Knee injuries Wright City, MO. The knee is a versatile joint that allows our bodies to execute a wide array of functional activities such as sitting, standing, lifting, walking, running, jumping and more. Suffering a knee injury makes walking and many other basic activities painful or even impossible. If you’ve recently had a knee injury or are affected by chronic knee pain, it is essential to find top-notch physical therapy with licensed physical therapists in the Wright City, MO area. At Axes Physical Therapy, we offer safe and effective therapy to hundreds of Wright City, MO residents. Contact us today to find out more or schedule your first appointment.

Axes Physical Therapy provides customized, evidence-based analysis and treatment for people with knee injuries in Wright City, MO. Our knee injury experts specialize in personalized treatment plans made 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 committed to serving the specifical needs of each Wright City, MO resident we see.

The Human Knee

The knee is one of the biggest and most complex joints in the body. 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. Around the knee 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 provide support and stability. These ligaments include the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), which provide 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 act as 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 typical musculoskeletal injuries that are suffered. If you’ve sustained a knee injury or are dealing with chronic knee pain, you need the attention and careful treatment of Wright City, MO area physical therapists. Our team of certified therapists who specialize in treating knee injuries will guide you in your recuperation and help you regain full 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 left unattended or cared for poorly can result in chronic problems, including arthritis. Knee sprains are usually the result of acute twisting injuries, or injuries caused by 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 common and occur because of weakness, muscle fatigue or poor mechanics. Symptoms include:

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

Torn cartilage can often occur take place at the same time as sprains, and occur when trauma to the knee tears the menisci. It’s most often 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:

• 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 swelling 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 initially it may 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 untreated, eventually you could find it difficult to climb stairs or even rise 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 a result of tracking and alignment issues between the patella and femur and is commonly felt when climbing stairs or getting up from a chair. The exact cause is still unknown; however, most physicians and physical and occupational therapists think 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 extremely painful variety of knee injuries and require urgent medical attention. More complicated fractures can necesitate surgery to repair the knee and allow it to function normally again. There are three common knee injuries related to fractures:

• Patellar: a fracture of the kneecap that often happens when you fall directly on your knee, hit the dashboard in a car accident or experience another kind of heavy blow to the knee. Symptoms include:
  • Pain, swelling, and bruising
  • Inability to straighten the knee or keep it straight
  • Inability to walk
• Distal Femur: takes place where the thigh bone and knee touch. The bone can shatter or can break straight across. Distal femoral knee injuries often also injure the cartilage in the knee, which makes them hard 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 contorted
• Proximal Tibia: often 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 often take place 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 motor vehicle accidents. Symptoms include:
  • inflammation surrounding the knee
  • Visually obvious 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 high energy trauma from sports, car accidents or falls. People with a somewhat abnormal structure of the knee are at a greater risk of patellar dislocation knee injuries. While a Wright City, MO doctor will be able to correct the dislocation, treatment by a physical therapist will be an important facet of the recuperation process to reduce swelling, slowly improve 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 take place 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 swelling and lack of stability. While ACL tears are frequently accompanied by damage to other parts of the knee, by themselves they are not always painful. MCL and LCL tears occur when there is blunt force that pushes the knee sideways.

Diagnoses and Tests

It is important to receive appropriate urgent and long-term care after experiencing a knee injury. The care you receive can account for either quick and effective recovery or a lifetime of chronic, debilitating pain. In regards to knee injuries involving obvious and severe trauma, such as a dislocated patella, tests may not be needed and a Wright City, 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 Wright City, MO medical professional can evaluate the appearance and movement of your knee while looking for swelling or tenderness. Our physical therapists are experts in human movement and provide free, no obligation injury evaluations 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 produce cross-sectional images of your knee. They can help reveal knee injuries such as subtle fractures.
• Ultrasounds use sound waves to make 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 images of the inside of your knee. This test is frequently utilized to show 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 Wright City, MO physical therapist who is an expert in knee injuries. Your knee injury therapist will analyze your motion, your mobility, and will also monitor the strength of your knee and its stability. After diagnosis, your Axes physical therapist in Wright City, MO County will recommend a individually tailored treatment plan, which may include an appointment with a Wright City, MO orthopedic or sports physician.

Treatments and Therapy

Less significant knee injuries can be treated using the RICE Method: rest, ice, gentle compression, and elevation. If you are experiencing pain, you need 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 serious knee injuries, such as ACL tears or bone fractures, surgery is required to correct the structure of the knee and return functionality. Physical therapy will then be part of your preoperative and postoperative treatment plan. A Wright City, MO physical therapist who treats knee injuries will help you safely restore movement and strength to your knee as you recuperate. Common therapies for knee injuries include (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 recuperation 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 experienced a knee injury, you need the expert advice of Wright City, 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, individualized care of your Axes physical therapist. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or find out the knee injury treatment location nearest you.