | Saint Paul, MO Physical Therapy
Unfortunately, many people suffer a second ACL tear and they can result in life-long repercussions. Included in your treatment program in Saint Paul, 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
- Strengthen your hip and leg muscles
- Practice proper technique, for instance always landing with your feet directly over your knee
- Maintain flexibility
- Perform balance exercises
- Always warm up before sports or other physical activities
- Always wear appropriate footwear
Our physical therapists dedicate themselves not only to retuning you to the things you love to do, but doing everything possible to ensure that you stay off the sidelines.
Some of the other services we offer in Saint Paul, MO are:
- Dry Needling
- Pain Management
- Rotator Cuff Tear
- Arthritis Treatment
- Sports Injury
- Knee Injuries
- Work Injury Rehabilitation
- Physical Therapist Near Me
ACL Tear in Saint Paul, 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 probably want to get back to your normal, active lifestyle as quickly as possible. Trust in the experienced professionals of Axes Physical Therapy to work alongside you to create a proven, personalized physical therapy plan to return you to the basketball court, gymnasts’ mat, or just back to your normal, pain-free life. Contact us online or call the location are closest to you.
