ACL Tear Greater Winfield, MO. ACL tears have a tremendous effect on your active and daily routine. One second you’re flying down the field, taking part in your favorite sport or playing with your children, and the next second you’re thinking about whether you’ll get to play or even go back to your job again. At Axes Physical Therapy in Winfield, 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 concert with you as a team and design personalized treatments plans that have been empirically proven to be effective. If you’ve suffered an ACL tear, or any other injury, in Winfield, MO, contact us online or locate the most convenient Axes location for you. Our priority is getting every patient positive results and getting you back to the things that matter most to you, whether that means running the bases in your local Winfield, MO league, or picking up your grandchildren without any pain.
What is the ACL? | Winfield, MO Physical Therapy
Ligaments are bands found in joints made of durable, flexible connective tissue that affix 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 together to control the front and back motion of your knee, and the ACL shields the tibia from sliding too far forward on the femur and provides stability when the joint 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 impacted. However serious your injury, trust in the Winfield, MO licensed physical therapists of Axes to help you accomplish a complete recovery.
Why an ACL Tear Happens | Winfield, MO Physical Therapy
There are up to 250,000 ACL injuries in the United States every year, and it is one of the most frequent knee injuries and sports injuries. They are common in contact sports that entail frequent and rapid cutting and switching directions, such as football, baseball, soccer, and basketball. According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, 70% of ACL tears occur 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 coordination is disrupted just before the injury. Some examples are:
- Landing on uneven ground or landing with improper form
- Colliding with something or someone
- Instantly decelerating or changing direction
- Spinning with a firmly planted foot
- Sustaining a direct hit to the knee
Internal Factors
These have to do with the structure and anatomy of the knee and legs. Examples include:
- The differences in anatomy between men and women
- Flexibility of the hamstring
- Differences in genetics
While many ACL tears occur in sports, they are also common in falls and work-related injuries. 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 owing to anatomical differences.
Symptoms of an ACL Tear | Winfield, 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 parts of the knee were also injured. Some signals that you might have suffered an ACL tear include:
- Feeling or hearing a pop in your knee
- Not being able to continue activity
- Rapid swelling
- Reduction of range of motion
- Instability when bearing weight
If you suspect you’ve sustained an ACL tear, it’s crucial to visit a physician or a licensed physical therapist in Winfield, MO to verify your injury and get you the treatment you need. We offer free, no-obligation injury screenings and work with many trusted doctors in Winfield, 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.
ACL Tear Treatments | Winfield, MO Physical Therapy
It is important to get effective and personalized treatment soon after your ACL tear. If you wait, or your treatment is ineffective, it can cause problems like obesity or osteoarthritis, which can significantly impact you for the remainder of 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 alleviate pain and swelling. A doctor will then examine you, assess your mobility, and likely order an MRI to verify the ACL tear and gauge the completeness and grade of your tear.
As there is no blood flow to the ligament, a complete ACL tear cannot heal by itself. 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 advisable for younger people, athletes who need their knee reconstructed in order to perform, patients whose ACL tears were accompanied by other significant damage to other parts of their knee, or those whose ACL tear causes pain or weakness when carrying out 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, your journey back to normalcy and the activities you love is still a long way from over. After surgery, you’ll probably 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 Winfield, MO to get you the best results for both your recovery and your surgery. Our ACL tear physical therapy professionals will work with you throughout your recovery process with a personalized treatment plan that has been demonstrated to work. As part of your treatment plan, we will:
- Alleviate 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
- Do strength exercises to return you to full strength
- Possibly 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 Winfield, MO area physical therapists of Axes. Before you know it, we will get you back to tearing up the local flag football league, or just enjoying the ability to sit down and stand up without any pain.
How to Prevent an ACL Tear | Winfield, MO Physical Therapy
Unfortunately, second ACL tears are common and they can result in permanent repercussions. Included in your treatment program in Winfield, 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:
- Having a strong core
- Having strong hip and leg muscles
- Practice correct technique, for example 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 what we can to make sure that you stay off the sidelines.
Some of the other services we offer in Winfield, 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 Winfield, MO | Axes Physical Therapy
It is normal to be apprehensive about your your future after being seriously injured. 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 knowledgeable professionals of Axes Physical Therapy to work with you to produce a proven, tailor-made rehabilitation plan to get you back 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.
