Knee injuries Maplewood, MO. The knee is a multifaceted joint that allows our bodies to perform a wide array of functional activities like sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, jumping and more. Sustaining 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 vital to find first-rate physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Maplewood, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we give safe and effective care to hundreds of Maplewood, MO residents. Contact us today to find out more or schedule your first appointment.

Axes Physical Therapy provides personalized, evidence-based analysis and therapy for those with knee injuries in Maplewood, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in customized treatment plans designed specifically for your condition, 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 committed to serving the individual needs of each Maplewood, MO resident we treat.

The Human Knee

The knee is one of the biggest and most complex joints in the body. It connects 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. Surrounding 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 offer support and stability. These ligaments include the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), which offer 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 intricacy of the joint and the strain placed on the knee, with bones, tendons, and ligaments 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 dealing with chronic knee pain, you need the care and careful treatment of Maplewood, MO area physical therapists. Our team of professional therapists who are highly knowledgeable when treating knee injuries will guide you in your recuperation and restore full 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 untreated or cared for poorly can lead to continued issues, including arthritis. Knee sprains are often the result of acute twisting injuries, or injuries the result of external forces that stretch or tear 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. Additionally, non contact knee sprains are very common and result from weakness, muscle fatigue or poor mechanics. Symptoms include:

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

Torn cartilage can frequently occur in tandem with sprains, and take place when damage to the knee tears the menisci. It’s most often the result of 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 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 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 usually the main symptom of this variety of knee injury, and initially it might only occur when training or exercising. It commonly stems from overuse. Over time, the pain worsens 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 that worsens with time and causes pain felt in the front of the knee. The pain is a result of tracking and alignment problems between the patella and femur and is commonly experienced climbing stairs or rising from a chair. The specific cause is not understood yet; however, most doctors and physical and occupational therapists suspect 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 an incredibly painful type of knee injuries and necesitate urgent medical treatment. More complex 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 often takes place when you fall directly on your knee, hit the dashboard in a motor vehicle crash or experience another type of heavy blow to the knee. Symptoms include:
  • Pain, inflammation, and bruising
  • Inability to straighten the knee or keep it keep it
  • Inability to walk
• Distal Femur: occurs where the thigh bone and knee connect. The bone may shatter or might break straight across. Because distal femoral knee injuries can damage the cartilage in the knee, they can sometimes be more difficult to treat. They usually 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 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 sometimes minor breaks that occur from excessive activity, but most happen because of falling, sports injuries or auto crashes. Symptoms include:
  • inflammation around the knee
  • Visually evident 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 occur when the femur and tibia are pushed 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 heightened risk of patellar dislocation knee injuries. While a Maplewood, MO doctor will be able to correct the dislocation, treatment by a physical therapist will be an essential aspect of the rehabilitation 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 quickly. The PCL can often 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 harm to other parts of the knee, ACL tears alone are often not painful. MCL and LCL tears occur when there is a hit that pushes the knee sideways.

Diagnoses and Tests

It is essential to receive the proper urgent 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 clear and major trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be necessary and a Maplewood, 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 Maplewood, MO medical professional can analyze the appearance and mobility of your knee while looking for inflammation or tenderness. Our physical therapists are experts in human movement and offer 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 various angles to produce cross-sectional pictures of the inside of your knee. They can help detect knee injuries such as subtle fractures.
• Ultrasounds use sound waves to build 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 used to detect 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 Maplewood, 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 Maplewood, MO County will recommend a individually tailored treatment plan, which may include an appointment with a Maplewood, MO orthopedic or sports physician.

Treatments and Therapy

Less significant 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 resulted in 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 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 Maplewood, MO physical therapist who specializes knee injuries will help you safely restore movement 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 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 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:

• 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 managing knee pain or have recently suffered a knee injury, you require the expert advice of Maplewood, 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 committed, customized care of your Axes physical therapist. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or find out the knee injury treatment location nearest you.