Knee injuries Affton, MO. The knee is a versatile joint that allows our bodies to execute a vast range of functional activities such as sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, jumping and more. Experiencing a knee injury makes walking and many other daily tasks painful or even impossible. If you’ve recently experienced a knee injury or are affected by chronic knee pain, it is important to find top-notch physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Affton, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we offer safe and effective care to hundreds of Affton, MO residents. Contact us today to find out more or schedule your first appointment.

Axes Physical Therapy provides bespoke, evidence-based evaluation and treatment for people with knee injuries in Affton, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in customized treatment plans created specifically for your condition, needs and movement goals. As a network of physical therapy facilities locally owned and operated by Affton, MO physical therapists, Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to serving the specific needs of each Affton, MO patient we see.

The Human Knee

The knee is one of the biggest and most complex joints in the body. It attaches the tibia (shin bone) to the femur (thigh bone). The fibula (the small bone that runs on the side of the tibia) and patella (kneecap) are the other bones that make up the knee joint. Surrounding the knee are leg muscles, which help move the knee, and tendons and ligaments that connect the knee bones to the leg muscles or ligaments which help stabilize the knee. These ligaments include the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), which provide stability to the front and back of the knee, and the medial and lateral collateral ligaments (MCL and LCL), which stabilize sideways movement. The medial and lateral menisci behave like shock absorbers between the tibia and femur.

Due to the intricacy of the joint and the strain placed on the knee, with structures that can be torn, fractured, sprained, or dislocated, knee injuries are one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries that are suffered. If you’ve experienced a knee injury or are living with chronic knee pain, you need the attention and careful treatment of Affton, MO area physical therapists. Our team of professional therapists who specialize in treating knee injuries will guide you in your rehabilitation and help you regain complete mobility of your injured knee.

Types of Knee Injuries and Common Causes

Knee sprains can be painful knee injuries that happen when ligaments in the knee are torn or overstretched. Knee sprains are painful, and if left unattended or cared for improperly can cause continued issues, including arthritis. Knee sprains are typically the result of acute twisting injuries, or injuries caused by external forces that stretch or tear a ligament. It is usually a sports related injury that comes from force, such as a knock to the front or outside of the knee. Additionally, non contact knee sprains are very common and are caused by weakness, muscle fatigue or poor mechanics. Symptoms include:

• Swelling
• Weakness or tenderness
• Pain and stiffness
• Popping
• Muscle Spasms

Torn cartilage can often occur in tandem with sprains, and happen when damage to the knee tears the menisci. It’s most frequently caused by forcefully twisting or rotating your knee and is often sustained in contact sports such as football, as well as sports like soccer or baseball with repeated jumping and rotating/pivoting. In older adults, a cartilage tear in the knee can take place with little or no external force as the knee cartilage loses flexibility and pliability with age. Symptoms include:

• Dull pain when working out or exercising
• Buckling or locking of the knee joint
• Crunching or popping noises when walking
• Difficulty bearing weight
• Inability to bend or extend the knee

Patellar Tendonitis, also known as “jumper’s knee,” is a result of inflammation of the tendons in the knee, specifically the quadriceps tendon. Anterior knee pain is almost always the main symptom of this kind of knee injury, and at first it might only occur when training or exercising. It often stems from overuse. Over time, the pain increases and starts to make exercising or playing sports more difficult. If untreated, eventually you could find it difficult to climb stairs or even get up from from a chair. For that reason, it’s important to seek out physical therapy for knee injuries.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is a knee injury marked by pain that is generally felt in the front of the knee and worsens as time goes on. The pain is caused by tracking and alignment problems between the patella and femur and is typically experienced climbing stairs or getting up from a chair. The specific cause is still unknown; however, most doctors and physical and occupational therapists think these knee injuries occur when the knee is overused, or there is weakness of the quadriceps muscle and inflexibility of other hip and knee musculature.

Fractures are an especially painful of of knee injuries and necesitate urgent medical care. More complicated fractures can necesitate surgery to repair the knee and allow it to function normally again. There are three common knee injuries related to fractures:

• Patellar: a fracture of the kneecap that typically occurs when you fall precisely on your knee, hit the dashboard in a car accident or experience another kind of extreme external force to the knee. Symptoms include:
  • Pain, swelling, and bruising
  • Inability to extend the knee or keep it keep it
  • Inability to walk
• Distal Femur: occurs where the thigh bone and knee connect. The bone can shatter or might break straight across. Because distal femoral knee injuries can injure the cartilage in the knee, they can sometimes be harder to treat. They typically occur in the elderly as their bones weaken, or to people in high energy impact collisions. Symptoms include:
  • Pain when placing weight on the knee
  • Swelling, bruising, and aching
  • The leg may look shorter and contorted
• Proximal Tibia: often harm the soft tissue of the knee as well. The top of the tibia, where it meets the knee, is softer than the rest of the bone. These knee injuries frequently occur when the femur is forced by trauma into the soft bone at the top of the tibia. Proximal tibia knee injuries are sometimes minor breaks that occur from too much activity, but most are the result of trauma from falling, sports injuries or auto crashes. Symptoms include:
  • Swelling surrounding the knee
  • Visually obvious deformity or misalignment
  • Lack of feeling or warmth in the foot, as the flow of blood to the foot could be restricted

Dislocation of the knee or kneecap can either take place when the femur and tibia are forced out of alignment, or when the patella is forced out of place. These are typically caused by high impact trauma from sports, car accidents or falls. People with a somewhat abnormal structure of the knee are at a heightened risk of patellar dislocation knee injuries. While a Affton, MO doctor will be able to correct the dislocation, treatment by a physical therapist will be an important part of the rehabilitation process to reduce swelling, slowly increase movement and increase strength in the hip and leg musculature.

ACL, PCL, MCL, and LCL Injuries can be both tears or sprains. ACL injuries can often occur in high-energy sports where players are landing after jumping or changing direction rapidly. The PCL can often be torn when there is trauma to the front of the knee as it is bent. Symptoms of these knee injuries include inflammation and lack of stability. While ACL tears are frequently accompanied by damage to other parts of the knee, ACL tears alone are often not painful. MCL and LCL tears occur when there is a blow that pushes the knee sideways.

Diagnoses and Tests

It is important to receive appropriate immediate and long-term care after experiencing a knee injury. The care you receive can account for either quick and effective recovery or a lifetime of chronic, debilitating pain. In regards to knee injuries that cause obvious and major trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be required and a Affton, MO ER doctor will work to stabilize the knee as quickly as possible. Other means of diagnosis for knee injuries are:

• A physical examination. A Affton, MO medical professional can evaluate the appearance and movement of your knee while checking for swelling or tenderness. Our physical therapists are experts in human motion and provide free, no obligation injury evaluations for your knee injuries and other injuries.
• X-Rays can reveal broken bones and degenerative joint disease.
• CT scans combine X-rays from varying angles to produce cross-sectional images of your knee. They can help detect knee injuries such as subtle fractures.
• Ultrasounds use sound waves to make images of the soft tissue in your knee. Your doctor may move your knee into different positions to look for specific issues.
• MRIs create 3D pictures of the inside of your knee. This test is often implemented to reveal soft tissue injuries, such as ACL tears or patellar tendonitis.

If you are suffering from pain caused by a knee injury, contact Axes Physical Therapy to work with a Affton, MO physical therapist who is an expert in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will analyze your movement, your mobility, and will also monitor the strength of your knee and its stability. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Affton, MO County will recommend a personalized treatment plan, which might include an appointment with a Affton, MO orthopedic or sports physician.

Treatments and Therapy

Less significant knee injuries can often heal with the RICE Method: rest, ice, gentle compression, and elevation. If you feel pain, it’s important to rest and to temporarily stop any activity you think may have caused your injury. Seek medical attention if you hear a popping noise or feel loss of stability at the time of your injury, if you experience severe pain or swelling, cannot move the knee, or cannot bear weight without pain. With some severe knee injuries, such as ACL tears or bone fractures, surgery is required to correct the structure of the knee and make the knee functional again. Physical therapy will then be part of your preoperative and postoperative treatment plan. A Affton, MO physical therapist who treats knee injuries will help you safely restore movement and strength in your knee as you recover. Common therapies for knee injuries include (depending on your injury):

• Stretches and strengthening exercises of the entire lower extremity
• Core strengthening
• Ice and heat
• Soft tissue mobilization
• Electrical stimulation
• Proprioceptive exercises
• Functional return to sports, activity, and exercises

At Axes Physical Therapy, our treatment plans are designed from proven treatment strategies and are tailored specifically for each patient. We guide you in your recovery to safely return you to the activities you love.

We treat a wide variety of conditions and complaints and have a team of specialists ready to help you. Some of our other services 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

Receive Physical Therapy for Knee Injuries

If you are managing knee pain or have recently sustained a knee injury, you require the specialized advice of Affton, MO physical therapists to eliminate your pain and get you back to full motion. Axes Physical Therapy will help you get back to the sports and activities you love with the committed, individualized care of your Axes physical therapist. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or find out the knee injury treatment location nearest you.