Knee injuries Schluersburg, MO. The knee is a versatile joint that permits our bodies to execute a wide array of functional activities like sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, jumping and more. Experiencing a knee injury makes walking and many other daily activities painful or even impossible. If you’ve recently suffered a knee injury or suffer from chronic knee pain, it is essential to find first-rate physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Schluersburg, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we give safe and effective care to hundreds of Schluersburg, MO residents. 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 Schluersburg, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in custom tailored treatment plans created 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 individual needs of each Schluersburg, MO resident we treat.

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 next to the tibia) and patella (kneecap) are the other bones that constitute the knee joint. Encircling the knee are leg muscles, which help move the knee, and tendons and ligaments that connect 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 act as shock absorbers between the tibia and femur.

Owing to the intricacy of the joint and the pressure placed on the knee, with parts that can be torn, fractured, sprained, or dislocated, knee injuries are one of the most typical musculoskeletal injuries that are suffered. If you’ve experienced a knee injury or are living with chronic knee pain, you need the attention and careful treatment of Schluersburg, MO area physical therapists. Our team of professional therapists who are highly knowledgeable when treating knee injuries will lead you in your recovery and restore full 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 left unattended or treated improperly can lead to continued problems, including arthritis. Knee sprains are commonly caused by acute twisting injuries, or injuries caused by outside forces that stretch or tear a ligament. It is usually a sports related injury that comes from force, such as a knock to the front or outside of the knee. Furthermore, non contact knee sprains are very typical and result from weakness, muscle fatigue or poor mechanics. Symptoms include:

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

Torn cartilage can frequently take place take place at the same time as sprains, and occur when trauma to the knee tears the menisci. It’s typically the result of forcefully twisting or rotating your knee and is often seen in contact sports such as football, as well as sports like soccer or baseball with repeated jumping and rotating/pivoting. In older adults, a cartilage tear in the knee can take place with little or no external force 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 straighten the knee

Patellar Tendonitis, also called “jumper’s knee,” is a result of inflammation of the tendons in the knee, specifically the quadriceps tendon. Anterior knee pain is usually the main symptom of this category of knee injury, and initially it might only occur when working out or exercising. It often stems from overuse. Over time, the pain worsens and starts to make exercising or playing sports more difficult. If unattended, eventually you could have trouble climbing stairs or even rising 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 problems between the patella and femur and is typically felt when climbing stairs or getting up from a chair. The specific cause is still unknown; however, most physicians and physical and occupational therapists think 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 extremely painful variety of knee injuries and need urgent medical care. More destructive fractures can need surgery to repair the knee and return functionality. There are three common knee injuries related to fractures:

• Patellar: a fracture of the kneecap that often happens when you land precisely on your knee, hit the dashboard in a motor vehicle accident or sustain another type of heavy blow to the knee. Symptoms include:
  • Pain, inflammation, and bruising
  • Inability to straighten the knee or keep it straight
  • Inability to walk
• Distal Femur: takes place where the thigh bone and knee connect. The bone may shatter or may suffer a clean fracture. Distal femoral knee injuries frequently also damage the cartilage in the knee, which makes them difficult to treat. They usually 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 aching
  • 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 not as hard as 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 happen because of falling, sports injuries or car accidents. Symptoms include:
  • Swelling surrounding 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 affected

Dislocation of the knee or kneecap can either occur when the femur and tibia are forced out of alignment, or when the patella is forced out of place. These are frequently caused by extreme force 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 Schluersburg, MO doctor will be able to correct the dislocation, treatment by a physical therapist will be an essential facet of the recovery process to reduce swelling, slowly improve motion 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 happen 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 knee instability. While ACL tears are often 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 vital to receive appropriate immediate and long-term treatment after suffering a knee injury. The care 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 that cause apparent and major trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be necessary and a Schluersburg, 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 Schluersburg, MO medical professional can evaluate the appearance and movement of your knee while checking for inflammation or tenderness. Our physical therapists are specialists in human motion and provide free, no obligation injury screenings for your knee injuries and other injuries.
• X-Rays can reveal broken bones and degenerative joint disease.
• CT scans combine X-rays from varying angles to make cross-sectional pictures of the inside of your knee. They can help reveal 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 pictures of the inside of your knee. This test is often utilized 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 Schluersburg, MO physical therapist who is an expert in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will evaluate your motion, your mobility, and will also monitor the strength of your knee and its stability. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Schluersburg, MO County will recommend a bespoke treatment plan, which may include follow-up with a Schluersburg, 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, it’s important to rest and to temporarily stop any activity you think may have resulted in 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 are unable to bear weight without pain. With some severe knee injuries, such as ACL tears or broken bones, 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 Schluersburg, MO physical therapist who treats knee injuries will help you safely restore movement and strength to your knee as your injury heals. 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 grounded in 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:

• Back Pain Treatment
• Neck Pain Treatment
• 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

Receive Physical Therapy for Knee Injuries

If you are living with knee pain or have recently sustained a knee injury, you require the expert advice of Schluersburg, 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, customized care of your Axes physical therapist. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or find out the knee injury treatment location nearest you.