Knee injuries Wilbur Park, MO. The knee is a versatile joint that allows our bodies to carry out a vast range of motions like sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, jumping and more. Experiencing a knee injury makes walking and a lot of other daily tasks painful or even impossible. If you’ve recently suffered a knee injury or are affected by chronic knee pain, it is essential to find quality physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Wilbur Park, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we give safe and effective treatment to hundreds of patients in the Wilbur Park, MO area. Contact us today to find out more or schedule your first appointment.

Axes Physical Therapy provides personalized, evidence-based evaluation and therapy for people with knee injuries in Wilbur Park, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in custom tailored treatment plans created specifically for your injury, needs and movement goals. As a network of physical therapy facilities locally owned and operated by Wilbur Park, MO physical therapists, Axes Physical Therapy is committed to serving the specific needs of each Wilbur Park, 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 on the side of the tibia) and patella (kneecap) are the other bones that comprise the knee joint. Around the knee 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 provide 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.

Because of the complexity of the joint and the stresses placed on the knee, with elements 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 experiencing chronic knee pain, you need the attention and careful treatment of Wilbur Park, MO area physical therapists. Our team of professional therapists who are highly knowledgeable when treating knee injuries will guide 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 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 poorly can lead to continued problems, including arthritis. Knee sprains are typically caused by 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 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 incorrect technique. Symptoms include:

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

Torn cartilage can frequently happen in tandem with sprains, and take place when damage to the knee tears the menisci. It’s typically the result of 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:

• 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 caused by swelling of the tendons in the knee, specifically the quadriceps tendon. Anterior knee pain is commonly the main symptom of this variety of knee injury, and at first it might only occur when working out or exercising. It commonly stems from overuse. Over time, the pain worsens and starts to make exercising or playing sports more difficult. If untreated, after a while you could have trouble climbing stairs or even getting up 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 felt when climbing stairs or rising 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 a tremendously painful of of knee injuries and require emergency medical care. More destructive fractures can require 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 frequently takes place when you fall exactly on your knee, hit the dashboard in a motor vehicle crash or suffer another kind of heavy blow to the knee. Symptoms include:
  • Pain, inflammation, and bruising
  • Inability to extend the knee or keep it straight
  • Inability to walk
• Distal Femur: happens where the thigh bone and knee meet. The bone can shatter or might break straight across. Because distal femoral knee injuries can hurt the cartilage in the knee, they can sometimes be more difficult 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
  • Swelling, bruising, and soreness
  • The leg may look shorter and bent
• Proximal Tibia: often injure the soft tissue of the knee as well. The top of the tibia, where it meets the knee, is softer than the rest of the bone. These knee injuries often happen 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 are the result of trauma from falling, sports injuries or motor vehicle crashes. Symptoms include:
  • inflammation surrounding 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 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 somewhat atypical structure of the knee are at a heightened risk of patellar dislocation knee injuries. While a Wilbur Park, 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 recovery process to reduce swelling, gradually increase movement 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 occur in high-action sports where players are landing after jumping or switching 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 inflammation and knee instability. While ACL tears are often accompanied by injury to other parts of the knee, by themselves they are not always painful. MCL and LCL tears occur when there is a blow that pushes the knee sideways.

Diagnoses and Tests

It is important to receive appropriate immediate and long-term care 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 clear and severe trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be needed and a Wilbur Park, 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 Wilbur Park, MO medical professional can analyze the appearance and movement of your knee while checking for inflammation or tenderness. Our physical therapists are experts in human movement 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 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 build 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 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 dealing with pain caused by a knee injury, contact Axes Physical Therapy to work with a Wilbur Park, MO physical therapist who specializes in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will analyze your motion, your mobility, and will also study the strength of your knee and its stability. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Wilbur Park, MO County will recommend a bespoke treatment plan, which could include an appointment with a Wilbur Park, 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 stop any activity you think may have caused 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, cannot move the knee, or cannot bear weight without pain. With some grave knee injuries, such as ACL tears or bone fractures, 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 Wilbur Park, MO physical therapist who specializes knee injuries will help you safely restore movement and strength to your knee as you recuperate. 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 rehabilitation 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 experiencing knee pain or have recently sustained a knee injury, you need the professional advice of Wilbur Park, 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 devoted, personalized care of your Axes physical therapist. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or find out the knee injury treatment location nearest you.