Knee injuries Stone Meadows, MO. The knee is a versatile joint that lets our bodies accomplish a wide range of movements like sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, jumping and more. Suffering a knee injury makes walking and a lot of other daily activities painful or even impossible. If you’ve recently suffered a knee injury or are impacted by chronic knee pain, it is vital to find quality physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Stone Meadows, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we give safe and effective care to hundreds of patients in the Stone Meadows, MO area. Contact us today to find out more or schedule your first appointment.

Axes Physical Therapy provides bespoke, evidence-based analysis and treatment for those with knee injuries in Stone Meadows, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in customized treatment plans designed 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 devoted to serving the individual needs of each Stone Meadows, MO patient we treat.

The Human Knee

The knee is one of the biggest and most complex joints in the body. 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 constitute 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 offer support and stability. These ligaments include the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), which offer stability in front of and behind 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 pressure placed on the knee, with bones, tendons, and ligaments that can be torn, fractured, sprained, or dislocated, knee injuries are one of the most commonly seen musculoskeletal injuries that are suffered. If you’ve suffered a knee injury or are dealing with chronic knee pain, you need the care and careful treatment of Stone Meadows, MO area physical therapists. Our team of professional therapists who are highly knowledgeable when treating knee injuries will lead you in your recuperation and help you regain full mobility of your injured knee.

Types of Knee Injuries and Common Causes

Knee sprains can be painful knee injuries that take place when ligaments in the knee are torn or overstretched. Knee sprains are painful, and if left unattended or treated poorly can cause chronic issues, 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 knock 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 technique. Symptoms include:

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

Torn cartilage can often occur in tandem with 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 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:

• 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 straighten the knee

Patellar Tendonitis, also known 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 variety of knee injury, and initially it might only occur when working out or exercising. It is also commonly an overuse injury. Over time, the pain increases and starts to make exercising or playing sports more difficult. If unattended, after a while you could have trouble climbing stairs or even rising from a chair. That’s why it’s essential to receive 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 often felt when climbing stairs or getting up from a chair. The exact cause is not understood yet; however, most doctors 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 category of knee injuries and require emergency medical treatment. 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 happens when you fall precisely on your knee, hit the dashboard in a auto accident or experience another type of heavy blow to the knee. Symptoms include:
  • Pain, swelling, and bruising
  • Inability to straighten the knee or keep it keep it
  • Inability to walk
• Distal Femur: takes place where the thigh bone and knee meet. The bone can shatter or may suffer a clean fracture. Because distal femoral knee injuries can hurt the cartilage in the knee, they can sometimes be harder to treat. They typically 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 tenderness
  • 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 frequently 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 happen because of falling, sports injuries or car accidents. Symptoms include:
  • Swelling around the knee
  • Visually noticeable 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 forced out of place. These are typically caused by high energy 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 Stone Meadows, MO doctor will be able to put the knee or kneecap back in place, treatment by a physical therapist will be a vital facet of the rehabilitation process to reduce swelling, gradually increase movement and improve 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 changing 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 inflammation and knee instability. While ACL tears are frequently 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 proper immediate and long-term treatment 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 the event of knee injuries involving obvious and severe trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be necessary and a Stone Meadows, 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 Stone Meadows, MO medical professional can evaluate the appearance and mobility of your knee while looking for inflammation or tenderness. Our physical therapists are specialists in human movement and conduct free, no obligation injury screenings for your knee injuries and other injuries.
• X-Rays can detect bone fractures and degenerative joint disease.
• CT scans combine X-rays from various angles to make cross-sectional pictures of the inside of your knee. They can help detect knee injuries such as subtle fractures.
• Ultrasounds use sound waves to make 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 frequently utilized to detect 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 Stone Meadows, MO physical therapist who is an expert in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will evaluate your movement, your mobility, and will also study the strength of your knee and its stability. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Stone Meadows, MO County will recommend a personalized treatment plan, which might include an appointment with a Stone Meadows, MO orthopedic or sports physician.

Treatments and Therapy

Slight knee injuries can be treated using the RICE Method: rest, ice, gentle compression, and elevation. If you are experiencing pain, it’s important to rest and to momentarily cease any activity you think may have caused your injury. Get 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, cannot 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 needed to correct the structure of the knee and return functionality. Physical therapy will then be part of your preoperative and postoperative treatment plan. A Stone Meadows, MO physical therapist who treats knee injuries will put you on the path to safely restore movement and strength in your knee as you recuperate. Common 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 founded on 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:

• 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
• Stroke Rehabilitation

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 Stone Meadows, 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 dedicated, customized care of your Axes physical therapist. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or discover the knee injury treatment location nearest you.