Knee injuries Leslie, MO. The knee is a multifaceted joint that allows our bodies to carry out a wide scope of functional activities such as sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, jumping and more. Sustaining a knee injury makes walking and a lot of other basic tasks painful or even impossible. If you’ve recently suffered a knee injury or are impacted by chronic knee pain, it is essential to find top-notch physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Leslie, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we provide safe and effective therapy to hundreds of Leslie, MO residents. Contact us today to find out more or schedule your first appointment.

Axes Physical Therapy provides personalized, evidence-based evaluation and treatment for people with knee injuries in Leslie, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in personalized treatment plans designed specifically for your injury, needs and movement goals. As a network of physical therapy facilities locally owned and operated by Leslie, MO physical therapists, Axes Physical Therapy is dedicated to serving the individual needs of each Leslie, MO patient we see.

The Human Knee

The knee is one of the biggest and most complex joints we have. 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 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 give stability in front of and behind the knee, and the medial and lateral collateral ligaments (MCL and LCL), which stabilize sideways movement. The medial and lateral menisci behave like shock absorbers between the tibia and femur.

Because of the complexity of the joint and the pressure 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 sustained a knee injury or are living with chronic knee pain, you need the attention and careful treatment of Leslie, MO area physical therapists. Our team of expert therapists who are highly knowledgeable when treating knee injuries will lead you in your recuperation and restore 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 left unattended or treated incorrectly can lead to chronic problems, including arthritis. Knee sprains are typically caused by acute twisting injuries, or injuries caused by external forces that stretch or tear 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. Furthermore, non contact knee sprains are very typical and result from 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 occur when trauma to the knee tears the menisci. It’s typically the result of 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 leaping and rotating/pivoting. In older adults, a cartilage tear in the knee can happen with little or no trauma as the knee cartilage loses flexibility and pliability with age. Symptoms include:

• Dull pain 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 known as “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 at the start it might only occur when training or exercising. It is also commonly an overuse injury. Over time, the pain becomes worse and starts to make exercising or playing sports more difficult. If untreated, eventually you could find it difficult to climb stairs or even get up from from a chair. That’s why 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 problems between the patella and femur and is often experienced climbing stairs or rising from a chair. The exact cause is still unknown; however, most doctors 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 incredibly painful type of knee injuries and require urgent medical treatment. More complicated 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 happens when you land directly on your knee, hit the dashboard in a motor vehicle crash or sustain 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 meet. The bone can shatter or might break straight across. Distal femoral knee injuries often also hurt the cartilage in the knee, which makes them difficult to treat. They typically occur in the elderly as their bones weaken, or to people in high energy impact collisions. Symptoms include:
  • Pain when placing weight on the knee
  • Inflammation, bruising, and tenderness
  • The leg may look shorter and crooked
• 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 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 car accidents. Symptoms include:
  • inflammation 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 occur 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 atypical structure of the knee are at a greater risk of patellar dislocation knee injuries. While a Leslie, MO doctor can put the knee or kneecap back in place, treatment by a physical therapist will be an important facet of the recuperation process to reduce swelling, slowly improve 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 occur in high-action sports where players are landing after jumping or changing direction rapidly. 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 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 correct immediate and long-term treatment after suffering a knee injury. The care you receive can account for either quick and effective recovery or a lifetime of chronic, debilitating pain. In regards to knee injuries involving obvious and serious trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be needed and a Leslie, 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 Leslie, MO medical professional can analyze the appearance and mobility of your knee while looking for swelling or tenderness. Our physical therapists are experts in human motion and carry out free, no obligation injury evaluations for your knee injuries and other injuries.
• X-Rays can reveal bone fractures and degenerative joint disease.
• CT scans combine X-rays from various angles to make cross-sectional images of your knee. They can help detect knee injuries such as subtle fractures.
• Ultrasounds use sound waves to produce images of the soft tissue in your knee. Your doctor may move your knee at different angles 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 dealing with pain caused by a knee injury, contact Axes Physical Therapy to work with a Leslie, MO physical therapist who is an expert in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will analyze your motion, your mobility, and will also inspect how strong and stable your knee is. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Leslie, MO County will recommend a individually tailored treatment plan, which might include follow-up with a Leslie, MO orthopedic or sports physician.

Treatments and Therapy

Slight 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 momentarily stop any activity you think may have led to your injury. Get 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 grave knee injuries, such as ACL tears or bone fractures, 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 Leslie, MO physical therapist who specializes knee injuries will help you safely restore motion and strength to your knee as you recuperate. Typical 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 based on proven treatment strategies and are tailored specifically for each patient. We guide 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:

• 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
• Stroke Rehabilitation

Receive Physical Therapy for Knee Injuries

If you are suffering from knee pain or have recently suffered a knee injury, you need the specialized advice of Leslie, 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 dedicated, customized care of your Axes physical therapist. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or discover the knee injury treatment location nearest you.