Knee Injury in Knob Lick, MO

Knee Injury in Knob Lick, MO. Suffering a knee injury can wreak havoc on your daily life, and often results in long-term harm. A knee injury can happen to anyone in Knob Lick, MO. A knee injury can happen in a variety of ways — often when you least expect it. However, the most common knee-related complaints are knee injuries related to age-related deterioration, repetitive motions, 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 Axes Physical Therapy in the Knob Lick, MO area. 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 is the largest human joint and is critical to executing so many of the motions and actions that are unique to humans and allow us to performing the complicated tasks we use every day to go about our lives. This body part consists of four different structures, none of which are immune to injury. The knee is made up of bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

The bones of the knee include the tibia, femur, and patella. The three bones are held together by groups of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that make it possible for us to stand, sit, walk, and move. In addition to joining the separate bones together within the joint, ligaments act to create stability and prevent movement in certain directions. Within the joint, the ends of the bones are capped by a layer of cartilage — essentially a cushion that protects the hard bones from one another and absorbs the shock of movement and weight that introduce pressure to the joint.

All the different components of the knee’s anatomy, 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 lead to a knee injury. If you or a family member have recently experienced any kind of trauma in or around your knee or have developed a chronic condition that could lead to damage to the knee, speak with Axes Physical Therapy to discuss your knee injury treatment options in Knob Lick, MO today or request an appointment online now.

Knee Injury Causes and Prevalence in Knob Lick, MO and the US

The human knee is a sophisticated part of the human anatomy — an intricately constructed joint that allows us to move and act in ways that are unique to humans. But this intricate joint is vulnerable to a variety of injuries. In fact, knee injuries are the most common of all sports injuries, attributed with 41 percent of all sports injuries. And sports injuries are just one type of knee injury individuals in Knob Lick, MO and throughout the US commonly experience. Though young people more often get knee injuries from sports and other physical activities, older adults who sustain knee injuries most often do so in acute injuries involving falls and ramps or through chronic conditions 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 suffer a knee injury
68% of knee injury victims are male
Fifty percent of all knee injuries occur in sports accidents
Among sports-related knee injuries, the sports activities most likely to lead to injury are soccer and skiing, each responsible for in excess of a quarter of all sports-related knee injuries
Other top knee injury causes 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%

Common Types of Knee Injuries in Knob Lick, MO

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 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, which can be anything from a small, partial crack like a hairline fracture to a much more brutal break such as a comminuted fracture when the bone is crushed into multiple pieces. Even the kneecap bone, called the patella, can be fractured in 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 often caused by a blow to the knee from various directions. 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 learn more about our Knob Lick, MO physical therapy services for ACL tears in your area.
Arthritis. Many different types of arthritis exist and each patient has their own unique experience of their condition. However, if you suffer from a chronic condition like arthritis and experience knee injury symptoms like pain and limited mobility, you may have an arthritis-induced knee injury. You may even be at risk of developing bone spurs. Without the proper quality arthritis treatment for joint health, you face rapid and irreparable damage to your knee joint cartilage.
Tendonitis and Other Forms of Inflammation. When under constant stress or overuse, tendons in the knee can become inflamed. This is common in individuals who engage in frequent running, jumping, or cycling activities. 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.

Risk Factors for a Knee Injury in Knob Lick, MO

Excessive weight. Being overweight or obese puts undue stress on your knee joints, even during what are generally considered light activities such as walking or going up and down stairs. It also puts you at increased risk of osteoarthritis by accelerating the breakdown of joint cartilage.
Weakness or stiffness. A lack of strength and flexibility can increase the risk of succumbing to a knee injury. Strong muscles protect your joints and keep them properly aligned, and adequate muscle flexibility can help you safely achieve full range of motion.
Certain activities and occupations. Some sports put greater strain on your knees than do others. Downhill snowboarding and skiing involve rigid boots and harsh landings, basketball jumps and pivots, and the repeated pounding your knees take when you run or jog all increase your risk of knee injury in Knob Lick, MO. Jobs that involve repetitive stress on the knees like installation or farming also can increase your risk.
Previous Injury. Having a previous knee injury makes it more likely that you’ll injure your knee again.
Advanced age. As we age, our tissues start to wear down. The cartilage protecting your knee joint can degrade, and diseases like osteoporosis make your bones weak and susceptible to injury.

When You Need Treatment for your Knee Injury in Knob Lick, MO

As always, each patient is different and you should always speak with a licensed and practiced healthcare 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, some times immediate medical care is warranted. After suffering an acute knee injury, the biggest warning sign that you need immediate knee injury treatment is swelling. According to Yale Medicine, swelling after a knee injury indicates a serious injury that necessitates immediate medical care. Rapid, extreme swelling that happens in the three to four hours after an instance of acute trauma to the knee is typically a sign that blood is trapped in the joint.

What To Do After a Knee Injury in Knob Lick, 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 Knob Lick, MO

As a valued knee injury treatment patient with Axes Physical Therapy in the Knob Lick, 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 Knob Lick, MO. With years of clinical experience restoring knee injury patients back to optimal 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 Knob Lick, 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 Knob Lick, MO appointment with Axes for your knee injury, your physical therapist will conduct a full injury screening and evaluation of your condition. From ensuring that your physical therapist is operating with a complete picture of your condition and overall health to consistently engaging in the prescribed exercises, it is critical that you are an active participant in your knee injury physical therapy treatment.

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 therapies to target your knee injury.

Stretches and exercises
Gait and posture training
Heat and ice therapies
Ultrasound
Electric stimulation
Kinesiology taping
Soft tissue massages or knee joint mobilization

The movement health professionals at Axes Physical Therapy in the Knob Lick, 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. Find out more about the conditions we treat and the treatment methods we provide near Knob Lick, MO, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Knob Lick, MO Now

If you recently experienced a knee injury or are experiencing symptoms of any type of knee injury, do not waste any time. Talk to a trustworthy 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 Knob Lick, MO will take charge of your recovery. Contact our Knob Lick, MO treatment professionals or find our facility that is most convenient for you to take the first step toward healing and relief from your knee injury.