Knee Injury in Desloge, MO

Knee Injury in Desloge, MO. A knee injury can wreak havoc on your day to day living, and is likely to cause long-term symptoms. A knee injury can happen to anyone in Desloge, MO. A knee injury can happen in a variety of ways — often when you least expect it. However, knee injuries are most commonly caused by advanced age, 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 the movement experts at Axes Physical Therapy for help with your knee injury in the Desloge, MO area. The experienced staff of physical and occupational therapists will release you from pain and restore your mobility.

knee injury Desloge, MO | Desloge physical therapy for knee injury

What Are Knee Injuries?

The knee earns the title of the largest human joint and is critical to many of the motions and actions that distinguish us from other animals, making it possible for us to carry out the complex tasks we use every day to go about our lives. This body part consists of four types of structures, any 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 bones are held in place by muscle groups, connected by tendons and ligaments, that allow us to stand, sit, walk, and move. In addition to joining the separate bones together within the joint, ligaments act to create stability and prevent movement in certain directions. Inside the joint, the end of each bone is capped in a layer of cartilage — essentially a cushion that protects 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, both hard bone and soft tissue, are critical to the knee’s ability to function as a strong and healthy joint, and damage to any one or more of these areas can cause a knee injury. If you or a family member have recently experienced an acute trauma in or around your knee or have a chronic condition that could lead to damage to the knee, reach out to Axes Physical Therapy to learn about how to care for and heal your knee injury in Desloge, MO today or make an appointment online now.

Knee Injury Statistics in in Desloge, MO and the US

The knee is a sophisticated part of the human anatomy — an impeccably constructed joint that makes it possible for us to move and act in ways other animals cannot. However, along with the intricate design comes an inherent susceptibility to a number of different injuries. In fact, knee injuries account for the most common type of sports injury, attributed with 41 percent of all sports injuries. And sports injuries are just one type of knee injury individuals in Desloge, MO and throughout the US commonly experience. While physical 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.

Learn more about knee injuries through the following 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 suffer a knee injury
68% of knee injury victims are male
Nearly half (49.5%) of all knee injuries occur in sports accidents
Among 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 knee injuries related to sports
Other top knee injury causes are 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, followed by contusions and abrasions at 27.1% and lacerations and puncture wounds at 10.5%

Most Common Desloge, MO Knee Injuries

Sprains and Strains. When you sprain or strain your knee, a muscle or ligament within the joint is damaged. 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 is another word for a broken bone, and these kinds of injuries range in severity from a small, partial crack like a hairline fracture to something much more devastating like a comminuted fracture when a bone is crushed into multiple pieces. Even the kneecap bone, called the patella, can be fractured in a knee injury, especially in car accidents, hard falls against solid objects, assaults and other traumatic events.
Cartilage or Ligament Tears. Damage 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 cause a meniscus tear — the cartilage padding the knee where the bones meet — and/or anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear injuries. You can learn more about our Desloge, MO physical therapy services for 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 arthritis or a similar condition 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. Arthritis can result in rapid and irreversible degeneration of the cartilage and in your knee joint.
Tendonitis and Inflammation. Tendons in the knee area can become inflamed through overuse or repeated stress, common in people who regularly perform activities like running, jumping, and cycling. A common form of tendonitis in the knee is jumper’s knee. This condition is caused by the repeated force of hitting the ground when landing a jump.

Risk Factors for a Knee Injury in Desloge, MO

Being overweight. Being overweight or obese increases stress on your knee joints, even during ordinary activities such as walking or going up and down stairs. It also puts you at increased risk of osteoarthritis because of the premature 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, and adequately flexible muscles make it possible to reach full range of motion.
Specific activities and occupations. Some athletic and occupational activities put greater strain on your knees than do others. Alpine snowboarding and skiing involve rigid 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 Desloge, MO. Occupations that require 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 we age, our tissues start to wear down. The knee is no exception. The protective cartilage cushioning the bones in your knee can break down, and diseases like osteoporosis leave your bones weak, making you.

When You Need Desloge, MO Knee Injury Treatment

As always, each case is unique and it is important that you speak with a licensed 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 each injury and patient is different, in some cases emergency medical attention should be sought. Specifically, when you suffer an acute knee injury, the biggest warning sign that you need immediate knee injury treatment is swelling. According to Yale Medicine, swelling after a knee injury indicates a serious injury that necessitates immediate medical care. Quick, extreme swelling that happens within three to four hours after an acute trauma impacts the knee is typically a sign that blood is trapped in the joint.

What To Do After a Knee Injury in Desloge, 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.

Knee Injury Physical Therapy in Desloge, MO

When you come to Axes Physical Therapy for knee injury treatment near you in the Desloge, 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 Desloge, MO. With extensive clinical success guiding knee injury patients back to optimal movement health, your physical therapist will draw upon their extensive education and the most current evidence-based practices to help you successfully heal from your Desloge, MO knee injury and return to all the activities you value and need to be able to do for work, home, and recreation.

When you visit Axes near Desloge, MO for your first appointment after a suspected 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 practicing the prescribed treatments and exercises, it is imperative that you are an active participant 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 therapy treatment may involve a variety of treatment modalities to target your knee injury.

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

The physical and occupational therapists at Axes Physical Therapy in the Desloge, MO area have experience guiding patients with all kinds of movement disorders, chronic pain, and injuries back to the life and activities they love. Learn more about our treatment capabilities and the types of conditions we specialize in for patients near Desloge, MO, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Desloge, MO Now

If you suffered an acute knee injury or are experiencing any symptoms that you think may be caused by any type of knee injury, it is important to consult a experienced healthcare professional right away. As musculoskeletal specialists with expertise in movement and the human body, the physical therapists of Axes Physical Therapy in Desloge, MO will help you understand your injury and design a tailored treatment plan that works for you. Contact the professionals at any of our accessible treatment locations in the Desloge, MO area to take the first step toward healing and relief from your knee injury.