Knee injuries Des Peres, MO. The knee is a multifaceted joint that permits our bodies to perform a wide range of functional activities such as sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, jumping and more. Suffering a knee injury makes walking and many other daily tasks painful or even impossible. If you’ve recently had a knee injury or experience chronic knee pain, it is vital to find first-rate physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Des Peres, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we provide safe and effective care to hundreds of Des Peres, MO residents. Contact us today to find out more or schedule your first appointment.
Axes Physical Therapy provides personalized, evidence-based evaluation and therapy for people with knee injuries in Des Peres, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in customized treatment plans implemented specifically for your condition, needs and movement goals. Axes Physical Therapy is a network of physical therapy experts at various locations, each owned and operated by physical therapists. We are devoted to serving the individual needs of each Des Peres, MO resident we treat.
The Human Knee
The knee is one of the largest 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 form the knee joint. Around the knee the knee are leg muscles, which drive the knee’s movements, and tendons and ligaments that attach the knee bones to the leg muscles or ligaments which provide support and stability. These ligaments include the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), which provide stability in front of and behind 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.
Owing to the complexity of the joint and the stresses placed on the knee, with bones, tendons, and ligaments that can be torn, fractured, sprained, or dislocated, knee injuries are one of the most commonly seen musculoskeletal injuries that one can sustain. If you’ve sustained a knee injury or are living with chronic knee pain, you need the care and careful treatment of Des Peres, MO area physical therapists. Our team of professional therapists who specialize in treating knee injuries will guide 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 take place when ligaments in the knee are torn or overstretched. Knee sprains are painful, and if untreated or cared for improperly can result in chronic 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 hit to the front or outside of the knee. Furthermore, non contact knee sprains are very common and occur because of weakness, muscle fatigue or incorrect mechanics. Symptoms include:
- Swelling
- Weakness or tenderness
- Pain and stiffness
- Popping
- Muscle Spasms
Torn cartilage can frequently occur take place at the same time as sprains, and happen when damage to the knee tears the menisci. It’s typically the result of forcefully twisting or rotating your knee and is often seen in contact sports such as football, as well as sports like soccer or baseball with continued leaping and rotating/pivoting. In older adults, a cartilage tear in the knee can take place with little or no trauma 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 bend or straighten the knee
Patellar Tendonitis, also known as “jumper’s knee,” is caused by swelling of the tendons in the knee, specifically the quadriceps tendon. Anterior knee pain is commonly the main symptom of this kind of knee injury, and at the start it may only occur when working out or exercising. It is also frequently an overuse injury. Over time, the pain becomes worse and starts to make exercising or playing sports more difficult. If untreated, eventually you could have difficulty climbing stairs or even getting up from a chair. For that reason, it’s essential 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 often experienced climbing stairs or rising from a chair. The exact cause is not understood yet; however, most physicians and physical and occupational therapists presume these knee injuries happen because of general overuse and weakness of the quadriceps muscle and inflexibility of other hip and knee musculature.
Fractures are an incredibly painful category of knee injuries and require emergency medical treatment. More complicated fractures can necesitate 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 takes place when you fall directly on your knee, hit the dashboard in a auto accident or experience another kind of heavy blow to the knee. Symptoms include:
- Pain, swelling, and bruising
- Inability to extend the knee or keep it straight
- Inability to walk
- Distal Femur: takes place where the thigh bone and knee connect. The bone may shatter or might suffer a clean break. Distal femoral knee injuries often also injure the cartilage in the knee, which makes them hard 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
- Inflammation, bruising, and aching
- The leg may look shorter and contorted
- Proximal Tibia: frequently damage the soft tissue of the knee as well. The top of the tibia, where it connects to the knee, is not as hard as the rest of the bone. These knee injuries frequently take place when the femur is forced by trauma into the soft bone at the top of the tibia. Proximal tibia knee injuries are occasionally minor breaks that occur from too much activity, but most happen because of falling, sports injuries or motor vehicle crashes. Symptoms include:
- Swelling around the knee
- Visually apparent deformity or misalignment
- Numb, pale, or cold feet, as the flow of blood to the foot could be affected
Dislocation of the knee or kneecap can either happen when the femur and tibia are forced out of alignment, or when the patella is forced out of place. These are most often caused by high impact trauma from sports, car accidents or falls. People with a slightly unusual structure of the knee are at a greater risk of patellar dislocation knee injuries. While a Des Peres, MO doctor will be able to 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 increase motion 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 happen in high-energy 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 swelling 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 blunt force that pushes the knee sideways.
Diagnoses and Tests
It is important to receive the proper urgent and long-term care after sustaining a knee injury. The care you receive can be the difference between a swift and strong recovery or a lifetime of chronic, debilitating pain. In the event of knee injuries that cause obvious and major trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be necessary and a Des Peres, 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 Des Peres, MO medical professional can evaluate the appearance and mobility of your knee while checking for swelling or tenderness. Our physical therapists are professionals in human movement and offer free, no obligation injury evaluations for your knee injuries and other injuries.
- X-Rays can detect bone fractures and degenerative joint disease.
- CT scans combine X-rays from varying angles to build cross-sectional images of your knee. They can help reveal knee injuries such as subtle fractures.
- Ultrasounds use sound waves to produce images of the soft tissue in your knee. Your doctor may rotate and extend your knee at different angles to look for specific issues.
- MRIs create 3D images of the inside of your knee. This test is often 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 Des Peres, MO physical therapist who specializes in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will analyze your movement, your mobility, and will also check the strength of your knee and its stability. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Des Peres, MO County will recommend a bespoke treatment plan, which could include an appointment with a Des Peres, 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, you need to rest and to temporarily cease any activity you think may have caused your injury. Get 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 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 Des Peres, MO physical therapist who treats knee injuries will help you safely restore motion and strength in 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 recovery 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:
Receive Physical Therapy for Knee Injuries
If you are experiencing knee pain or have recently suffered a knee injury, you require the specialized advice of Des Peres, MO physical therapists to eliminate your pain and get you back to full mobility. Axes Physical Therapy will help you get back to the sports and activities you love with the dedicated, personalized care of your Axes physical therapist. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or find out the knee injury treatment location nearest you.
