Knee Injury in Kirkwood, MO

Knee Injury in Kirkwood, MO. Suffering a knee injury can wreak havoc on your everyday life, and is likely to cause long-term symptoms. There is nobody in Kirkwood, 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 most common knee-related complaints are knee injuries related to age-related deterioration, repetitive motions (such as in certain occupations), 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. Increase your chances of a full, successful recovery by trusting the movement experts at Axes Physical Therapy for help with your knee injury near Kirkwood, MO. The experienced staff of physical and occupational therapists will help you heal fully and safely.

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What Do I Need to Know About Knee Injuries?

The knee is the largest human joint, and one that is pivotal to executing so many of the motions and actions that are unique to humans, making it possible for us to accomplishing the complicated tasks we use every day to go about our lives. This joint is made up of four different 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 attached by muscle groups, which are connected together by tendons and ligaments, that work together to make it possible for us to stand, sit, walk, and move. In addition to joining the separate bones together within the joint, the ligaments act to create stability and limit movement in certain directions. Within the joint, the ends of the bones are capped in a layer of cartilage. The cartilage tissue cushions the hard bones from one another and works as a shock absorber when movement or weight put pressure on the joint.

All the different components of the knee’s anatomy, both hard bone and soft tissue, are critical to the healthy functioning of the knee 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 suffered an acute trauma to your knee or surrounding area or have developed a chronic condition that could lead to damage to any part of the knee, speak with Axes Physical Therapy to discuss the best choice for the treatment of a knee injury in Kirkwood, MO today or request an appointment online now.

Knee Injury Statistics in in Kirkwood, MO and the US

The knee is a sophisticated part of the human anatomy — an intricately constructed joint that makes it possible for us to execute tasks and movements that are unique to humans. But this complex joint is vulnerable to a number of different injuries. In fact, knee injuries account for the most common type of sports injury, making up 41 percent of all sports injuries. And sports injuries make up only one type of knee injury that people in Kirkwood, MO and throughout the US commonly experience. 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 like 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
Men experience knee injuries far more often than women, with 68% of knee injury patients categorized as male
Fifty percent of all knee injuries occur in sports accidents
Among sports-related knee injuries, soccer and skiing are the most dangerous sports and activities, together accounting for more than a quarter of all sports knee injuries
Other top knee injury causes are home structures (30.2%), and home furnishings (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 Kirkwood, MO

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 is another word for a broken bone, and these kinds of injuries range in severity from a stress fracture or crack in the bone to something much more devastating such as a comminuted fracture when a bone shatters into multiple pieces. Even the kneecap bone, called the patella, can be broken 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 Kirkwood, MO ACL tears in your area.
Arthritis. There are countless variations of arthritis and each patient has their own unique experience of their condition. However, if you live with arthritis or a similar condition and have symptoms of a knee injury like pain and limited mobility, you may have an arthritis-induced knee injury. You may even be at risk of developing bone spurs. Arthritis can result in rapid and irreparable degeneration of the cartilage and in your knee joint.
Tendonitis and Other Forms of Inflammation. When under constant stress or overuse, tendons in the knee can become inflamed. This is common in people 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. This condition is caused by the severe force of hitting the ground when landing a jump.

Knee Injury Risk Factors in Kirkwood, MO

Excessive weight. Being overweight or obese puts undue 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.
Muscle or bone weakness or stiffness. Inadequate strength or 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 enjoy full range of motion.
Some activities and occupations. Some athletic and occupational activities put more strain on your knees than do others. Alpine snowboarding and skiing involve rigid boots and harsh landings, basketball jumps and pivots, and the repeated pounding of running or jogging on hard surfaces like pavement all increase your risk of knee injury in Kirkwood, MO. Jobs that involve activities that put stress on the knees such as installation 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 our bodies age, the tissues in our body 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.

Do I Need Knee Injury Treatment in Kirkwood, MO?

As with any medical condition or injury, each case is unique and it is important that you speak 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, 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. Rapid, extreme 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 Kirkwood, 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 Kirkwood, 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 Kirkwood, MO knee injury patient is different and every injury varies in severity, so your knee injury treatment plan in Kirkwood, 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 Kirkwood, MO

When you come to Axes Physical Therapy for knee injury treatment near you in the Kirkwood, MO area, you will be assigned one dedicated physical therapist who will lead your knee injury recovery for the entirety of your knee injury physical therapy treatment plan in Kirkwood, MO. With extensive clinical success restoring 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 Kirkwood, 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 Kirkwood, MO appointment with Axes for your knee injury, your physical therapist will perform 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 are an active participant 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 number of therapies to target the source of your knee injury.

Stretches and exercises
Training to correct posture, gait, or other movement technique
Heat and ice applications
Ultrasound
Electric stimulation
Kinesiology taping
Soft tissue massages or knee joint mobilization

The physical and occupational therapists at Axes Physical Therapy in the Kirkwood, 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 value. Learn more about the conditions we treat and the treatment methods we provide near Kirkwood, MO, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Kirkwood, MO Now

If you recently experienced a knee injury or are suffering from symptoms of any type of knee injury, it is important to consult a knowledgeable 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 Kirkwood, 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 Kirkwood, MO to restore your mobility and acheive relief from your knee injury.

Knee Injury Kirkwood, MO