ACL Tear Greater Twin Oaks, MO. ACL tears have a tremendous effect on your active and daily routine. 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 Twin Oaks, 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 with you as a team and develop tailored, empirically-backed treatment plans. If you’ve sustained an ACL tear, or any other injury, in Twin Oaks, MO, contact us online or check out the most convenient Axes location for you. Our priority is getting every patient great results and getting you back to what’s most important to you, whether that means dominating your local Twin Oaks, MO pickleball league, or carrying your children on your shoulders without any pain.
What is the ACL? | Twin Oaks, MO Physical Therapy
Ligaments are bands found in joints made of durable, flexible connective tissue that attach two bones. The ligaments in the knee help keep your knee stable by connecting your tibia (shinbone) to your femur (thigh bone). The ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, runs down the center of your knee and forms an “X” with the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). The ACL and PCL work in concert to stabilize the forward and backward motion of your knee, and the ACL shields the tibia from moving too far forward on the femur and provides stability when the knee 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 bear weight and your motion will be affected. No Matter how severe your injury, trust in the Twin Oaks, MO licensed physical therapists of Axes to help you fully recover.
Causes of an ACL Tear | Twin Oaks, MO Physical Therapy
There are up to 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 switching directions, such as football, baseball, soccer, and basketball. According to data from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, the vast majority of ACL tears occur in non-contact injuries, such as changing direction quickly, and the rest are due to direct blows to the knee. External and internal factors could both contribute to an ACL tear:
External Factors
These are when your motion is obstructed immediately before the injury. Some examples are:
- Landing on uneven footing or landing with improper form
- Colliding with something or someone
- A sudden reduction in speed or changing direction
- Spinning with a firmly planted foot
- Suffering a direct blow to the knee
Internal Factors
These are related to the structure and anatomy of the body. Examples include:
- The differences in anatomy 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 because of anatomical differences.
Symptoms of an ACL Tear | Twin Oaks, MO Physical Therapy
After an ACL tear, you’ll likely feel pain at the center of the knee. You might not necessarily feel considerable pain after an ACL tear except if other parts of the knee were also injured. Some indicators that you may have torn your ACL are:
- Feeling or hearing a pop in your knee
- Not being able to continue activity
- Your knee becoming inflamed quickly
- Reduction 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 see a doctor or a licensed physical therapist in Twin Oaks, MO to diagnose your injury and get you the treatment you need. We offer no-cost, no-obligation injury screenings and have a great network of excellent doctors in Twin Oaks, 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.
ACL Tear Treatments | Twin Oaks, MO Physical Therapy
It is vital to get prompt, effective, personalized treatment for your ACL tear. If you don’t, it can cause problems like obesity or osteoarthritis, which can greatly affect your quality of life.
Directly following your ACL tear, it’s best to use over-the-counter pain medication and the R.I.C.E. method to reduce pain and swelling. In an examination, a doctor will assess your mobility, and likely order an MRI to verify the ACL tear and assess the completeness and grade of your tear.
Because blood does not flow to ligaments, a complete ACL tear will not be able to 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. Surgery is the only means available to completely heal an ACL tear. So, surgery is often advisable for younger people, athletes who need their knee reconstructed in order to play, patients whose ACL tears were accompanied by other serious injury to their knee, or those whose ACL tear causes their knee to buckle in 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’ll likely 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 Twin Oaks, MO to optimize your recovery and the success of your operation. Our ACL tear physical therapy professionals will guide you through your recovery process with proven, customized physical therapy. Our treatment methods will help to:
- Reduce pain and swelling
- Educate you on your injury and the rehab process
- Gradually and effectively 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 mobility
- Do strength exercises to increase strength
- Potentially implement electrical stimulation to return strength and flexibility
When you work with the experienced Twin Oaks, MO area physical therapists of Axes and take an active role in your recovery, 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 the ability to climb stairs without any pain.
How to Prevent an ACL Tear | Twin Oaks, MO Physical Therapy
Unfortunately, second ACL tears are common and they can cause life-long repercussions. As part of our ACL tear physical therapy services in Twin Oaks, 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:
- Having a strong core
- Having strong hip and leg muscles
- Practice correct technique, for instance keeping knees shoulder width apart while landing
- Stretch consistently
- 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 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 Twin Oaks, MO are:
- 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
- Hip Replacement Physical Therapy
ACL Tear in Twin Oaks, MO | Axes Physical Therapy
It is normal to experience anxieties about your your 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 in concert with you to implement a proven, personalized physical therapy plan to get you back to the basketball court, gymnasts’ mat, or just back to your normal, pain-free daily activities. Contact us online or call the location are closest to you.
