Knee Injury in Howell, MO

Knee Injury in Howell, MO. A knee injury has the power to disrupt your everyday life, and often persists with long-term symptoms. A knee injury can happen to anyone in Howell, MO. Knee injuries can happen in any number of situations — often when you least expect it. However, the most common knee-related complaints are knee injuries related to advanced age, repetitive motions (such as in certain occupations), and sudden movement or trauma that can happen in accidents and when engaging in physical activities.

Are you experiencing knee-related symptoms like pain, swelling, or buckling? You may have a knee injury, whether or not you can identify a specific moment of trauma that could explain the injury. For your swift and successful recovery, contact the movement experts at Axes Physical Therapy for help with your knee injury in the Howell, MO area. 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 Howell, MO | Howell physical therapy for knee injury

What Are Knee Injuries?

The knee is the largest human joint, and one that is integral to executing so many of the motions and actions that distinguish us from other animals and allow us to performing the complex tasks we use every day to go about our lives. The knee is composed of four distinct structures, all of which can be injured or damaged. The knee is made up of bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

The bones of the knee include the tibia, femur, and patella. These bones are held together by groups of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that allow us to stand, sit, walk, and move. In addition to connecting bones within the joint together, ligaments act to provide stability and limit movement in certain directions. Inside the joint, the ends of the bones are 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, both hard bone and soft tissue, are essential 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 result in 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 any part of the knee, speak with Axes Physical Therapy to discuss your knee injury treatment options in Howell, MO today or make an appointment online now.

Prevalence and Common Causes of Knee Injuries in Howell, MO and the US

The human knee is a complex part of the human anatomy — an impeccably designed joint that makes it possible for us to execute tasks and movements other animals cannot. But this intricate joint is susceptible 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. But sports injuries are just one type of knee injury individuals in Howell, MO and throughout the US commonly experience. While athletic activity is the more common cause of 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 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 experience a knee injury
68% of knee injury victims are male
Fifty percent of all knee injuries are caused by sports-related injuries
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 sports knee injuries
Other top knee injury causes are related to 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; next are contusions and abrasions at 27.1% and cuts and puncture wounds at 10.5%

Most Common Howell, MO Knee Injuries

Sprains and Strains. When you sprain or strain your knee, a muscle or ligament within the joint is damaged. These injuries are caused by sudden force to the knee or a sudden or unintended motion of the knee (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 extent 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 multiple pieces. Even the kneecap bone, or the patella, can be broken 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 tear to the meniscus (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 learn more about our Howell, MO physical therapy services for ACL tears near you.
Arthritis. Many different types of arthritis exist 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, you may have an arthritis-induced knee injury. You may even be at risk of developing bone spurs. Arthritis can result in rapid and irreversible damage of the cartilage and in your knee joint. 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 running, jumping, or cycling activities. A common form of tendonitis in the knee 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 Howell, MO

Excessive weight. Being overweight or obese 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 of the premature breakdown of joint cartilage.
Muscle or bone weakness or stiffness. A lack of strength and flexibility can increase the risk of knee injuries. Strong muscles help stabilize and protect your joints, while adequate muscle flexibility make it possible to enjoy full range of motion.
Some activities and occupations. Some sports 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 pounding of running or jogging on hard surfaces like pavement all involve a risk of knee injury in Howell, MO. Jobs that require activities that put stress on the knees like construction 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.
Old 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, making you.

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

As with any medical condition or injury, each patient is unique and it is important that you consult with a licensed healthcare 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, 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. Immediate, extensive swelling that occurs 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 Howell, 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 Howell, 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 Howell, MO knee injury patient is different and every injury varies in severity, so your knee injury treatment plan in Howell, 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 Howell, MO

As a valued knee injury treatment patient with Axes Physical Therapy in the Howell, MO area, you will be assigned a dedicated physical therapist who will lead your knee injury recovery by administering a custom physical therapy treatment plan in Howell, 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 Howell, MO knee injury at the source, successfully returning you to all the activities you value and need to be able to do for work, home, and recreation.

During your first Howell, 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 engaging in the prescribed exercises, 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 damaged tissue, and restore your mobility. To this end, your physical therapist may employ a variety of therapies 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 Howell, 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. Learn more about the conditions we treat and the treatment methods we provide in the Howell, MO area, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Howell, 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, do not waste any time. Contact a knowledgeable healthcare professional as soon as possible. As musculoskeletal specialists with expertise in movement and the human body, the physical therapists of Axes Physical Therapy in Howell, MO will take charge of your recovery. Contact our physical therapy clinics today or find the location nearest you in Howell, MO to restore your mobility and acheive relief from your knee injury.

Knee Injury Howell, MO