Knee injuries Truesdale, MO. The knee is a multifaceted joint that lets our bodies accomplish a wide range of motions such as sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, jumping and more. Experiencing a knee injury makes walking and many other basic tasks painful or even impossible. If you’ve recently experienced a knee injury or experience chronic knee pain, it is important to find first-rate physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Truesdale, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we offer safe and effective care to hundreds of Truesdale, MO residents. Contact us today to find out more or schedule your first appointment.

Axes Physical Therapy provides bespoke, evidence-based analysis and treatment for people with knee injuries in Truesdale, 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 devoted to serving the individual needs of each Truesdale, MO resident we treat.

The Human Knee

The knee is one of the biggest and most complex joints we have. It joins the tibia (shin bone) to the femur (thigh bone). The fibula (the small bone that runs on the side of the tibia) and patella (kneecap) are the other bones that make up the knee joint. Surrounding 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 sideways movement. The medial and lateral menisci are shock absorbers between the tibia and femur.

Because of the intricacy of the joint and the pressure placed on the knee, with elements that can be torn, fractured, sprained, or dislocated, knee injuries are one of the most typical musculoskeletal injuries that one can sustain. If you’ve experienced a knee injury or are experiencing chronic knee pain, you need the care and careful treatment of Truesdale, MO area physical therapists. Our team of certified therapists who are highly knowledgeable when treating knee injuries will lead you in your recuperation and restore 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 inadequately can cause chronic issues, including arthritis. Knee sprains are often the result of acute twisting injuries, or occur when an outside force stretches or tears 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 common and occur because of 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 happen when trauma to the knee tears the menisci. It’s usually caused by forcefully twisting or rotating your knee and is common in contact sports such as football, as well as sports like soccer or baseball with repeated leaping and rotating/pivoting. In older adults, a cartilage tear in the knee can happen with little or no external force 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 extend the knee

Patellar Tendonitis, also known as “jumper’s knee,” is caused by inflammation of the tendons in the knee, specifically the quadriceps tendon. Anterior knee pain is usually the main symptom of this type of knee injury, and at first it may only occur when working out or exercising. It frequently stems from overuse. Over time, the pain worsens and starts to make exercising or playing sports more difficult. If unattended, eventually you could find it difficult to climb stairs or even rise from a chair. That’s why it’s essential 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 often experienced climbing stairs or getting up from a chair. The specific cause is not understood yet; however, most physicians 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 of of knee injuries and require emergency medical attention. More destructive fractures can need surgery to repair the knee and return functionality. There are three common knee injuries associated with fractures:

• Patellar: a fracture of the kneecap that frequently happens when you land directly on your knee, hit the dashboard in a car crash or suffer 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: happens where the thigh bone and knee meet. 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 harder to treat. They typically 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
  • Swelling, bruising, and soreness
  • The leg may look shorter and bent
• Proximal Tibia: frequently injure 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 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 excessive activity, but most happen because of falling, sports injuries or auto crashes. Symptoms include:
  • inflammation around the knee
  • Visually evident 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 happen when the femur and tibia are forced out of alignment, or when the patella is pushed out of place. These are frequently caused by extreme force from sports, car accidents or falls. People with a slightly atypical structure of the knee are at a higher risk of patellar dislocation knee injuries. While a Truesdale, MO doctor will be able to put the knee or kneecap back in place, treatment by a physical therapist will be a vital part of the rehabilitation 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 occur in high-energy sports where players are landing after jumping or changing direction rapidly. 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 knee instability. While ACL tears are often accompanied by harm 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 the correct immediate and long-term care after suffering 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 evident and serious trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be needed and a Truesdale, 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 Truesdale, MO medical professional can evaluate 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 screenings for your knee injuries and other injuries.
• X-Rays can reveal bone fractures 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 produce 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 used 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 Truesdale, MO physical therapist who specializes in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will evaluate your movement, your mobility, and will also examine how strong and stable your knee is. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Truesdale, MO County will recommend a personalized treatment plan, which could include follow-up with a Truesdale, MO orthopedic or sports physician.

Treatments and Therapy

Less significant knee injuries can often heal with the RICE Method: rest, ice, gentle compression, and elevation. If you feel pain, you need 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 grave knee injuries, such as ACL tears or broken bones, 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 Truesdale, MO physical therapist who specializes knee injuries will put you on the path to safely restore movement and strength to your knee as your injury heals. 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 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:

• 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 suffering from knee pain or have recently sustained a knee injury, you require the specialized advice of Truesdale, 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 discover the knee injury treatment location nearest you.