Knee Injury in Crystal City, MO

Knee Injury in Crystal City, MO. A knee injury has the power to disrupt your daily life, and often results in long-term harm. There is nobody in Crystal City, MO who is completely immune to the threat of a knee injury. A knee injury can happen in any number of situations — often when you least expect it. However, knee injuries are most commonly caused by aging, exposure to repetitive motions, and trauma and damage caused by an accident or while engaging in physical activity.

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 Crystal City, MO area. Our team of physical and occupational therapists will design a treatment plan to maximize your recovery and restore you to optimal movement.

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What Do I Need to Know About Knee Injuries?

The knee is the largest joint in the human body, and one that is pivotal to many of the motions and actions that distinguish us from other animals and allow us to carry out the complex tasks we use every day to go about our lives. This joint is composed of four distinct structures, all of which can be injured or damaged. The knee contains bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

The bones of the knee include the tibia, femur, and patella. The three bones are bound together by groups of muscles, connected by tendons and ligaments, that work together to make it possible for us to move our legs. In addition to connecting bones within the joint together, the ligaments also create 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 absorbs the shock of movement and weight that introduce pressure to the joint.

All parts that make up the knee, whether soft tissue or bone, are essential to the healthy functioning of the knee 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 to your knee or surrounding area or have developed a chronic condition that could lead to damage to the knee, reach out to Axes Physical Therapy to discuss your knee injury treatment options in Crystal City, MO today or request an appointment online now.

Prevalence and Common Causes of Knee Injuries in Crystal City, MO and the US

The knee is a sophisticated part of the human anatomy — an impeccably 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 number of different injuries. In fact, knee injuries are the most common of all sports injuries, attributed with 41 percent of all sports injuries. But sports injuries are just one category of knee injury that people in Crystal City, MO and throughout the US commonly experience. While athletic activity is the more common cause of 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 like osteoarthritis.

Consider these fast knee injury facts and statistics provided by 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
Of all sports-related knee injuries, soccer and skiing are the most dangerous sports and activities, each responsible for in excess of a quarter of all sports-related knee injuries
Other top causes of knee injuries are home structures (30.2%), and home furnishings (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, followed by contusions and abrasions at 27.1% and lacerations and puncture wounds at 10.5%

Most Common Crystal City, MO Knee Injuries

Sprains and Strains. A sprain or strain knee injury involves a muscle or ligament within the joint structure of the knee. These injuries 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, which can be anything from a stress fracture or crack in the bone to a much more brutal break such as a comminuted fracture when the bone shatters into several fragments. Even the patella, the bone commonly known as the kneecap, can be broken during a knee injury, especially in events such as car accidents or forceful falls on hard surfaces.
Cartilage or Ligament Tears. Blows to the knee from different directions can lead to a number of different knee injuries involving ligaments surrounding the joint. 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. If you have been diagnosed with or believe you have suffered an ACL injury learn more about our treatment and therapy services for Crystal City, MO ACL tears in your area.
Arthritis. Many different types of arthritis exist and each patient has their own unique experience of their condition. However, if you live with a chronic condition like arthritis and have symptoms of a knee injury like pain or stiffness, you may have an arthritis-induced knee injury. You may even be at risk of developing bone spurs. Arthritis can result in rapid and irreversible degeneration of the cartilage and in your knee joint.
Tendonitis and Inflammation. When under constant stress or overuse, tendons in the knee can become inflamed. This is common in people who frequently perform running, jumping, or cycling activities. A common form of tendonitis in the knee is what is known as 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.

Knee Injury Risk Factors in Crystal City, MO

Excessive weight. Heaviness or obesity puts undue stress on your knee joints, even during ordinary activities from walking, sitting and standing, and going up and down stairs. It also puts you at increased risk of osteoarthritis by accelerating the breakdown of joint cartilage.
Weakness or stiffness. A lack of strength and flexibility can increase the 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.
Specific activities and occupations. Some athletic and occupational activities put greater stress on your knees than do others. Downhill snowboarding and skiing involve rigid boots and potential for falls, basketball jumps and pivots, and the repeated force your knees take when you run or jog all involve a risk of knee injury in Crystal City, MO. Jobs that involve activities that put stress on the knees such as maintenance or farming put you at an increased risk as well.
History of previous injury. Having a previous knee injury makes it more likely that you’ll injure your knee again.
Advanced age. As our bodies age, the tissues in our body wear down. The cartilage protecting your knee joint can wear thin, and conditions associated with advanced age like osteoporosis leave your bones weak, making you.

When You Need Crystal City, MO Knee Injury Treatment

As always, each patient is different and you should always consult with a licensed healthcare professional when a knee injury or any condition makes it difficult or impossible for you to function as normal or causes you serious pain. 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. 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. Quick, extreme swelling that occurs within three to four hours after an acute trauma impacts the knee is usually a sign that blood is trapped in the joint.

What To Do After a Knee Injury in Crystal City, MO

When in doubt, err on the side of caution and seek out medical care right away after you notice a potential knee injury. Especially in the case of an acute or sudden injury, the commonly known RICE method can help mitigate the damage and support your knee injury recovery with a swift response to the trauma.

The RICE method refers to:

Rest. If you experience pain or suspect a knee injury, do not force any activity or introduce any additional undue stress to the joint. If possible, avoid putting weight on the affected knee and minimize movement.
Ice. The application of ice or a cold compress after an injury like a knee injury can help temporarily ease the pain and reduce swelling. When using ice on an injury, do not apply the ice directly on bare skin and remember to follow an alternating schedule of 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off.
Compression. It may be helpful to wrap the injured knee with a soft, elastic bandage or ace wrap. Take care not to wrap the area so tight that it causes pain or cuts off blood and oxygen circulation to the injured area.
Elevate. During the initial resting time after the occurrence of your knee injury, you can use pillows, a stool, or another prop or structure to help keep your injured knee elevated higher than your heart. This elevation can stimulate reparative blood flow to the injury, reduce pressure and throbbing, and encourage the removal of waste from the area.

Getting Physical Therapy for your Knee Injury in Crystal City, MO

When you come to Axes Physical Therapy for knee injury treatment near you in the Crystal City, MO area, you will be assigned one dedicated physical therapist who will lead your knee injury recovery by administering a custom physical therapy treatment plan in Crystal City, MO. With extensive clinical success restoring 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 Crystal City, MO knee injury at the source, successfully returning you to all the activities you care about and need to be able to do for work, home, and recreation.

During your first Crystal City, 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 ensuring that your physical therapist is operating with a complete picture of your condition and overall health to consistently practicing the prescribed treatments and exercises, you are a critical piece in your knee injury treatment puzzle. It is imperative that you take an active role in your physical therapy treatment of your knee injury.

In order to eliminate pain and other symptoms, heal the damaged tissue, and return you to optimal physical performance, your physical therapist may employ a number of treatments to target your knee injury.

Stretches and exercises
Training to correct posture, gait, or other movement technique
Heat and ice therapies
Ultrasound
Electric stimulation
Kinesiology taping
Soft tissue massages or knee joint mobilization

The physical and occupational therapists at Axes Physical Therapy in the Crystal City, MO area have experience guiding patients with all kinds of movement disorders, chronic pain, and injuries back to the life and activities they love. Find out more about the conditions we treat and the treatment methods we provide in the Crystal City, MO area, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Crystal City, MO Now

If you recently experienced a knee injury or are experiencing symptoms of any type of knee injury, it is important to consult 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 Crystal City, MO will guide you in your recovery by creating a personalized treatment plan based on the latest proven practices in movement health. Contact our Crystal City, MO treatment professionals or find our facility that is most convenient for you to take the first step toward healing and relief from your knee injury.