Knee Injury in High Ridge, MO

Knee Injury in High Ridge, MO. A knee injury can wreak havoc on your day to day living, and often results in long-term harm. A knee injury can happen to anyone in High Ridge, MO. A knee injury 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, exposure to repetitive motions (such as in certain occupations), 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 near High Ridge, MO. The experienced staff of physical and occupational therapists will release you from pain and restore your mobility.

knee injury High Ridge, MO | High Ridge physical therapy for knee injury

What Are Knee Injuries?

The knee is the largest human joint and is pivotal 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 joint is made up of four distinct structures, all of which can be injured or damaged. The knee is made up of bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

There are multiple bones that make up the knee, including the tibia, femur, and patella. The bones are bound together by muscle groups, which are connected together by tendons and ligaments, that allow us to move our legs. In addition to connecting bones within the joint together, ligaments also provide 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 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 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 suffer from a chronic condition that could lead to damage to the knee structure, contact Axes Physical Therapy to discuss how to care for and heal your knee injury in High Ridge, MO today or request an appointment online now.

Knee Injury Statistics in in High Ridge, 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 execute tasks and movements other animals cannot. But this complex joint is susceptible 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 type of knee injury individuals in High Ridge, MO and throughout the US can suffer. Though athletic activity is the more popular 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.

Consider these fast knee injury facts and statistics from 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
Half of all knee injuries occur in sports accidents
Among all sports-related knee injuries, soccer and skiing are the most dangerous sports and activities, together accounting for in excess of a quarter of all sports-related knee injuries
Other top knee injury causes are home structures at 30.2% and home furnishings at 13.6%
The overwhelmingly most common knee injury diagnoses are strains and sprains at 42.1%; next are contusions and abrasions at 27.1% and lacerations and puncture wounds at 10.5%

Most Common High Ridge, MO Knee Injuries

Sprains and Strains. A sprain or strain knee injury involves a muscle or ligament within the joint structure of the knee. 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 is another word for a broken bone, which can be anything from a small, partial crack like a hairline fracture to something much more devastating 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. 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 meniscus tear — 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 High Ridge, 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 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. The right care that targets the underlying cause of your pain can prevent further damage
Tendonitis and Inflammation. Tendons in the knee area can become inflamed through overuse or repeated stress, common in people who engage in frequent running, jumping, or cycling activities. 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.

Knee Injury Risk Factors in High Ridge, MO

Excessive weight. Being overweight or obese introduces inordinate stress on your knee joints, 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 by accelerating the breakdown of joint cartilage.
Weakness or stiffness. A lack of strength and flexibility can increase the risk of knee injuries. Strong muscles protect your joints and keep them properly aligned, and adequately flexible muscles make it possible to utilize a full range of motion.
Specific activities and occupations. Some sports put more strain on your knees than do others. Alpine skiing with its rigid ski boots and harsh landings, the near constant and rapid change of direction in basketball, and the repeated force your knees take when you run or jog all involve a risk of knee injury in High Ridge, MO. Jobs that require activities that put stress on the knees like construction or farming also can increase your risk.
History of previous injury. Being injured in the past makes it more likely that you’ll injure your knee again.
Old age. As we age, our tissues start to wear down. The cartilage protecting your knee joint can degrade, and conditions associated with advanced age like osteoporosis leave your bones weak, making you.

Do I Need Knee Injury Treatment in High Ridge, MO?

As with any medical condition or injury, each patient is different and it is important that you speak with a licensed and practiced 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, some times immediate medical care is warranted. 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 indicates a serious injury that necessitates immediate medical care. Rapid, extreme swelling that occurs in the three to four hours after an instance of acute trauma to the knee is usually a sign that blood is trapped in the joint.

What To Do After a Knee Injury in High Ridge, 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 High Ridge, MO

When you come to Axes Physical Therapy for knee injury treatment near you in the High Ridge, 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 High Ridge, MO. With years of clinical experience restoring knee injury patients back to full performance, your physical therapist will put their advanced education and the latest empirical data on the most up-to-date treatment practices to use to help you successfully heal from your High Ridge, MO knee injury and return to all the activities you value so you can go about your regular life at home, at work, and in your personal time.

When you visit Axes near High Ridge, MO for your first appointment after a suspected 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, you are a critical piece in your knee injury treatment puzzle. It is critical that you take an active role in your physical therapy treatment of your knee injury.

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 High Ridge, 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. Find out more about the conditions we treat and the treatment methods we provide near High Ridge, MO, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in High Ridge, 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 experienced healthcare 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 High Ridge, MO will help you understand your injury and design a tailored treatment plan that works for you. Contact our physical therapy clinics today or find the location nearest you in High Ridge, MO to restore your mobility and acheive relief from your knee injury.