Knee injuries Parkdale, MO. The knee is a versatile joint that permits our bodies to accomplish a vast array of functional activities such as sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, jumping and more. Suffering 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 essential to find quality physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Parkdale, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we give safe and effective therapy to hundreds of patients in the Parkdale, 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 those with knee injuries in Parkdale, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in custom tailored treatment plans made specifically for your condition, needs and movement goals. As a network of physical therapy facilities locally owned and operated by Parkdale, MO physical therapists, Axes Physical Therapy is dedicated to serving the individual needs of each Parkdale, MO patient we see.

The Human Knee

The knee is one of the biggest and most complex joints in the body. It joins 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 form the knee joint. Surrounding the knee are leg muscles, which are responsible for the knee’s movements, and tendons and ligaments that attach 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 side-to-side 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 parts that can be torn, fractured, sprained, or dislocated, knee injuries are one of the most commonly seen musculoskeletal injuries that one can sustain. If you’ve suffered a knee injury or are dealing with chronic knee pain, you need the care and careful treatment of Parkdale, MO area physical therapists. Our team of qualified therapists who specialize in treating knee injuries will lead you in your recuperation and help you regain 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 untreated or treated improperly can result in continued issues, including arthritis. Knee sprains are typically caused by 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 hit to the front or outside of the knee. Additionally, non contact knee sprains are very common and are caused by weakness, muscle fatigue or incorrect technique. Symptoms include:

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

Torn cartilage can frequently occur in tandem with sprains, and happen when trauma to the knee tears the menisci. It’s most often 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 occur with little or no external force 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 inflammation 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 initially it might only occur when training or exercising. It is also often an overuse injury. Over time, the pain becomes worse and starts to make exercising or playing sports more difficult. If unattended, after a while 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 that worsens with time and causes pain felt in the front of the knee. The pain is a result of tracking and alignment issues between the patella and femur and is commonly felt when 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 occur because of general overuse and weakness of the quadriceps muscle and inflexibility of other hip and knee musculature.

Fractures are an extremely painful of of knee injuries and require emergency medical treatment. More complex fractures can necesitate surgery to repair the knee and allow it to function normally again. There are three common knee injuries associated with fractures:

• Patellar: a fracture of the kneecap that typically happens 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, swelling, and bruising
  • Inability to extend the knee or keep it straight
  • Inability to walk
• Distal Femur: takes place where the thigh bone and knee touch. The bone may shatter or may break straight across. Because distal femoral knee injuries can damage the cartilage in the knee, they can sometimes be more difficult 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 placing weight on the knee
  • Swelling, bruising, and soreness
  • The leg may look shorter and bent
• Proximal Tibia: often damage 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 take place 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 accidents. Symptoms include:
  • inflammation surrounding the knee
  • Visually clear 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 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 slightly abnormal structure of the knee are at a heightened risk of patellar dislocation knee injuries. While a Parkdale, MO doctor will be able to correct the dislocation, treatment by a physical therapist will be a vital aspect of the recovery process to reduce swelling, gradually 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 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 inflammation and knee instability. While ACL tears are often 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 correct urgent and long-term care after sustaining 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 that cause clear and serious trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be necessary and a Parkdale, MO ER doctor will work to stabilize the knee as quickly as possible. Other means of diagnosis for knee injuries are:

• A physical examination. A Parkdale, MO medical professional can analyze the appearance and movement of your knee while looking for inflammation or tenderness. Our physical therapists are specialists in human movement and provide free, no obligation injury screenings 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 produce 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 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 often implemented to show soft tissue injuries, such as ACL tears or patellar tendonitis.

If you are suffering from pain caused by a knee injury, contact Axes Physical Therapy to work with a Parkdale, MO physical therapist who is an expert in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will analyze your movement, your mobility, and will also check how strong and stable your knee is. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Parkdale, MO County will recommend a personalized treatment plan, which may include follow-up with a Parkdale, 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 are experiencing pain, it’s important to rest and to temporarily stop any activity you think may have led to your injury. Seek 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 cannot 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 make the knee functional again. Physical therapy will then be part of your preoperative and postoperative treatment plan. A Parkdale, MO physical therapist who specializes knee injuries will put you on the path to safely restore motion and strength to your knee as your injury heals. 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 grounded in proven treatment strategies and are tailored specifically for each patient. We guide you in your recuperation 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 managing knee pain or have recently sustained a knee injury, you need the expert advice of Parkdale, 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 committed, personalized care of your Axes physical therapist. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or find out the knee injury treatment location nearest you.