Knee injuries Ranken, MO. The knee is a multifaceted joint that allows our bodies to carry out a wide range of movements such as sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, jumping and more. Sustaining a knee injury makes walking and a lot of other basic tasks painful or even impossible. If you’ve recently sustained 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 Ranken, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we give safe and effective therapy to hundreds of patients in the Ranken, 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 people with knee injuries in Ranken, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in custom tailored treatment plans implemented 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 dedicated to serving the specifical needs of each Ranken, MO patient we treat.

The Human Knee

The knee is one of the largest and most complex joints in the body. It attaches 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 help move the knee, and tendons and ligaments that join 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 offer 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 behave like shock absorbers between the tibia and femur.

Owing to the complexity of the joint and the forces 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 dealing with chronic knee pain, you need the attention and careful treatment of Ranken, MO area physical therapists. Our team of expert 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 hurt a lot, and they happen when ligaments in the knee are torn or overstretched. Knee sprains are painful, and if untreated or treated inadequately can lead to chronic problems, including arthritis. Knee sprains are typically the result of acute twisting injuries, or occur when an external 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 are caused by weakness, muscle fatigue or poor mechanics. 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 happen when damage to the knee tears the menisci. It’s most often 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 flex 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 typically the main symptom of this kind of knee injury, and initially it may only occur when working out or exercising. It often stems from overuse. Over time, the pain increases and starts to make exercising or playing sports more difficult. If unattended, eventually you could find it difficult to climb stairs or even get up from 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 getting up from a chair. The specific cause is still unknown; however, most physicians and physical and occupational therapists suspect these knee injuries occur 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 variety of knee injuries and need emergency medical treatment. More destructive 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 often takes place when you land exactly on your knee, hit the dashboard in a car accident or experience another kind of heavy blow to the knee. Symptoms include:
  • Pain, inflammation, and bruising
  • Inability to extend the knee or keep it keep it
  • Inability to walk
• Distal Femur: takes place where the thigh bone and knee touch. The bone might shatter or might suffer a clean fracture. Because distal femoral knee injuries can hurt 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 placing weight on the knee
  • Inflammation, bruising, and aching
  • The leg may look shorter and contorted
• Proximal Tibia: often damage 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 frequently 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 happen because of falling, sports injuries or motor vehicle crashes. Symptoms include:
  • Swelling around the knee
  • Visually evident 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 take place when the femur and tibia are forced 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 Ranken, 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 recuperation process to reduce swelling, slowly increase motion 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 occur in high-energy sports where players are landing after jumping or switching direction quickly. The PCL can often be torn when force is applied to the front of the knee as it is bent. Symptoms of these knee injuries include inflammation and lack of stability. While ACL tears are frequently accompanied by damage to other parts of the knee, by themselves they are often not painful. MCL and LCL tears occur when there is blunt force 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 treatment you receive can be the difference between a swift and strong recovery or a lifetime of chronic, debilitating pain. In regards to knee injuries involving apparent and serious trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be required and a Ranken, 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 Ranken, MO medical professional can evaluate the appearance and movement of your knee while looking for inflammation or tenderness. Our physical therapists are professionals in human motion and carry out 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 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 rotate and extend your knee into different positions to look for specific issues.
• MRIs create 3D images of the inside of your knee. This test is often used to show 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 Ranken, MO physical therapist who is an expert in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will analyze your motion, your mobility, and will also examine the strength of your knee and its stability. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Ranken, MO County will recommend a customized treatment plan, which may include an appointment with a Ranken, MO orthopedic or sports physician.

Treatments and Therapy

Minor knee injuries can often heal with the RICE Method: rest, ice, gentle compression, and elevation. If you feel pain, it’s important to rest and to momentarily 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 at the time of your injury, if you experience severe pain or swelling, are unable to move the knee, or cannot bear weight without pain. With some severe knee injuries, such as ACL tears or bone fractures, surgery is needed 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 Ranken, MO physical therapist who treats knee injuries will put you on the path to safely restore motion and strength in your knee as you recover. Typical therapies for knee injuries include (depending on your injury):

• Stretches and strengthening exercises of the entire lower extremity
• 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 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 managing knee pain or have recently experienced a knee injury, you require the expert advice of Ranken, 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, personalized care of your Axes physical therapist. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or discover the knee injury treatment location nearest you.