Knee Injury in Ellisville, MO

Knee Injury in Ellisville, MO. A knee injury can wreak havoc on your daily life, and often results in long-term harm. There is nobody in Ellisville, MO who is completely immune to the threat of a knee injury. Knee injuries can happen in any number of situations — often when you least expect it. However, the majority of knee injury victims experience damage due to advanced age, repetitive motions, 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 for help with your knee injury in the Ellisville, MO area. The experienced staff of physical and occupational therapists will lead you toward a stronger, healthier, pain-free you.

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

What Are Knee Injuries?

The knee is the largest joint in the human body, and one that is critical to many of the motions and actions that are unique to humans and allow us to accomplishing the complicated tasks our busy lives require. This joint is composed of four different structures, any of which can be injured or damaged. 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 held in place by groups of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that allow us to move our legs. In addition to connecting bones within the joint together, ligaments also create stability and limit movement in certain directions. Inside the joint, the ends of the bones are capped in a layer of cartilage — essentially a cushion that protects 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 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 lead to a knee injury. If you or a family member recently experienced an acute trauma in or around your knee or have a chronic condition that could cause damage to the knee, reach out to Axes Physical Therapy to learn about the best choice for the treatment of a knee injury in Ellisville, MO today or make an appointment online now.

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

The knee is a complex part of the human body — an intricately designed 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 variety of injuries. In fact, knee injuries account for the most common type of sports injury, contributing to 41 percent of all sports injuries. And sports injuries make up only one category of knee injury that people in Ellisville, MO and throughout the US commonly experience. Though young people more often get knee injuries from sports and other physical activities, older adults more often get knee injuries after falling or due to the development of a chronic condition such as osteoarthritis.

Check out these fast knee injury 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
Men experience knee injuries far more often than women, making up 68% of all knee injury sufferers
Fifty percent of all knee injuries are caused by sports-related injuries
Among sports-related knee injuries, soccer and skiing are the most dangerous sports and activities, each responsible for in excess of a quarter of all knee injuries related to sports
After sports injuries, most common causes of knee injuries are related to 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 cuts and puncture wounds at 10.5%

Most Common Ellisville, 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 are caused by sudden force to the knee or a sudden or unintended motion of the knee (for example, suddenly stopping to change directions or twisting).
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 a bone is crushed into several fragments. Even the kneecap bone, called the patella, can be fractured during a knee injury, especially in events such as car accidents or forceful falls on hard surfaces.
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. Sudden changes in direction such as twisting and pivoting motions 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 treatment and therapy services for Ellisville, 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 suffer from a chronic condition like arthritis and experience knee injury symptoms like pain or stiffness, 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 people who engage in frequent activities like running, jumping, and cycling. One of the most common types of tendonitis knee injuries is jumper’s knee. This condition is caused by the severe force of hitting the ground when landing a jump.

Knee Injury Risk Factors in Ellisville, MO

Excessive weight. Heaviness or obesity puts undue stress on your knees and most other joints in the body, even during what are generally considered light activities such as walking or going up and down stairs. It is also a risk factor for developing osteoarthritis because it speeds up 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 protect your joints and keep them properly aligned, while adequate muscle flexibility can help you enjoy full range of motion.
Specific activities and occupations. Some sports put more stress on your knees than do others. Alpine snowboarding and skiing involve rigid boots and potential for falls, the near constant and rapid change of direction in basketball, and the repeated force of running or jogging on hard surfaces like pavement all involve a risk of knee injury in Ellisville, MO. Occupations that involve repetitive stress on the knees such as installation or farming also can increase your risk.
Previous Injury. Being injured in the past puts you at a higher risk of injuring your knee again.
Age. As our bodies 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.

When You Need Ellisville, MO Knee Injury Treatment

As always, each case is different and it is important that you speak with a licensed medical 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, 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 patient is unique, there are certain times that immediate medical care is necessary. After suffering 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 is a hallmark sign that the injury is serious and medical care is warranted. Rapid, 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.

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

As a valued knee injury treatment patient with Axes Physical Therapy in the Ellisville, 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 Ellisville, MO. With years of clinical experience restoring knee injury patients back to full 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 Ellisville, MO knee injury and return to all the activities you love and need to be able to do for work, home, and recreation.

During your first Ellisville, 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 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 therapy treatment may involve a variety of methods 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 experts in movement health and the musculoskeletal system at Axes Physical Therapy in the Ellisville, MO area have successfully treated hundreds of patients with pain, injuries, and chronic conditions and have restored their ability to do the activities they value. Find out more about our treatment capabilities and the types of conditions we specialize in for patients in the Ellisville, MO area, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Ellisville, MO Now

If you suffered an acute knee injury while being active or are experiencing symptoms of any type of knee injury, it is important to consult a knowledgeable healthcare professional right away. As musculoskeletal specialists with expertise in movement and the human body, the physical therapists of Axes Physical Therapy in Ellisville, 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 Ellisville, MO area to take the first step toward healing and relief from your knee injury.

Ellisville, MO

Ellisville, MO