Knee Injury in Grover, MO
Knee Injury in Grover, MO. Suffering a knee injury has the power to disrupt your daily life, and even your long-term well-being. A knee injury can happen to anyone in Grover, MO. A knee injury can happen in a variety of ways — often when you least expect it. However, the majority of knee injury victims experience damage due to age-related deterioration, exposure to 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 the movement experts at Axes Physical Therapy near Grover, MO. Our team of physical and occupational therapists will design a treatment plan to maximize your recovery and restore you to optimal movement.
What Are Knee Injuries?
The knee is the largest joint in the human body and is integral to many of the actions, motions, and functions that are unique to humans, 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 different structures, any of which can be injured or damaged. The knee contains bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.
There are multiple 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 joining the separate bones together within the joint, ligaments also create stability and limit movement in certain directions. Inside the joint, the end of each bone is capped by a layer of cartilage. The cartilage tissue cushions the hard bones from one another and absorbs the shock of movement and weight that introduce pressure to the joint.
All the different components of the knee’s anatomy, whether soft tissue or bone, are critical 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 recently experienced any kind of trauma in or around your knee or have a chronic condition that could cause damage to any part of the knee, reach out to Axes Physical Therapy to discuss your knee injury treatment options in Grover, MO today or request an appointment online now.
Prevalence and Common Causes of Knee Injuries in Grover, MO and the US
The knee is a complex part of the human body — a beautifully constructed joint that makes it possible for us to execute tasks and movements other animals cannot. But this complex joint is vulnerable to a variety of injuries. In fact, knee injuries are the most common of all sports injuries, contributing to 41 percent of all sports injuries. And sports injuries make up only one category of knee injury that people in Grover, MO and throughout the US can suffer. Though physical activity is the more popular culprit for 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.
Check out 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 experience a knee injury
- Men are more likely to have a knee injury than women, making up 68% of all knee injury sufferers
- Fifty percent 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 in excess of a quarter of all sports-related knee injuries
- Other top knee injury causes 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 cuts and puncture wounds at 10.5%
Most Common Grover, 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, 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 extent from a small, partial crack like a hairline fracture to something much more devastating like a comminuted fracture when the bone shatters into several pieces. Even the kneecap bone, or 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. 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 result in a meniscus tear (the cartilage between the bones in the knee) and/or anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear injuries. If you have been diagnosed with or believe you have suffered an ACL injury get more information about our treatment and therapy services for Grover, 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. 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 Inflammation. When under constant stress or overuse, tendons in the knee can become inflamed. This is common 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 because of the strain to the tendon that occurs as a result of the repeated force of hitting the ground when landing a jump.
Risk Factors for a Knee Injury in Grover, MO
- Being overweight. Heaviness or obesity increases 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 because it speeds up the breakdown of joint cartilage.
- Weakness or stiffness. A lack of strength and flexibility can put you at a heightened risk of succumbing to a knee injury. Strong muscles help stabilize and protect your joints, while adequate muscle flexibility make it possible to achieve full range of motion.
- Specific 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 harsh landings, basketball jumps and pivots, and the relentless force your knees take when you run or jog all increase your risk of knee injury in Grover, MO. Jobs that require activities that put stress on the knees like auto work 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.
- Old age. As we age, the tissues in our body wear down. The knee is no exception. The protective cartilage cushioning the bones in your knee can break down, and conditions associated with advanced age like osteoporosis leave your bones weak and susceptible to injury.
Do I Need Knee Injury Treatment in Grover, MO?
As with any medical condition or injury, each patient is unique and it is important that you speak with a licensed and practiced medical professional any time you experience a condition such as a knee injury that 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 knee injury sufferer is unique, some times immediate medical care is warranted. 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 is a hallmark sign that the injury is serious and medical care is warranted. Immediate, extensive 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.
Types of Treatments for Knee Injuries in Grover, 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 Grover, 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 Grover, MO knee injury patient is different and every injury varies in severity, so your knee injury treatment plan in Grover, 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 Grover, MO
When you come to Axes Physical Therapy for knee injury treatment near you in the Grover, MO area, you will work with a dedicated physical therapist who will lead your knee injury recovery for the entirety of your knee injury physical therapy treatment plan in Grover, 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 Grover, MO knee injury at the source, successfully returning you to all the activities you care about so you can go about your regular life at home, at work, and in your personal time.
During your first Grover, MO appointment with Axes for your knee injury, your physical therapist will conduct 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, 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 therapist may employ a number of therapies 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 experts in movement health and the musculoskeletal system at Axes Physical Therapy in the Grover, 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 our treatment capabilities and the types of conditions we specialize in for patients in the Grover, MO area, such as:
- Stroke Rehabilitation
- Hip Replacement Physical Therapy
- Workers Comp' Physical Therapy
- Migraine Relief
- Sprain and Strain Treatment
- Geriatric Physical Therapy
- Injury Rehabilitation
- Pain Management Services
- TMJ Treatment
- Herniated Disc Treatment
Recover from your Knee Injury in Grover, MO Now
If you suffered an acute knee injury while being active or are suffering from symptoms of any type of knee injury, it is important to consult a trustworthy 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 Grover, MO will help you understand your injury and design a tailored treatment plan that works for you. Contact our Grover, MO treatment professionals or find our facility that is most convenient for you to begin your healing journey and obtain relief from your knee injury.