Knee Injury in Byrnes Mill, MO

Knee Injury in Byrnes Mill, MO. A knee injury has the power to disrupt your daily life, and even your long-term well-being. Anyone could be at risk of a knee injury in Byrnes Mill, MO. People of all ages, genders, and activity levels can experience a knee injury. However, the majority of knee injury victims experience damage due to aging, repetitive motions (such as in certain occupations), and sudden movement or trauma that can happen in accidents and when engaging in physical activities.

Are you experiencing knee-related symptoms like pain, swelling, or buckling? You may have a knee injury, whether or not you can identify a specific moment of trauma that could explain the injury. For your swift and successful recovery, contact Axes Physical Therapy for help with your knee injury in the Byrnes Mill, MO area. The experienced staff of physical and occupational therapists will help you heal fully and safely.

knee injury Byrnes Mill, MO | Byrnes Mill physical therapy for knee injury

What Are Knee Injuries?

The knee earns the title of the largest human joint, and one that is pivotal to many of the actions, motions, and functions that are unique to humans, making it possible for us to accomplishing the complex tasks we use every day to go about our lives. This joint consists of four distinct structures, any of which are susceptible to injury. The knee contains bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

There are a number of bones that make up the knee, including the tibia, femur, and patella. These bones are attached by groups of muscles, connected by tendons and ligaments, that work together to 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 create stability and prevent movement in certain directions. Within the joint, the end of each bone is capped in a layer of cartilage. The cartilage tissue cushions the hard bones from one another 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 damage to any one or more of these areas can result in a knee injury. If you or a family member recently suffered any kind of trauma in or around your knee or have a chronic condition that could cause damage to the knee, speak with Axes Physical Therapy to learn about your knee injury treatment options in Byrnes Mill, MO today or make an appointment online now.

Knee Injury Causes and Prevalence in Byrnes Mill, MO and the US

The knee is a complex part of the human anatomy — a beautifully designed joint that makes it possible for us to move and act in ways that are unique to humans. However, along with the intricate design comes 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. But sports injuries are just one category of knee injury individuals in Byrnes Mill, MO and throughout the US commonly experience. Though physical activity is the more common cause of knee injuries in young people, older adults more often get knee injuries after falling or due to the development of a chronic condition like osteoarthritis.

Learn more about knee injuries through the following facts and statistics from Society for Academic Emergency Medicine:

Teens and young adults (patients ranging in age from 15 years old to their late 20’s) are the most likely to suffer a knee injury
68% of knee injury victims are male
Fifty percent of all knee injuries are caused by sports-related injuries
Among sports-related knee injuries, the sports activities most likely to lead to injury are soccer and skiing, together accounting for in excess of a quarter of all knee injuries related to sports
Other top causes of knee injuries are related to home structures at 30.2% and home furnishings at 13.6%
By far the most common type of knee injury is a strain or sprain, making up 42.1% of all knee injury cases; next are contusions and abrasions at 27.1% and cuts and puncture wounds at 10.5%

Most Common Byrnes Mill, MO Knee Injuries

Sprains and Strains. When you sprain or strain your knee, a muscle or ligament within the joint is damaged. Injuries of this nature happen when the knee meets a sudden force or is suddenly forced in the wrong direction (for example, suddenly stopping to change directions or twisting).
Fractures. A fracture is another word for a broken bone, and these kinds of injuries range in extent from a hairline fracture or crack in the bone to something much more devastating such as a comminuted fracture when the bone shatters into several fragments. Even the kneecap bone, or the patella, can be broken 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 often caused by a blow to the knee from various directions. Twisting, pivoting, and other sudden changes in direction can also cause a tear to the meniscus — the cartilage padding the knee where the bones meet — and/or anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear injuries. You can get more information about our treatment and therapy services for Byrnes Mill, MO ACL tears in your area.
Arthritis. There are countless variations of arthritis and each patient’s experience of the condition is their own. However, if you live with a chronic condition like arthritis and have symptoms of a knee injury like pain and limited mobility, your arthritis may be causing a knee injury and can even lead to the potential development of bone spurs. Without the proper quality arthritis treatment for joint health, you face rapid and irreparable damage to your knee joint cartilage.
Tendonitis and Other Forms of Inflammation. When under constant stress or overuse, tendons in the knee can become inflamed. This is commonly found in patients who regularly perform running, jumping, or cycling activities. 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 when landing a jump.

Risk Factors for a Knee Injury in Byrnes Mill, MO

Excessive weight. Being overweight or obese increases stress on the majority of your joints including your knees, even during ordinary activities from walking, sitting and standing, and going up and down stairs. It is also a risk factor for developing osteoarthritis by accelerating the breakdown of joint cartilage.
Muscle or bone weakness or stiffness. Inadequate strength or flexibility can put you at a heightened risk of succumbing to a knee injury. Strong muscles help stabilize and protect your joints, while adequately flexible muscles can help you achieve full range of motion.
Some activities and occupations. Some athletic and occupational activities put more strain on your knees than do others. Downhill skiing with its rigid ski boots and potential for falls, basketball jumps and pivots, and the relentless force your knees take when you run or jog all increase your risk of knee injury in Byrnes Mill, MO. Occupations that require repetitive stress on the knees such as maintenance or farming also can increase your risk.
Previous Injury. Being injured in the past makes it more likely that you’ll injure your knee again.
Advanced age. As we age, the tissues in our body wear down. The cartilage protecting your knee joint can break down, and diseases like osteoporosis leave your bones weak and susceptible to injury.

Do I Need Knee Injury Treatment in Byrnes Mill, MO?

As with any medical condition or injury, each case is unique and it is important that you consult with a licensed healthcare professional any time you experience a condition such as a knee injury that affects your ability to function normally or live comfortably. After all, if there was a treatment solution that could treat your chronic pain and restore your mobility in a joint as important as the knee, wouldn’t you try it?

While each injury and patient is different, there are certain times that immediate medical care is necessary. After suffering 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 is a hallmark sign that the injury is serious and medical care is warranted. Immediate, extreme swelling that happens in the three to four hours after an acute trauma impacts the knee is usually a sign that blood is trapped in the joint.

Types of Treatments for Knee Injuries in Byrnes Mill, 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 Byrnes Mill, 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 Byrnes Mill, MO knee injury patient is different and every injury varies in severity, so your knee injury treatment plan in Byrnes Mill, 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.

Getting Physical Therapy for your Knee Injury in Byrnes Mill, MO

When you come to Axes Physical Therapy for knee injury treatment near you in the Byrnes Mill, MO area, you will work with one dedicated physical therapist who will lead your knee injury recovery by administering a custom physical therapy treatment plan in Byrnes Mill, MO. With extensive clinical success 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 Byrnes Mill, 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 Byrnes Mill, MO appointment with Axes for your knee injury, your physical therapist will perform a full injury screening and evaluation of your condition. From ensuring that your physical therapist is operating with a complete picture of your condition and overall health to consistently engaging in the prescribed exercises, it is imperative 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 treatments to target the source of your knee injury.

Stretches and exercises
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 Byrnes Mill, MO area have a track record of effectively addressing the source of our patients’ pain, injuries, and movement disorders and returning them to the activities they care about. Learn more about the conditions we treat and the treatment methods we provide near Byrnes Mill, MO, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Byrnes Mill, MO Now

If you recently experienced a knee injury while being active or are suffering from any symptoms that you think may be caused by any type of knee injury, it is important to consult a knowledgeable 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 Byrnes Mill, MO will take charge of your recovery. Contact the professionals at any of our accessible treatment locations in the Byrnes Mill, MO area to restore your mobility and acheive relief from your knee injury.