Knee injuries Lemay, MO. The knee is a versatile joint that allows our bodies to perform a vast scope of functional activities like sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, jumping and more. Suffering a knee injury makes walking and many other basic activities painful or even impossible. If you’ve recently suffered a knee injury or are impacted by chronic knee pain, it is vital to find first-rate physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Lemay, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we offer safe and effective treatment to hundreds of patients in the Lemay, 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 Lemay, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in custom tailored treatment plans made 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 Lemay, MO patient we treat.

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 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 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 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 act as shock absorbers between the tibia and femur.

Owing to the intricacy of the joint and the stresses 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 dealing with chronic knee pain, you need the attention and careful treatment of Lemay, MO area physical therapists. Our team of certified therapists who are highly knowledgeable when treating knee injuries will lead you in your recovery and help you regain full mobility of your injured knee.

Types of Knee Injuries and Common Causes

Knee sprains are knee injuries that can hurt a lot, and they occur when ligaments in the knee are torn or overstretched. Knee sprains are painful, and if untreated or cared for improperly can result in chronic 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 typical and are caused by weakness, muscle fatigue or improper technique. 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 occur when damage to the knee tears the menisci. It’s most frequently 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 repeated 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:

• 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 referred to 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 sort of knee injury, and at the start it might only occur when training or exercising. It is also commonly an overuse injury. 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 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 problems between the patella and femur and is commonly felt when climbing stairs or getting up from a chair. The specific cause is not understood yet; however, most physicians 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 variety of knee injuries and need urgent medical care. More complex 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 often takes place when you land precisely on your knee, hit the dashboard in a auto crash 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 straight
  • Inability to walk
• Distal Femur: occurs where the thigh bone and knee connect. The bone may shatter or can break straight across. Because distal femoral knee injuries can injure the cartilage in the knee, they can sometimes be harder 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 aching
  • The leg may look shorter and crooked
• 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 often happen 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 are the result of trauma from falling, sports injuries or motor vehicle accidents. Symptoms include:
  • Swelling surrounding 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 affected

Dislocation of the knee or kneecap can either occur when the femur and tibia are pushed out of alignment, or when the patella is pushed out of place. These are usually caused by high impact trauma from sports, car accidents or falls. People with a slightly unusual structure of the knee are at a higher risk of patellar dislocation knee injuries. While a Lemay, MO doctor will be able to put the knee or kneecap back in place, treatment by a physical therapist will be an important part of the rehabilitation process to reduce swelling, slowly increase 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 frequently be torn when there is trauma to the front of the knee as it is bent. Symptoms of these knee injuries include inflammation and knee instability. 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 blunt force that pushes the knee sideways.

Diagnoses and Tests

It is vital to receive the correct immediate and long-term care 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 regards to knee injuries involving apparent and severe trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be needed and a Lemay, 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 Lemay, MO medical professional can evaluate the appearance and mobility of your knee while looking for swelling or tenderness. Our physical therapists are specialists in human movement and provide free, no obligation injury evaluations for your knee injuries and other injuries.
• X-Rays can show broken bones and degenerative joint disease.
• CT scans combine X-rays from various angles to create cross-sectional pictures of the inside of your knee. They can help detect 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 into different positions to look for specific issues.
• MRIs create 3D pictures of the inside of your knee. This test is frequently used 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 Lemay, MO physical therapist who is an expert in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will evaluate your motion, your mobility, and will also monitor the strength of your knee and its stability. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Lemay, MO County will recommend a personalized treatment plan, which may include an appointment with a Lemay, MO orthopedic or sports physician.

Treatments and Therapy

Minor knee injuries can often heal with the RICE Method: rest, ice, gentle compression, and elevation. If you are experiencing pain, it’s important to rest and to temporarily cease any activity you think may have caused your injury. Seek 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 serious knee injuries, such as ACL tears or bone fractures, 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 Lemay, MO physical therapist who specializes knee injuries will put you on the path to safely restore motion and strength to your knee as you recuperate. Common therapies for knee injuries include (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 based on proven treatment strategies and are tailored specifically for each patient. We guide you in your recovery to safely return you 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 dealing with knee pain or have recently suffered a knee injury, you require the professional advice of Lemay, MO physical therapists to eliminate your pain and return you to full mobility. 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 find out the knee injury treatment location nearest you.