Knee injuries Kirkwood, MO. The knee is a multifaceted joint that allows our bodies to execute a vast 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 sustained a knee injury or suffer from chronic knee pain, it is important to find top-notch physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Kirkwood, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we give safe and effective treatment to hundreds of patients in the Kirkwood, MO area. Contact us today to find out more or schedule your first appointment.

Axes Physical Therapy provides customized, evidence-based evaluation and therapy for those with knee injuries in Kirkwood, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in personalized treatment plans implemented specifically for your injury, needs and movement goals. As a network of physical therapy facilities locally owned and operated by Kirkwood, MO physical therapists, Axes Physical Therapy is dedicated to serving the individual needs of each Kirkwood, 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 adjacent to 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 connect the knee bones to the leg muscles or ligaments which give 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 side-to-side movement. The medial and lateral menisci behave like shock absorbers between the tibia and femur.

Owing to the intricacy of the joint and the forces 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 are suffered. If you’ve suffered a knee injury or are living with chronic knee pain, you need the care and careful treatment of Kirkwood, MO area physical therapists. Our team of expert therapists who specialize in treating knee injuries will guide you in your recovery 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 occur when ligaments in the knee are torn or overstretched. Knee sprains are painful, and if untreated or cared for poorly can result in chronic problems, including arthritis. Knee sprains are usually caused by 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 blow 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 frequently happen in tandem with sprains, and happen when damage to the knee tears the menisci. It’s typically 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 leaping and rotating/pivoting. In older adults, a cartilage tear in the knee can occur with little or no trauma 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 known as “jumper’s knee,” is caused by inflammation of the tendons in the knee, specifically the quadriceps tendon. Anterior knee pain is usually the main symptom of this kind of knee injury, and at the start it might only occur when working out or exercising. It frequently stems from overuse. Over time, the pain worsens and starts to make exercising or playing sports more difficult. If unattended, after a while you could find it difficult to climb stairs or even get up from from a chair. For that reason, it’s essential 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 issues 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 variety of knee injuries and necesitate urgent medical care. More complicated fractures can require 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 frequently happens when you fall directly on your knee, hit the dashboard in a auto accident or suffer another kind of heavy blow to the knee. Symptoms include:
  • Pain, inflammation, and bruising
  • Inability to extend the knee or keep it straight
  • Inability to walk
• Distal Femur: takes place where the thigh bone and knee touch. The bone may shatter or can suffer a clean break. Distal femoral knee injuries frequently also injure the cartilage in the knee, which makes them hard to treat. They most often 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 bent
• Proximal Tibia: often damage 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 often 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 surrounding the knee
  • Visually clear 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 pushed out of alignment, or when the patella is forced out of place. These are frequently caused by high energy trauma from sports, car accidents or falls. People with a somewhat atypical structure of the knee are at a higher risk of patellar dislocation knee injuries. While a Kirkwood, MO doctor can correct the dislocation, treatment by a physical therapist will be a vital aspect of the recuperation process to reduce swelling, slowly improve 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 occur in high-action sports where players are landing after jumping or switching direction quickly. The PCL can frequently be torn when there is trauma to the front of the knee as it is bent. Symptoms of these knee injuries include swelling and knee instability. While ACL tears are frequently accompanied by damage to other parts of the knee, by themselves they are often not painful. MCL and LCL tears occur when there is blunt force that pushes the knee sideways.

Diagnoses and Tests

It is vital to receive the proper immediate and long-term care after sustaining a knee injury. The treatment 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 Kirkwood, MO ER doctor will endeavor to stabilize the knee as quickly as possible. Other methods of diagnosis for knee injuries are:

• A physical examination. A Kirkwood, MO medical professional can analyze the appearance and movement of your knee while looking for inflammation or tenderness. Our physical therapists are experts in human motion and conduct 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 pictures of the inside of your knee. They can help reveal knee injuries such as subtle fractures.
• Ultrasounds use sound waves to create 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 images of the inside of your knee. This test is frequently implemented to show 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 Kirkwood, MO physical therapist who specializes in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will analyze your movement, your mobility, and will also inspect how strong and stable your knee is. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Kirkwood, MO County will recommend a bespoke treatment plan, which might include follow-up with a Kirkwood, 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 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 Kirkwood, MO physical therapist who specializes 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 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:

• 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 dealing with knee pain or have recently sustained a knee injury, you need the professional advice of Kirkwood, 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.