Knee Injury in Ironton, MO

Knee Injury in Ironton, MO. Suffering a knee injury can wreak havoc on your day to day living, and is likely to cause long-term symptoms. A knee injury can happen to anyone in Ironton, MO. 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, exposure to repetitive motions (such as in certain occupations), and sudden movement or trauma that can happen in accidents and when engaging in physical activities.

Do you have knee pain, buckling, stiffness, swelling, or other symptoms related to the knee? 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 near Ironton, MO. The experienced staff of physical and occupational therapists will lead you toward a stronger, healthier, pain-free you.

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What Are Knee Injuries?

The knee earns the title of the largest human joint, and one that is pivotal 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 body part is made up of four types of structures, none of which are immune to injury. The knee contains 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 make it possible for us to move our legs. In addition to connecting bones within the joint together, the ligaments also create stability and prevent movement in certain directions. Inside the joint, the ends of the bones are capped by a layer of cartilage — essentially a cushion that protects 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 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 have recently suffered an acute trauma to your knee or surrounding area or have developed a chronic condition that could lead to damage to the knee structure, reach out to Axes Physical Therapy to learn about the best choice for the treatment of a knee injury in Ironton, MO today or make an appointment online now.

Prevalence and Common Causes of Knee Injuries in Ironton, 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 that are unique to humans. 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. But sports injuries are just one category of knee injury individuals in Ironton, MO and throughout the US can suffer. 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.

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 suffer a knee injury
68% of knee injury victims are male
Fifty percent of all knee injuries are caused by sports-related injuries
Of all sports-related knee injuries, the sports activities most likely to lead to injury are soccer and skiing, together accounting for in excess of a quarter of all sports-related knee injuries
Other top causes of knee injuries 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%, followed by contusions and abrasions at 27.1% and lacerations and puncture wounds at 10.5%

Common Types of Knee Injuries in Ironton, MO

Sprains and Strains. When you sprain or strain your knee, a muscle or ligament within the joint is affected. 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 a broken bone, and these kinds of injuries range in severity from a small, partial crack like a hairline fracture to something much more devastating like a comminuted fracture when the bone shatters into several fragments. Even the patella, the bone commonly known as the kneecap, can be broken during a knee injury, especially in car accidents, hard falls against solid objects, assaults and other traumatic events.
Cartilage or Ligament Tears. Damage to the ligaments and cartilage in and around the knee are frequently 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 Ironton, MO ACL tears near you.
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 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. Arthritis can result in rapid and irreparable degeneration of the cartilage and in your knee joint.
Tendonitis and Inflammation. Tendons in the knee area can become inflamed through overuse or repeated stress, common in individuals who frequently perform running, jumping, or cycling activities. A common form of tendonitis in the knee 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 after jumping.

Knee Injury Risk Factors in Ironton, MO

Excessive weight. Heaviness or obesity increases stress on your knees and most other joints in the body, even during ordinary activities from walking, sitting and standing, and going up and down stairs. It also puts you at increased risk of osteoarthritis because it speeds up 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, while muscle flexibility make it possible to enjoy full range of motion.
Certain activities and occupations. Some athletic and occupational activities put greater stress on your knees than do others. Downhill skiing with its rigid ski boots and potential for falls, basketball jumps and pivots, and the repeated pounding your knees take when you run or jog all involve a risk of knee injury in Ironton, MO. Jobs that require repetitive stress on the knees such as construction or farming put you at an increased risk as well.
Previous Injury. Having a previous knee injury makes it more likely that you’ll injure your knee again.
Age. As we age, our tissues start to wear down. The knee is no exception. The protective cartilage cushioning the bones in your knee can degrade, and diseases like osteoporosis leave your bones weak, making you.

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

As always, each case is unique and you should always speak 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, there are certain times that immediate medical care is necessary. 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 is a hallmark sign that the injury is serious and medical care is warranted. Immediate, significant 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.

What To Do After a Knee Injury in Ironton, 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.

Knee Injury Physical Therapy in Ironton, MO

As a valued knee injury treatment patient with Axes Physical Therapy in the Ironton, 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 Ironton, MO. With extensive clinical success restoring knee injury patients back to optimal 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 Ironton, MO knee injury and return to all the activities you care about and need to be able to do for work, home, and recreation.

During your first Ironton, 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 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 treatment modalities 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 Ironton, 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 the conditions we treat and the treatment methods we provide near Ironton, MO, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Ironton, MO Now

If you recently experienced a knee injury or are suffering from any symptoms that you think may be caused by any type of knee injury, it is important to consult 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 Ironton, MO will take charge of your recovery. Contact the professionals at any of our accessible treatment locations in the Ironton, MO area to take the first step toward healing and relief from your knee injury.