Knee injuries Potosi, MO. The knee is a multifaceted joint that allows our bodies to accomplish a wide scope of functional activities like 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 are impacted by chronic knee pain, it is essential to find first-rate physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Potosi, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we give safe and effective care to hundreds of patients in the Potosi, MO area. Contact us today to find out more or schedule your first appointment.

Axes Physical Therapy provides individually tailored, evidence-based evaluation and treatment for those with knee injuries in Potosi, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in customized treatment plans implemented specifically for your injury, 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 dedicated to serving the specifical needs of each Potosi, 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 form the knee joint. Encircling the knee are leg muscles, which help move the knee, 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 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 act as shock absorbers between the tibia and femur.

Because of the complexity 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 sustained a knee injury or are dealing with chronic knee pain, you need the attention and careful treatment of Potosi, MO area physical therapists. Our team of certified 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 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 treated incorrectly can cause chronic problems, including arthritis. Knee sprains are commonly 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. Furthermore, non contact knee sprains are very typical and occur because of weakness, muscle fatigue or incorrect technique. Symptoms include:

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

Torn cartilage can often take place take place at the same time as sprains, and take place when damage to the knee tears the menisci. It’s usually 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 happen with little or no trauma 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 a result of swelling of the tendons in the knee, specifically the quadriceps tendon. Anterior knee pain is almost always the main symptom of this category of knee injury, and at the start it might only occur when working out or exercising. It frequently stems from overuse. Over time, the pain becomes worse and starts to make exercising or playing sports more difficult. If unattended, eventually you could have difficulty climbing stairs or even rising from a chair. That’s why it’s vital 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 caused by tracking and alignment issues between the patella and femur and is commonly felt when climbing stairs or rising from a chair. The exact cause is still unknown; however, most physicians and physical and occupational therapists presume 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 category of knee injuries and need emergency 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 typically occurs when you land exactly on your knee, hit the dashboard in a auto crash or suffer another kind 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: occurs where the thigh bone and knee connect. The bone can shatter or can break straight across. Distal femoral knee injuries often also injure the cartilage in the knee, which makes them difficult 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 putting weight on the knee
  • Inflammation, bruising, and tenderness
  • The leg may look shorter and crooked
• 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 occur 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 too much activity, but most are the result of trauma from falling, sports injuries or motor vehicle accidents. Symptoms include:
  • inflammation surrounding the knee
  • Visually obvious 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 take place when the femur and tibia are pushed out of alignment, or when the patella is pushed out of place. These are usually caused by high energy trauma from sports, car accidents or falls. People with a somewhat abnormal structure of the knee are at a higher risk of patellar dislocation knee injuries. While a Potosi, 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 rehabilitation process to reduce swelling, slowly increase 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 happen in high-energy sports where players are landing after jumping or switching 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 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 treatment after experiencing a knee injury. The treatment you receive can be the difference between a swift and strong recovery or a lifetime of chronic, debilitating pain. In the event of knee injuries involving clear and serious trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be required and a Potosi, 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 Potosi, MO medical professional can analyze the appearance and movement of your knee while looking for swelling or tenderness. Our physical therapists are specialists in human movement and carry out free, no obligation injury evaluations for your knee injuries and other injuries.
• X-Rays can reveal broken bones and degenerative joint disease.
• CT scans combine X-rays from various angles to build 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 move your knee at different angles to look for specific issues.
• MRIs create 3D pictures of the inside of your knee. This test is frequently used 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 Potosi, MO physical therapist who specializes in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will evaluate your movement, your mobility, and will also inspect how strong and stable your knee is. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Potosi, MO County will recommend a bespoke treatment plan, which might include an appointment with a Potosi, MO orthopedic or sports physician.

Treatments and Therapy

Small knee injuries can often heal with the RICE Method: rest, ice, gentle compression, and elevation. If you are experiencing pain, you need to rest and to temporarily 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 at the time of your injury, if you experience severe pain or swelling, cannot move the knee, or cannot 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 make the knee functional again. Physical therapy will then be part of your preoperative and postoperative treatment plan. A Potosi, MO physical therapist who treats knee injuries will put you on the path to safely restore motion and strength to your knee as you recuperate. Common 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 founded 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:

• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy
• Workers Comp' Physical Therapy
• Migraine Relief
• Sprain and Strain Treatment
• Geriatric Physical Therapy
• Injury Rehabilitation
• Pain Management Services
• TMJ Treatment
• Herniated Disc Treatment

Receive Physical Therapy for Knee Injuries

If you are experiencing knee pain or have recently suffered a knee injury, you need the expert advice of Potosi, MO physical therapists to eliminate your pain and return you to full mobility. 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.