Knee injuries Champ, MO. The knee is a multifaceted joint that lets our bodies carry out a vast scope of functional activities like sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, jumping and more. Experiencing a knee injury makes walking and a lot of other basic tasks painful or even impossible. If you’ve recently suffered a knee injury or are impacted by chronic knee pain, it is important to find top-notch physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Champ, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we give safe and effective therapy to hundreds of Champ, MO residents. Contact us today to find out more or schedule your first appointment.

Axes Physical Therapy provides individually tailored, evidence-based analysis and treatment for those with knee injuries in Champ, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in custom tailored treatment plans made specifically for your injury, needs and movement goals. As a network of physical therapy facilities locally owned and operated by Champ, MO physical therapists, Axes Physical Therapy is committed to serving the individual needs of each Champ, MO patient we see.

The Human Knee

The knee is one of the largest and most complex joints in the body. It joins the tibia (shin bone) to the femur (thigh bone). The fibula (the small bone that runs next to 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 offer stability to the front and back of the knee, and the medial and lateral collateral ligaments (MCL and LCL), which stabilize side-to-side movement. The medial and lateral menisci act as shock absorbers between the tibia and femur.

Because of the intricacy of the joint and the pressure placed on the knee, with bones, tendons, and ligaments that can be torn, fractured, sprained, or dislocated, knee injuries are one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries that are suffered. If you’ve sustained a knee injury or are living with chronic knee pain, you need the care and careful treatment of Champ, MO area physical therapists. Our team of certified therapists who are highly knowledgeable when treating knee injuries will lead you in your rehabilitation and restore complete mobility of your injured knee.

Types of Knee Injuries and Common Causes

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

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

Torn cartilage can often take place in tandem with sprains, and take place when damage to the knee tears the menisci. It’s most often caused by forcefully twisting or rotating your knee and is common 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 occur with little or no external force as the knee cartilage loses flexibility and pliability with age. Symptoms include:

• Dull pain when training or exercising
• Buckling or locking of the knee joint
• Crunching or popping noises when walking
• Difficulty bearing weight
• Inability to flex or straighten the knee

Patellar Tendonitis, also referred to as “jumper’s knee,” is caused by inflammation of the tendons in the knee, specifically the quadriceps tendon. Anterior knee pain is typically the main symptom of this sort of knee injury, and at first it might only occur when training or exercising. It commonly stems from overuse. Over time, the pain becomes worse and starts to make exercising or playing sports more difficult. If unattended, after a while you could have trouble climbing stairs or even rising from a chair. For that reason, it’s vital to receive 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 often felt when climbing stairs or getting up from a chair. The specific cause is still unknown; however, most physicians and physical and occupational therapists think these knee injuries happen when the knee is overused, or there is weakness of the quadriceps muscle and inflexibility of other hip and knee musculature.

Fractures are an extremely painful category of knee injuries and necesitate urgent medical attention. More complicated fractures can need surgery to repair the knee and return functionality. There are three common knee injuries related to fractures:

• Patellar: a fracture of the kneecap that often happens when you fall precisely on your knee, hit the dashboard in a auto accident or sustain another kind of heavy blow 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 touch. The bone can shatter or may suffer a clean break. Distal femoral knee injuries frequently also hurt the cartilage in the knee, which makes them difficult to treat. They typically occur in the elderly as their bones weaken, or to people in high energy impact collisions. Symptoms include:
  • Pain when putting weight on the knee
  • Swelling, bruising, and tenderness
  • The leg may look shorter and crooked
• 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 often 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 excessive activity, but most happen because of falling, sports injuries or car crashes. Symptoms include:
  • inflammation surrounding the knee
  • Visually noticeable deformity or misalignment
  • Numb, pale, or cold feet, as the flow of blood to the foot could be restricted

Dislocation of the knee or kneecap can either occur when the femur and tibia are pushed out of alignment, or when the patella is forced out of place. These are usually caused by high impact trauma from sports, car accidents or falls. People with a somewhat abnormal structure of the knee are at a greater risk of patellar dislocation knee injuries. While a Champ, MO doctor can put the knee or kneecap back in place, treatment by a physical therapist will be a vital part of the rehabilitation process to reduce swelling, slowly improve movement and improve 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-action sports where players are landing after jumping or switching 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 often accompanied by harm 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 essential 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 involving evident and severe trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be needed and a Champ, 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 Champ, MO medical professional can analyze the appearance and mobility of your knee while checking for inflammation or tenderness. Our physical therapists are experts in human motion and carry out free, no obligation injury evaluations for your knee injuries and other injuries.
• X-Rays can detect broken bones and degenerative joint disease.
• CT scans combine X-rays from different angles to produce cross-sectional pictures of the inside of your knee. They can help detect knee injuries such as subtle fractures.
• Ultrasounds use sound waves to build images of the soft tissue in your knee. Your doctor may rotate and extend your knee into different positions to look for specific issues.
• MRIs create 3D images of the inside of your knee. This test is frequently utilized to detect soft tissue injuries, such as ACL tears or patellar tendonitis.

If you are dealing with pain caused by a knee injury, contact Axes Physical Therapy to work with a Champ, MO physical therapist who is an expert in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will evaluate your movement, your mobility, and will also monitor how strong and stable your knee is. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Champ, MO County will recommend a personalized treatment plan, which could include follow-up with a Champ, MO orthopedic or sports physician.

Treatments and Therapy

Minor knee injuries can often heal with the RICE Method: rest, ice, gentle compression, and elevation. If you feel pain, you need to rest and to temporarily stop any activity you think may have resulted in your injury. Seek medical attention if you hear a popping noise or feel loss of stability when your injury first occurs, 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 broken bones, surgery is required to correct the structure of the knee and return functionality. Physical therapy will then be part of your preoperative and postoperative treatment plan. A Champ, MO physical therapist who specializes knee injuries will put you on the path to safely restore motion and strength to your knee as your injury heals. Typical therapies for knee injuries include (depending on your injury):

• Stretches and strengthening exercises of the entire leg and hip
• 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 lead you in your recuperation to safely get you back 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:

• 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

Receive Physical Therapy for Knee Injuries

If you are living with knee pain or have recently sustained a knee injury, you require the expert advice of Champ, MO physical therapists to eliminate your pain and return you to full mobility. Axes Physical Therapy will help you get back to the sports and activities you love with the devoted, customized care of your Axes physical therapist. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or discover the knee injury treatment location nearest you.