Knee Injury in Hopewell, MO

Knee Injury in Hopewell, MO. A knee injury has the power to disrupt your day to day living, and is likely to cause long-term symptoms. There is nobody in Hopewell, MO who is completely immune to the threat of a knee injury. People of all ages, genders, and activity levels can experience a knee injury. 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 the movement experts at Axes Physical Therapy near Hopewell, MO. The experienced staff of physical and occupational therapists will guide you in a recovery plan that leaves you stronger and healthier than ever before.

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

What Are Knee Injuries?

The knee earns the title of the largest human joint, and one that is critical to many of the motions and actions that distinguish us from other animals and allow us to performing the complicated tasks our busy lives require. The knee consists of four different structures, all of which are susceptible to injury. 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. These bones are attached by muscle groups, connected by tendons and ligaments, that work together to make it possible for us to stand, sit, walk, and move. In addition to connecting bones within the joint together, the ligaments act to create stability and prevent 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 works as a shock absorber when movement or weight put pressure on 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 damage to any one or more of these areas can lead to a knee injury. If you or a family member have recently suffered an acute trauma in or around your knee or suffer from 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 Hopewell, MO today or schedule an appointment online now.

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

The human knee is a sophisticated part of the human body — an intricately designed joint that makes it possible for us to execute tasks and movements 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, attributed with 41 percent of all sports injuries. And sports injuries make up only one type of knee injury that people in Hopewell, MO and throughout the US can suffer. Though physical activity is the more common 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 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 experience a knee injury
68% of knee injury victims are male
Half of all knee injuries are caused by sports-related injuries
Among 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
After sports injuries, top 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; next are contusions and abrasions at 27.1% and lacerations and puncture wounds at 10.5%

Most Common Hopewell, 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 stress fracture or crack in the bone to a much more brutal break like a comminuted fracture when the bone is crushed into multiple fragments. Even the kneecap bone, or the patella, can be fractured in 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. Sudden changes in direction such as twisting and pivoting motions can also cause a meniscus tear (the cartilage between the bones in the knee) and/or anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear injuries. You can get more information about our treatment and therapy services for Hopewell, MO ACL tears near you.
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 have symptoms of a knee injury like pain or stiffness, 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 irreparable 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 individuals who regularly perform activities like running, jumping, and cycling. One of the most common types of tendonitis knee injuries 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 Hopewell, MO

Excessive weight. Heaviness or obesity increases stress on your knees and most other joints in the body, even during what are generally considered light 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. 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, and adequately flexible muscles can help you utilize a full range of motion.
Some activities and occupations. Some athletic and occupational activities put more stress 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 relentless force of running or jogging on hard surfaces like pavement all increase your risk of knee injury in Hopewell, MO. Occupations that involve repetitive stress on the knees like auto work or farming put you at an increased risk as well.
History of previous injury. Being injured in the past puts you at a higher risk of injuring 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 and susceptible to injury.

When You Need Treatment for your Knee Injury in Hopewell, MO

As with any medical condition or injury, each patient is unique and it is important that you consult with a licensed and practiced 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, 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, in some cases emergency medical attention should be sought. 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. Quick, extreme swelling that happens within three to four hours after an instance of acute trauma to the knee is typically a sign that blood is trapped in the joint.

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

When you come to Axes Physical Therapy for knee injury treatment near you in the Hopewell, MO area, you will work with a dedicated physical therapist who will work with you for the entirety of your knee injury physical therapy treatment plan in Hopewell, MO. With years of clinical experience restoring knee injury patients back to full movement health, your physical therapist will put their advanced education and the latest empirical data on the most up-to-date treatment practices to use to treat the cause of your Hopewell, MO knee injury at the source, successfully returning you to all the activities you love so you can go about your regular life at home, at work, and in your personal time.

During your first Hopewell, MO appointment with Axes for your knee injury, your physical therapist will conduct a full injury screening and evaluation of your condition. 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 critical that you are an active participant 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 therapy treatment may involve a number of treatment modalities to target the source of your knee injury.

Therapeutic exercises and stretches
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 Hopewell, 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. Discover more about the conditions we treat and the treatment methods we provide near Hopewell, MO, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Hopewell, MO Now

If you suffered an acute knee injury while being active or are experiencing symptoms of any type of knee injury, do not waste any time. Talk to 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 Hopewell, MO will guide you in your recovery by creating a personalized treatment plan based on the latest proven practices in movement health. Contact the professionals at any of our accessible treatment locations in the Hopewell, MO area to begin your healing journey and obtain relief from your knee injury.

Knee Injury Hopewell, MO