Knee injuries Marlborough, MO. The knee is a versatile joint that permits our bodies to execute a vast array of motions like sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, jumping and more. Experiencing a knee injury makes walking and many other daily tasks painful or even impossible. If you’ve recently suffered a knee injury or are affected by chronic knee pain, it is vital to find quality physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Marlborough, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we offer safe and effective treatment to hundreds of patients in the Marlborough, 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 people with knee injuries in Marlborough, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in personalized treatment plans implemented specifically for your condition, needs and movement goals. As a network of physical therapy facilities locally owned and operated by Marlborough, MO physical therapists, Axes Physical Therapy is devoted to serving the individual needs of each Marlborough, MO patient we see.

The Human Knee

The knee is one of the largest and most complex joints we have. It connects the tibia (shin bone) to the femur (thigh bone). The fibula (the small bone that runs next to the tibia) and patella (kneecap) are the other bones that make up the knee joint. Surrounding the knee are leg muscles, which are responsible for the knee’s movements, 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 offer 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.

Due to the intricacy of the joint and the strain placed on the knee, with structures that can be torn, fractured, sprained, or dislocated, knee injuries are one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries that one can sustain. If you’ve suffered a knee injury or are experiencing chronic knee pain, you need the attention and careful treatment of Marlborough, MO area physical therapists. Our team of certified therapists who are highly knowledgeable when treating knee injuries will guide you in your rehabilitation 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 untreated or cared for poorly can lead to chronic issues, including arthritis. Knee sprains are commonly 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. Additionally, non contact knee sprains are very typical and occur because of weakness, muscle fatigue or poor technique. Symptoms include:

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

Torn cartilage can often happen take place at the same time as sprains, and take place when damage to the knee tears the menisci. It’s most frequently 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 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 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 known 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 category of knee injury, and at first it may 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, after a while you could have trouble climbing stairs or even rising from a chair. For that reason, it’s vital to seek out 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 often experienced climbing stairs or getting up from a chair. The exact cause is not understood yet; however, most physicians and physical and occupational therapists suspect these knee injuries occur because of general overuse and weakness of the quadriceps muscle and inflexibility of other hip and knee musculature.

Fractures are an especially painful type of knee injuries and require urgent medical care. More complex fractures can necesitate surgery to repair the knee and return functionality. There are three common knee injuries related to fractures:

• Patellar: a fracture of the kneecap that frequently takes place when you land exactly on your knee, hit the dashboard in a car accident or sustain another kind of heavy blow to the knee. Symptoms include:
  • Pain, swelling, and bruising
  • Inability to straighten the knee or keep it straight
  • Inability to walk
• Distal Femur: occurs where the thigh bone and knee touch. The bone might shatter or may break straight across. Distal femoral knee injuries frequently also hurt the cartilage in the knee, which makes them 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 placing weight on the knee
  • Inflammation, bruising, and tenderness
  • The leg may look shorter and crooked
• Proximal Tibia: often injure 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 often occur 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 too much activity, but most are the result of trauma from falling, sports injuries or car crashes. Symptoms include:
  • inflammation surrounding the knee
  • Visually noticeable 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 happen when the femur and tibia are pushed 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 somewhat atypical structure of the knee are at a greater risk of patellar dislocation knee injuries. While a Marlborough, MO doctor will be able to put the knee or kneecap back in place, treatment by a physical therapist will be a vital facet of the recovery process to reduce swelling, gradually increase movement 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 happen 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 swelling and lack of stability. While ACL tears are frequently accompanied by harm to other parts of the knee, by themselves they are not always painful. MCL and LCL tears occur when there is a hit that pushes the knee sideways.

Diagnoses and Tests

It is vital to receive the proper immediate and long-term treatment after experiencing a knee injury. The treatment you receive can account for either quick and effective recovery or a lifetime of chronic, debilitating pain. In the event of knee injuries that cause apparent and severe trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be necessary and a Marlborough, 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 Marlborough, MO medical professional can evaluate the appearance and mobility of your knee while looking for inflammation or tenderness. Our physical therapists are professionals in human motion and provide free, no obligation injury screenings for your knee injuries and other injuries.
• X-Rays can detect broken bones and degenerative joint disease.
• CT scans combine X-rays from varying angles to build cross-sectional images 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 move your knee into different positions to look for specific issues.
• MRIs create 3D images of the inside of your knee. This test is often implemented to detect 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 Marlborough, MO physical therapist who is an expert in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will analyze your motion, your mobility, and will also examine how strong and stable your knee is. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Marlborough, MO County will recommend a bespoke treatment plan, which might include an appointment with a Marlborough, 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 are experiencing pain, you need 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 at the time of your injury, 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 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 Marlborough, MO physical therapist who treats 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 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 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:

• Sports Injury
• Work Injury Rehabilitation
• Physical Therapist Near Me
• Neck Pain
• Occupational Therapy
• Low Back Pain
• Free Injury Screening

Receive Physical Therapy for Knee Injuries

If you are managing knee pain or have recently experienced a knee injury, you need the specialized advice of Marlborough, 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 devoted, personalized care of your Axes physical therapist. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or find out the knee injury treatment location nearest you.