Knee Injury in Augusta, MO

Knee Injury in Augusta, MO. A knee injury has the power to disrupt your day to day living, and is likely to cause long-term symptoms. There is nobody in Augusta, MO who is completely immune to the threat of a knee injury. People of all ages, genders, and activity levels can experience a knee injury. However, the majority of knee injury victims experience damage due to advanced age, repetitive motions (such as in certain occupations), and sudden movement or trauma that can happen in accidents and when engaging in physical activities.

If you have any symptoms related to the knee — pain, buckling, stiffness, swelling or irritation — you could be suffering from a knee injury. For your swift and successful recovery, contact Axes Physical Therapy in the Augusta, MO area. The experienced staff of physical and occupational therapists will guide you in a recovery plan that leaves you stronger and healthier than ever before.

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What Do I Need to Know About Knee Injuries?

The knee earns the title of the largest human joint and is integral to many of the motions and actions that distinguish us from other animals and allow us to carry out the complicated tasks we use every day to go about our lives. The knee is composed of four distinct structures, all of which can be injured or damaged. The knee is made up of bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

The bones of the knee include the tibia, femur, and patella. The bones are held together by groups of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that make it possible for us to stand, sit, walk, and move. In addition to joining the separate bones together within the joint, the ligaments act to provide stability and limit movement in certain directions. Inside the joint, the ends of the bones are capped by a layer of cartilage. The cartilage tissue cushions the hard bones where they meet and works as a shock absorber when movement or weight put pressure on the joint.

All parts that make up the knee, whether soft tissue or bone, are essential to the knee’s ability to function as a strong and healthy joint, and any kind of damage to the bones, muscles, tendons or ligaments within the joint can cause a knee injury. If you or a family member have recently suffered any kind of trauma to your knee or surrounding area or have developed a chronic condition that could cause damage to any part of the knee, speak with Axes Physical Therapy to learn about how to care for and heal your knee injury in Augusta, MO today or make an appointment online now.

Knee Injury Causes and Prevalence in Augusta, MO and the US

The human knee is a sophisticated part of the human anatomy — a beautifully designed joint that makes it possible for us to execute tasks and movements that are unique to humans. However, the intricate joint design brings with it an inherent susceptibility to a variety of injuries. In fact, knee injuries account for the most common type of sports injury, making up 41 percent of all sports injuries. And sports injuries are just one type of knee injury that people in Augusta, MO and throughout the US can suffer. While athletic activity is the more likely culprit for knee injuries in young people, older adults who sustain knee injuries most often do so in acute injuries involving falls and ramps or through chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis.

Consider these fast knee injury facts and statistics provided by Society for Academic Emergency Medicine:

Adolescents and young adults (patients ranging in age from 15 years old to their late 20’s) are the most likely to experience a knee injury
68% of knee injury victims are male
Nearly half (49.5%) of all knee injuries occur in sports accidents
Of all sports-related knee injuries, the sports activities most likely to lead to injury are soccer and skiing, each responsible for more than a quarter of all sports knee injuries
Other top knee injury causes are related to home structures (30.2%), and home furnishings (13.6%)
The overwhelmingly most common knee injury diagnoses are strains and sprains at 42.1%; next are contusions and abrasions at 27.1% and cuts and puncture wounds at 10.5%

Common Types of Knee Injuries in Augusta, MO

Sprains and Strains. A sprain or strain knee injury involves a muscle or ligament within the joint structure of the knee. Injuries of this nature happen when the knee meets a sudden force or is suddenly forced in the wrong direction (for example, planting the foot and pivoting, twisting the knee in the wrong direction).
Fractures. A fracture describes a broken bone, and these kinds of injuries range in severity from a hairline fracture or crack in the bone to something much more devastating like a comminuted fracture when the bone is crushed into several fragments. Even the kneecap bone, called the patella, can be fractured during a knee injury, especially in car accidents, hard falls against solid objects, assaults and other traumatic events.
Cartilage or Ligament Tears. Injury to the ligaments and cartilage in and around the knee are frequently caused by a blow to the knee from various directions. Twisting, pivoting, and other sudden changes in direction can also result in a tear to the meniscus (the cartilage between the bones in the knee) and/or anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear injuries. You can learn more about our treatment and therapy services for Augusta, MO ACL tears near you.
Arthritis. Many different types of arthritis exist and each patient’s experience of the condition is their own. However, if you suffer from a chronic condition like arthritis and have symptoms of a knee injury like pain and limited mobility, you may have an arthritis-induced knee injury. You may even be at risk of developing bone spurs. Without the proper quality arthritis treatment for joint health, you face rapid and irreparable damage to your knee joint cartilage. The right care that targets the underlying cause of your pain can prevent further damage
Tendonitis and Other Forms of Inflammation. When under constant stress or overuse, tendons in the knee can become inflamed. This is commonly found in people who engage in frequent activities like running, jumping, and cycling. A common form of tendonitis in the knee is jumper’s knee because of the strain to the tendon that occurs as a result of the severe force of hitting the ground after jumping.

Knee Injury Risk Factors in Augusta, MO

Excessive weight. Being overweight or obese introduces inordinate stress on the majority of your joints including your knees, even during ordinary activities such as walking or going up and down stairs. It is also a risk factor for developing osteoarthritis by accelerating the breakdown of joint cartilage.
Weakness or stiffness. A lack of strength and flexibility can put you at a heightened risk of knee injuries. Strong muscles protect your joints and keep them properly aligned, and muscle flexibility can help you utilize a full range of motion.
Some activities and occupations. Some athletic and occupational activities put greater stress on your knees than do others. Alpine skiing with its rigid ski boots and harsh landings, the near constant and rapid change of direction in basketball, and the repeated pounding your knees take when you run or jog all involve a risk of knee injury in Augusta, MO. Jobs that involve repetitive stress on the knees such as construction or farming also can increase your risk.
History of previous injury. Having a previous knee injury makes it more likely that you’ll injure your knee again.
Age. As we age, our tissues start to wear down. The cartilage protecting your knee joint can degrade, and conditions associated with advanced age like osteoporosis make your bones weak and susceptible to injury.

Do I Need Knee Injury Treatment in Augusta, MO?

As always, each case is unique and you should always speak with a licensed and practiced medical professional when a knee injury or any condition affects your ability to function normally or live comfortably. After all, who wants to go through life with chronic pain or any sort of physical limitation, especially in a part of the body as critical to movement and daily life as the knee?

While your experience as a knee injury sufferer is unique, there are certain times that immediate medical care is necessary. Specifically, when you suffer an acute knee injury, noticeable swelling is a warning sign that you need emergency medical attention. According to Yale Medicine, swelling after a knee injury indicates a serious injury that necessitates immediate medical care. Rapid, extensive swelling that happens within three to four hours after an instance of acute trauma to the knee is typically a sign that blood is trapped in the joint.

Types of Treatments for Knee Injuries in Augusta, MO

The right knee injury treatment for your condition depends on the nature of your injury, your overall medical condition, and many other factors that the trained eye of a clinically experienced, licensed Augusta, MO physical therapist with Axes Physical Therapy will identify and examine. Often, a knee injury can be managed with conservative treatment and, with the right movement medicine and timely intervention, you will be back up and running (and walking, standing, jumping, and everything else you love to do) within weeks. However, each Augusta, MO knee injury patient is different and every injury varies in severity, so your knee injury treatment plan in Augusta, MO should reflect that.

When you need knee injury treatment, you may be looking at the following common treatment options.

Medications. Your doctor may prescribe medications to help relieve pain and to treat the conditions causing your knee pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout. Over the counter anti-inflammatory medications can also help manage symptoms as your knee injury heals.
Injections. Injections to the site of the knee injury, such as corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid, have, in some cases, been helpful in reducing pain and improving mobility.
Physical Therapy. Physical therapy focuses on movement health and correcting the problem at the source. For your knee injury, physical therapy may include treatments that strengthen and stabilize your knee and surrounding parts of the body, increase flexibility and range of motion, improve balance, and correct technique in physical activities.
Surgery. Surgery is reserved for severe knee injuries and patients who have not had success with less invasive treatment methods. For a knee injury, surgeries can range from partial knee replacement, total knee replacement, or surgeries removing aggravating tissue or bone. If your knee injury treatment team decides that surgery is your best option, other treatments such as physical therapy will be critical in the preparation of and recovery from the operation to help you return to strength and full use of your knee joint.

Knee Injury Physical Therapy in Augusta, MO

As a valued knee injury treatment patient with Axes Physical Therapy in the Augusta, MO area, you will be assigned a dedicated physical therapist who will lead your knee injury recovery for the entirety of your knee injury physical therapy treatment plan in Augusta, MO. With years of clinical experience guiding knee injury patients back to full performance, your physical therapist will draw upon their extensive education and the most current evidence-based practices to treat the cause of your Augusta, MO knee injury at the source, successfully returning you to all the activities you value so you can go about your regular life at home, at work, and in your personal time.

During your first Augusta, MO appointment with Axes for your knee injury, your physical therapist will perform an evaluation of your overall condition, health history, and an injury screening. From providing a full and accurate picture of your overall health to consistently engaging in the prescribed exercises, you are a critical piece in your knee injury treatment puzzle. It is critical that you are an active participant in your knee injury physical therapy treatment.

Your physical therapist will devise a custom treatment plan to eliminate pain and other symptoms, repair tissue damage, and restore your mobility. To this end, your physical therapy treatment may involve a variety of treatment modalities to target the source of your knee injury.

Therapeutic exercises and stretches
Gait and posture training
Heat and ice applications
Ultrasound
Electric stimulation
Kinesiology taping
Soft tissue massages or knee joint mobilization

The movement health professionals at Axes Physical Therapy in the Augusta, MO area have experience guiding patients with all kinds of movement disorders, chronic pain, and injuries back to the life and activities they care about. Discover more about the conditions we treat and the treatment methods we provide near Augusta, MO, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Augusta, MO Now

If you recently experienced a knee injury or are suffering from any symptoms that you think may be caused by any type of knee injury, do not waste any time. Talk to a experienced medical professional as soon as possible. As licensed physical and occupational therapists with decades of clinical experience restoring the mobility of our patients, the physical therapists of Axes Physical Therapy in Augusta, MO will guide you in your recovery by creating a personalized treatment plan based on the latest proven practices in movement health. Contact our physical therapy clinics today or find the location nearest you in Augusta, MO to restore your mobility and acheive relief from your knee injury.

Knee Injury Augusta, MO