Knee injuries Weldon Spring, MO. The knee is a versatile joint that permits our bodies to accomplish a vast scope of movements like sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, jumping and more. Sustaining 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 affected by chronic knee pain, it is essential to find first-rate physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Weldon Spring, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we give safe and effective therapy to hundreds of Weldon Spring, MO residents. Contact us today to find out more or schedule your first appointment.

Axes Physical Therapy provides customized, evidence-based evaluation and treatment for people with knee injuries in Weldon Spring, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in custom tailored treatment plans designed specifically for your condition, needs and movement goals. As a network of physical therapy facilities locally owned and operated by Weldon Spring, MO physical therapists, Axes Physical Therapy is committed to serving the individual needs of each Weldon Spring, MO patient we see.

The Human Knee

The knee is one of the largest 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 comprise 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 offer stability to the front and back of the knee, and the medial and lateral collateral ligaments (MCL and LCL), which stabilize side-to-side movement. The medial and lateral menisci are shock absorbers between the tibia and femur.

Owing to the intricacy of the joint and the stresses placed on the knee, with parts that can be torn, fractured, sprained, or dislocated, knee injuries are one of the most commonly seen 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 Weldon Spring, MO area physical therapists. Our team of qualified therapists who are highly knowledgeable when treating knee injuries will guide you in your rehabilitation and help you regain complete 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 untreated or cared for poorly can cause continued issues, including arthritis. Knee sprains are typically 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 hit to the front or outside of the knee. Additionally, non contact knee sprains are very typical and result from weakness, muscle fatigue or improper technique. Symptoms include:

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

Torn cartilage can frequently happen take place at the same time as sprains, and take place when damage to the knee tears the menisci. It’s most frequently the result of 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 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 working out or exercising
• Buckling or locking of the knee joint
• Crunching or popping noises when walking
• Difficulty bearing weight
• Inability to flex 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 typically the main symptom of this variety of knee injury, and at first it may only occur when training or exercising. It is also commonly an overuse injury. Over time, the pain becomes worse 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. For that reason, it’s essential 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 caused by tracking and alignment issues between the patella and femur and is often experienced climbing stairs or rising from a chair. The specific cause is still unknown; however, most physicians and physical and occupational therapists presume 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 require urgent medical treatment. More destructive fractures can require surgery to repair the knee and return functionality. There are three common knee injuries associated with fractures:

• Patellar: a fracture of the kneecap that typically takes place when you fall exactly on your knee, hit the dashboard in a car crash or experience another kind of extreme external force to the knee. Symptoms include:
  • Pain, inflammation, 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 connect. The bone can shatter or might break straight across. Because distal femoral knee injuries can damage the cartilage in the knee, they can sometimes be harder 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: often injure 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 auto crashes. Symptoms include:
  • Swelling around the knee
  • Visually apparent 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 occur when the femur and tibia are pushed out of alignment, or when the patella is pushed out of place. These are typically caused by extreme force from sports, car accidents or falls. People with a somewhat abnormal structure of the knee are at a heightened risk of patellar dislocation knee injuries. While a Weldon Spring, MO doctor can put the knee or kneecap back in place, treatment by a physical therapist will be an essential aspect of the recovery 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 take place in high-energy sports where players are landing after jumping or changing direction quickly. The PCL can frequently be torn when there is trauma 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 harm to other parts of the knee, ACL tears alone 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 correct immediate and long-term care after suffering a knee injury. The treatment you receive can account for either quick and effective recovery or a lifetime of chronic, debilitating pain. In regards to knee injuries that cause noticeable and serious trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be needed and a Weldon Spring, 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 Weldon Spring, MO medical professional can analyze the appearance and movement of your knee while looking for inflammation or tenderness. Our physical therapists are specialists in human movement and conduct free, no obligation injury evaluations for your knee injuries and other injuries.
• X-Rays can show broken bones and degenerative joint disease.
• CT scans combine X-rays from different angles to build cross-sectional pictures of the inside 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 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 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 Weldon Spring, MO physical therapist who is an expert in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will evaluate your movement, your mobility, and will also study how strong and stable your knee is. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Weldon Spring, MO County will recommend a customized treatment plan, which could include an appointment with a Weldon Spring, 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 feel pain, it’s important to rest and to temporarily cease 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, cannot move the knee, or cannot bear weight without pain. With some serious 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 Weldon Spring, 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. Typical 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 based 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 suffering from knee pain or have recently suffered a knee injury, you require the expert advice of Weldon Spring, 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, personalized care of your Axes physical therapist. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or find out the knee injury treatment location nearest you.