Knee injuries Labadie, MO. The knee is a versatile joint that allows our bodies to perform a vast array of movements 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 are impacted by chronic knee pain, it is important to find quality physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Labadie, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we provide safe and effective treatment to hundreds of patients in the Labadie, MO area. 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 Labadie, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in custom tailored 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 dedicated to serving the specifical needs of each Labadie, MO patient we treat.

The Human Knee

The knee is one of the biggest and most complex joints we have. 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 constitute the knee joint. Surrounding the knee are leg muscles, which help move the knee, and tendons and ligaments that attach 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 give 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.

Due to the complexity of the joint and the forces placed on the knee, with elements 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 attention and careful treatment of Labadie, MO area physical therapists. Our team of professional therapists who specialize in treating knee injuries will lead 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 take place when ligaments in the knee are torn or overstretched. Knee sprains are painful, and if left unattended or cared for improperly can cause continued problems, including arthritis. Knee sprains are typically 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 are caused by weakness, muscle fatigue or improper 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 most often 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 flex 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 usually the main symptom of this category of knee injury, and initially it may only occur when working out or exercising. It often 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. That’s why 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 caused by tracking and alignment issues between the patella and femur and is often experienced climbing stairs or rising from a chair. The specific cause is not understood yet; however, most doctors 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 a tremendously painful of of knee injuries and require emergency medical care. More complex fractures can require surgery to repair the knee and allow it to function normally again. There are three common knee injuries associated with fractures:

• Patellar: a fracture of the kneecap that typically happens when you land directly on your knee, hit the dashboard in a motor vehicle accident or suffer another kind of extreme external force to the knee. Symptoms include:
  • Pain, inflammation, 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 may shatter or may break straight across. 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 whose bones have become weaker, or to people in high energy impact collisions. Symptoms include:
  • Pain when putting weight on the knee
  • Swelling, bruising, and soreness
  • The leg may look shorter and contorted
• Proximal Tibia: frequently 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 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 too much activity, but most are the result of trauma from falling, sports injuries or car crashes. Symptoms include:
  • Swelling surrounding the knee
  • Visually obvious 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 take place 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 abnormal structure of the knee are at a heightened risk of patellar dislocation knee injuries. While a Labadie, MO doctor will be able to correct the dislocation, treatment by a physical therapist will be an important aspect of the recuperation process to reduce swelling, slowly improve motion and increase strength in the hip and leg musculature.

ACL, PCL, MCL, and LCL Injuries can be both tears or sprains. ACL injuries can often take place in high-energy sports where players are landing after jumping or switching direction rapidly. 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 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 vital to receive appropriate immediate and long-term treatment after suffering 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 regards to knee injuries that cause evident and serious trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be required and a Labadie, MO ER doctor will endeavor to stabilize the knee as quickly as possible. Other means of diagnosis for knee injuries are:

• A physical examination. A Labadie, MO medical professional can analyze the appearance and movement of your knee while looking for swelling or tenderness. Our physical therapists are professionals in human motion and provide free, no obligation injury evaluations for your knee injuries and other injuries.
• X-Rays can show bone fractures and degenerative joint disease.
• CT scans combine X-rays from different 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 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 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 Labadie, MO physical therapist who is an expert in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will evaluate your motion, your mobility, and will also examine the strength of your knee and its stability. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Labadie, MO County will recommend a bespoke treatment plan, which may include an appointment with a Labadie, MO orthopedic or sports physician.

Treatments and Therapy

Slight 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 stop any activity you think may have led to 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 are unable to bear weight without pain. With some serious knee injuries, such as ACL tears or broken bones, surgery is needed to correct the structure of the knee and return functionality. Physical therapy will then be part of your preoperative and postoperative treatment plan. A Labadie, MO physical therapist who treats knee injuries will help you safely restore motion and strength to your knee as you recover. 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 founded on 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 experiencing knee pain or have recently suffered a knee injury, you require the professional advice of Labadie, 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, personalized care of your Axes physical therapist. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or discover the knee injury treatment location nearest you.