Knee injuries Ellisville, MO. The knee is a versatile joint that allows our bodies to perform a wide scope of functional activities like sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, jumping and more. Suffering a knee injury makes walking and many other daily activities painful or even impossible. If you’ve recently had 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 Ellisville, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we offer safe and effective care to hundreds of Ellisville, MO residents. Contact us today to find out more or schedule your first appointment.

Axes Physical Therapy provides customized, evidence-based evaluation and treatment for people with knee injuries in Ellisville, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in personalized treatment plans implemented specifically for your injury, 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 committed to serving the specifical needs of each Ellisville, MO resident 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 on the side of the tibia) and patella (kneecap) are the other bones that make up the knee joint. Encircling the knee are leg muscles, which help move the knee, and tendons and ligaments that join the knee bones to the leg muscles or ligaments which offer support and stability. These ligaments include the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), which give stability in front of and behind the knee, and the medial and lateral collateral ligaments (MCL and LCL), which stabilize side-to-side 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 structures that can be torn, fractured, sprained, or dislocated, knee injuries are one of the most typical musculoskeletal injuries that one can sustain. If you’ve suffered a knee injury or are living with chronic knee pain, you need the care and careful treatment of Ellisville, MO area physical therapists. Our team of qualified therapists who specialize in treating knee injuries will guide you in your recovery and restore 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 treated improperly can result in chronic problems, including arthritis. Knee sprains are often the result of acute twisting injuries, or occur when an outside force stretches or tears 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 result from weakness, muscle fatigue or incorrect mechanics. Symptoms include:

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

Torn cartilage can frequently take place take place at the same time as sprains, and take place 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 repeated leaping 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:

• Soreness 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 called “jumper’s knee,” is a result of swelling of the tendons in the knee, specifically the quadriceps tendon. Anterior knee pain is typically the main symptom of this category of knee injury, and at first it may only occur when working out or exercising. It commonly stems from overuse. Over time, the pain increases and starts to make exercising or playing sports more difficult. If unattended, after a while you could have difficulty climbing stairs or even getting up from a chair. For that reason, it’s important to receive physical therapy for knee injuries.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is a knee injury that worsens with time and causes pain felt in the front of the knee. The pain is a result of tracking and alignment issues between the patella and femur and is commonly experienced climbing stairs or getting up from a chair. The exact cause is still unknown; however, most physicians and physical and occupational therapists presume these knee injuries occur because of general overuse and weakness of the quadriceps muscle and inflexibility of other hip and knee musculature.

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

• Patellar: a fracture of the kneecap that frequently happens when you land exactly on your knee, hit the dashboard in a car accident or suffer another type 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: takes place where the thigh bone and knee connect. The bone might shatter or can suffer a clean break. Distal femoral knee injuries often also injure the cartilage in the knee, which makes them hard to treat. They most often occur in the elderly whose bones have become weaker, or to people in high energy impact collisions. Symptoms include:
  • Pain when placing weight on the knee
  • Inflammation, bruising, and aching
  • The leg may look shorter and contorted
• Proximal Tibia: frequently injure the soft tissue of the knee as well. The top of the tibia, where it meets the knee, is not as hard as 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 occasionally minor breaks that occur from excessive activity, but most happen because of falling, sports injuries or car accidents. Symptoms include:
  • Swelling surrounding the knee
  • Visually apparent deformity or misalignment
  • Lack of feeling or warmth in the foot, 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 pushed out of alignment, or when the patella is pushed out of place. These are most often caused by high energy trauma from sports, car accidents or falls. People with a slightly unusual structure of the knee are at a heightened risk of patellar dislocation knee injuries. While a Ellisville, MO doctor can correct the dislocation, treatment by a physical therapist will be an essential facet of the recovery process to reduce swelling, gradually increase movement and improve strength in the hip and leg musculature.

ACL, PCL, MCL, and LCL Injuries can be either tears or sprains. ACL injuries can often happen in high-energy sports where players are landing after jumping or switching direction quickly. The PCL can often be torn when force is applied 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 injury 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 treatment after suffering a knee injury. The treatment you receive can be the difference between a swift and strong recovery or a lifetime of chronic, debilitating pain. In regards to knee injuries involving evident and serious trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be needed and a Ellisville, 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 Ellisville, MO medical professional can evaluate the appearance and mobility of your knee while looking for inflammation or tenderness. Our physical therapists are professionals in human movement and conduct free, no obligation injury screenings for your knee injuries and other injuries.
• X-Rays can show bone fractures and degenerative joint disease.
• CT scans combine X-rays from various angles to create 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 rotate and extend your knee at different angles to look for specific issues.
• MRIs create 3D pictures of the inside of your knee. This test is often used to detect 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 Ellisville, MO physical therapist who specializes in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will evaluate your movement, your mobility, and will also study the strength of your knee and its stability. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Ellisville, MO County will recommend a personalized treatment plan, which may include follow-up with a Ellisville, MO orthopedic or sports physician.

Treatments and Therapy

Minor knee injuries can be treated using the RICE Method: rest, ice, gentle compression, and elevation. If you feel pain, it’s important to rest and to momentarily cease any activity you think may have caused 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, are unable to move the knee, or are unable to bear weight without pain. With some severe knee injuries, such as ACL tears or broken bones, surgery is necessary to correct the structure of the knee and return functionality. Physical therapy will then be part of your preoperative and postoperative treatment plan. A Ellisville, MO physical therapist who specializes knee injuries will help you safely restore motion and strength to your knee as you recover. Common therapies for knee injuries are (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 grounded in proven treatment strategies and are tailored specifically for each patient. We guide 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:

• Back Pain Treatment
• 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

Receive Physical Therapy for Knee Injuries

If you are living with knee pain or have recently sustained a knee injury, you need the specialized advice of Ellisville, MO physical therapists to eliminate your pain and return you to full motion. 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 find out the knee injury treatment location nearest you.