Knee injuries Mehlville, MO. The knee is a multifaceted joint that allows our bodies to execute a wide array of motions such as sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, jumping and more. Sustaining a knee injury makes walking and many other basic tasks painful or even impossible. If you’ve recently suffered a knee injury or experience chronic knee pain, it is important to find top-notch physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Mehlville, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we give safe and effective treatment to hundreds of patients in the Mehlville, MO area. Contact us today to find out more or schedule your first appointment.

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

The Human Knee

The knee is one of the largest and most complex joints we have. It joins 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 constitute the knee joint. Encircling the knee are leg muscles, which drive the knee’s movements, and tendons and ligaments that attach the knee bones to the leg muscles or ligaments which provide support and stability. These ligaments include the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), which provide stability to the front and back of the knee, and the medial and lateral collateral ligaments (MCL and LCL), which stabilize sideways movement. The medial and lateral menisci are shock absorbers between the tibia and femur.

Because of 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 common musculoskeletal injuries that one can sustain. If you’ve experienced a knee injury or are experiencing chronic knee pain, you need the care and careful treatment of Mehlville, MO area physical therapists. Our team of qualified therapists who specialize in treating knee injuries will guide you in your recuperation and help you regain full mobility of your injured knee.

Types of Knee Injuries and Common Causes

Knee sprains are knee injuries that can cause a lot of pain, and they 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 problems, 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 hit to the front or outside of the knee. Furthermore, non contact knee sprains are very common and result from weakness, muscle fatigue or incorrect mechanics. 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 happen when trauma to the knee tears the menisci. It’s most frequently 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 continued jumping 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:

• Dull pain 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 a result of inflammation of the tendons in the knee, specifically the quadriceps tendon. Anterior knee pain is almost always the main symptom of this kind of knee injury, and at the start it might only occur when training or exercising. It frequently stems from overuse. 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 rise from a chair. For that reason, it’s important to seek out 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 a result of tracking and alignment problems between the patella and femur and is typically felt when climbing stairs or rising from a chair. The exact cause is still unknown; however, most physicians 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 exceptionally painful type of knee injuries and necesitate urgent medical care. More destructive fractures can necesitate surgery to repair the knee and return functionality. There are three common knee injuries associated with fractures:

• Patellar: a fracture of the kneecap that often takes place when you fall exactly on your knee, hit the dashboard in a car accident or sustain another type of extreme external force to the knee. Symptoms include:
  • Pain, inflammation, and bruising
  • Inability to extend the knee or keep it straight
  • Inability to walk
• Distal Femur: happens 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 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 placing weight on the knee
  • Swelling, bruising, and soreness
  • The leg may look shorter and bent
• Proximal Tibia: frequently damage the soft tissue of the knee as well. The top of the tibia, where it connects to the knee, is softer than 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 are the result of trauma from falling, sports injuries or car crashes. Symptoms include:
  • Swelling surrounding the knee
  • Visually evident deformity or misalignment
  • Numb, pale, or cold feet, as the flow of blood to the foot could be restricted

Dislocation of the knee or kneecap can either happen when the femur and tibia are forced 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 somewhat abnormal structure of the knee are at a heightened risk of patellar dislocation knee injuries. While a Mehlville, MO doctor will be able to put the knee or kneecap back in place, treatment by a physical therapist will be an essential part of the recovery process to reduce swelling, slowly increase movement and increase strength in the hip and leg musculature.

ACL, PCL, MCL, and LCL Injuries can be either tears or sprains. ACL injuries can often take place in high-energy sports where players are landing after jumping or changing direction rapidly. 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 lack of stability. While ACL tears are frequently accompanied by damage to other parts of the knee, ACL tears alone are often not painful. MCL and LCL tears occur when there is a blow that pushes the knee sideways.

Diagnoses and Tests

It is essential to receive the correct urgent and long-term care after sustaining 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 that cause evident and major trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be required and a Mehlville, 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 Mehlville, MO medical professional can evaluate the appearance and mobility of your knee while looking for swelling or tenderness. Our physical therapists are experts in human motion and conduct 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 different angles to produce cross-sectional pictures of the inside of your knee. They can help reveal knee injuries such as subtle fractures.
• Ultrasounds use sound waves to build 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 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 Mehlville, MO physical therapist who is an expert in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will analyze your movement, your mobility, and will also study how strong and stable your knee is. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Mehlville, MO County will recommend a individually tailored treatment plan, which could include follow-up with a Mehlville, MO orthopedic or sports physician.

Treatments and Therapy

Small 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 temporarily cease any activity you think may have led to 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 required to correct the structure of the knee and return functionality. Physical therapy will then be part of your preoperative and postoperative treatment plan. A Mehlville, MO physical therapist who treats knee injuries will put you on the path to safely restore motion and strength in your knee as your injury heals. 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 designed from proven treatment strategies and are tailored specifically for each patient. We lead 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:

• 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 suffering from knee pain or have recently experienced a knee injury, you require the professional advice of Mehlville, 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, individualized care of your Axes physical therapist. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or find out the knee injury treatment location nearest you.