Knee injuries Hawk Point, MO. The knee is a multifaceted joint that permits our bodies to carry out a wide array of motions such as sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, jumping and more. Suffering a knee injury makes walking and a lot of other basic tasks painful or even impossible. If you’ve recently had a knee injury or suffer from chronic knee pain, it is essential to find top-notch physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Hawk Point, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we provide safe and effective treatment to hundreds of Hawk Point, MO residents. Contact us today to find out more or schedule your first appointment.

Axes Physical Therapy provides individually tailored, evidence-based analysis and therapy for people with knee injuries in Hawk Point, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in personalized treatment plans created 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 dedicated to serving the individual needs of each Hawk Point, MO patient we treat.

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. Encircling the knee are leg muscles, which are responsible for the knee’s movements, and tendons and ligaments that join 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 side-to-side movement. The medial and lateral menisci are shock absorbers between the tibia and femur.

Owing to the complexity of the joint and the pressure placed on the knee, with elements 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 experienced a knee injury or are living with chronic knee pain, you need the attention and careful treatment of Hawk Point, MO area physical therapists. Our team of qualified therapists who specialize in treating knee injuries will lead you in your recuperation and help you regain complete mobility of your injured knee.

Types of Knee Injuries and Common Causes

Knee sprains are knee injuries that can hurt a lot, and they happen when ligaments in the knee are torn or overstretched. Knee sprains are painful, and if left unattended or treated improperly can cause continued problems, including arthritis. Knee sprains are commonly caused by 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 occur because of weakness, muscle fatigue or improper mechanics. Symptoms include:

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

Torn cartilage can frequently take place in tandem with sprains, and occur when trauma to the knee tears the menisci. It’s typically 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 continued jumping 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:

• Soreness 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 referred to as “jumper’s knee,” is a result of inflammation 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 the start it might only occur when training or exercising. It frequently stems from overuse. Over time, the pain increases and starts to make exercising or playing sports more difficult. If untreated, after a while you could have difficulty climbing stairs or even getting up from a chair. For that reason, it’s vital 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 getting up from a chair. The specific cause is still unknown; however, most physicians and physical and occupational therapists suspect 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 especially painful type of knee injuries and necesitate emergency medical care. More destructive fractures can need 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 exactly on your knee, hit the dashboard in a auto crash or sustain another type 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: takes place where the thigh bone and knee meet. The bone can shatter or may suffer a clean break. Distal femoral knee injuries often also damage the cartilage in the knee, which makes them difficult to treat. They usually 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 tenderness
  • The leg may look shorter and bent
• Proximal Tibia: frequently harm the soft tissue of the knee as well. The top of the tibia, where it connects to 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 too much activity, but most are the result of trauma from falling, sports injuries or car crashes. Symptoms include:
  • Swelling around the knee
  • Visually evident 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 happen when the femur and tibia are forced out of alignment, or when the patella is pushed out of place. These are typically caused by extreme force from sports, car accidents or falls. People with a somewhat abnormal structure of the knee are at a higher risk of patellar dislocation knee injuries. While a Hawk Point, MO doctor can put the knee or kneecap back in place, treatment by a physical therapist will be an essential facet of the rehabilitation process to reduce swelling, gradually increase motion and increase strength in the hip and leg musculature.

ACL, PCL, MCL, and LCL Injuries can be either tears or sprains. ACL injuries can often take place in high-action sports where players are landing after jumping or changing direction quickly. The PCL can frequently be torn when force is applied to the front of the knee as it is bent. Symptoms of these knee injuries include swelling and knee instability. While ACL tears are often accompanied by injury to other parts of the knee, by themselves they 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 the proper immediate and long-term treatment after suffering a knee injury. The treatment you receive can account for either quick and effective recovery or a lifetime of chronic, debilitating pain. In the event of knee injuries that cause clear and serious trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be required and a Hawk Point, MO ER doctor will work to stabilize the knee as quickly as possible. Other methods of diagnosis for knee injuries are:

• A physical examination. A Hawk Point, 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 motion and offer free, no obligation injury screenings for your knee injuries and other injuries.
• X-Rays can reveal bone fractures and degenerative joint disease.
• CT scans combine X-rays from different angles to make cross-sectional images of your knee. They can help reveal 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 utilized to reveal soft tissue injuries, such as ACL tears or patellar tendonitis.

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

Treatments and Therapy

Small 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, are unable to move the knee, or are unable to bear weight without pain. With some grave 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 Hawk Point, MO physical therapist who treats knee injuries will help you safely restore movement and strength in your knee as your injury heals. Common therapies for knee injuries are (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 grounded in 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:

• 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 experienced a knee injury, you need the specialized advice of Hawk Point, 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 devoted, individualized care of your Axes physical therapist. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or discover the knee injury treatment location nearest you.