ACL Tear Greater Valles Mines, MO. ACL tears have a tremendous effect on your active routine and daily life. One moment you’re sprinting down the field, playing your favorite sport or playing with your kids, and the next moment you’re wondering if you’ll get to play or even go back to your job again. At Axes Physical Therapy in Valles Mines, 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 with you as a team and design customize treatments plans that have been empirically proven to be effective. If you’ve sustained an ACL tear, or any other injury, in Valles Mines, MO, contact us online or locate the most convenient Axes location for you. Our priority is getting every patient a positive outcome and getting you back to the things that matter most to you, whether that means breaking defender’s ankles on a Valles Mines, MO basketball court, or picking up your grandchildren without any pain.

What is the ACL? | Valles Mines, MO Physical Therapy

Ligaments are bands found in joints made of durable, flexible connective tissue that attach two bones. The ligaments in the knee work to 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 together to control the forward and backward motion of your knee, and the ACL prevents 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 put weight on your knee and range of motion will be lowered. However severe your injury, trust in the Valles Mines, MO licensed physical therapists of Axes to help you attain a complete recovery.

Why an ACL Tear Happens | Valles Mines, MO Physical Therapy

There are up to 250,000 ACL injuries in the United States annually, 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 the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, 70% of ACL tears occur in non-contact injuries, such as cutting quickly, and the rest are caused by direct blunt force trauma. External and internal factors could both contribute to an ACL tear:

External Factors

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

• Landing on uneven ground or landing with improper form
• Colliding with something or someone
• Instantly decelerating or switching direction
• Swiveling with a firmly planted foot
• Suffering a direct hit to the knee

Internal Factors

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

• The anatomical differences between men and women
• Flexibility of the hamstring
• Differences in genetics

ACL tears don’t just transpire in sports, falls and work-related injuries can hurt they ACL too. 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 | Valles Mines, MO Physical Therapy

After an ACL tear, the pain will likely be in the middle of the knee. You might not necessarily feel significant pain after an ACL tear except if other parts of the knee were also injured. Some indicators that you might have suffered an ACL tear include:

• Feeling or hearing a pop in your knee
• Inability to continue activity
• Your knee becoming inflamed quickly
• Reduction of range of motion
• Instability when bearing weight

If you think you’ve suffered an ACL tear, it’s crucial to contact a physician or a licensed physical therapist in Valles Mines, MO to verify your injury and get you the treatment you need. We offer no-cost, no-obligation injury screenings and have a wide network of trusted physicians in Valles Mines, MO that we can connect you with. 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.

ACL Tear Treatments | Valles Mines, MO Physical Therapy

It is important to get effective and personalized treatment soon after your ACL tear. If you don’t, it can lead to health conditions like obesity or osteoarthritis, which can significantly impact your quality of life.

Directly following your ACL tear, you should use over-the-counter pain medication and the R.I.C.E. method to manage pain and inflammation. In an examination, a doctor will evaluate your range of motion, and likely order an MRI or other tests to verify the ACL tear and judge the extent of the injury.

As there is no blood flow to the ligament, a complete ACL tear will not be able to regenerate on its own. That is why the aid of a licensed professional physical therapist is necessary to get back to the activities you love. Surgery is the only means available to completely heal an ACL tear. So, surgery is often the best option for younger people, athletes who need their knee reconstructed in order to play, patients with other serious injury to other parts of their knee, or those whose ACL tear causes pain or weakness when performing basic, everyday activities. In an ACL surgery, a surgeon will remove the torn 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, 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 Valles Mines, MO to optimize your recovery and the success of your operation. Our ACL tear physical therapy specialists will be by your side throughout 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 allow you to put weight on your knee again
• Provide you with a brace and teach you how to safely use it
• Perform movement exercises and balance exercises to return mobility
• Do strength exercises to return you to full strength
• Potentially utilize electrical stimulation as a supplement to the exercises

You have the best chance for a full recovery by actively participating in it and trusting the licensed Valles Mines, MO area physical therapists of Axes. Before you know it, we will return you to tearing up the local pick-up league, or just enjoying being able to to sit down and stand up without any pain.

How to Prevent an ACL Tear | Valles Mines, MO Physical Therapy

Unfortunately, many people suffer a second ACL tear and they can have life-long repercussions. Included in your treatment program in Valles Mines, MO, our Certified Athletic Trainers will help you understand the best practices that help to avoid another ACL tear down the line. We recommend some of the following steps to prevent further injury:

• Having a strong core
• Strengthen your hip and leg muscles
• Practice proper technique, for example always landing with your feet directly over your knee
• Maintain flexibility
• Increase your balance
• Always warm up 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 everything possible to ensure that you can continue doing them without being upended by another injury.

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

It is normal to be anxious about your prognosis and road to recovery after suffering a severe injury. 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 produce a proven, customized rehabilitation plan to return you to the football field, gymnasts’ mat, or just back to your normal, pain-free life. Contact us online or call the location are closest to you.