Knee Injury in Lake St. Louis, MO

Knee Injury in Lake St. Louis, MO. A knee injury has the power to disrupt your daily life, and even your long-term well-being. There is nobody in Lake St. Louis, 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, knee injuries are most commonly caused by age-related deterioration, 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.

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. Increase your chances of a full, successful recovery by trusting Axes Physical Therapy in the Lake St. Louis, MO area. Our team of physical and occupational therapists will release you from pain and restore your mobility.

knee injury Lake St. Louis, MO | Lake St. Louis physical therapy for knee injury

What Are Knee Injuries?

The knee earns the title of the largest joint in the human body and is pivotal to 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. The knee consists of four distinct structures, all of which can be injured or damaged. The knee contains bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

The bones of the knee include the tibia, femur, and patella. These bones are held in place by groups of muscles, connected by tendons and ligaments, that allow us to move our legs. In addition to connecting bones within the joint together, ligaments act to create stability and prevent movement in certain directions. Within the joint, the end of each bone is 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 essential 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 experienced any kind of trauma in or around your knee or have a chronic condition that could cause damage to any part of the knee, contact Axes Physical Therapy to learn about the best choice for the treatment of a knee injury in Lake St. Louis, MO today or request an appointment online now.

Prevalence and Common Causes of Knee Injuries in Lake St. Louis, MO and the US

The human knee is a complex part of the human body — a beautifully constructed joint that allows us to move and act in ways that are unique to humans. However, the intricate joint design brings with it 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. But sports injuries are just one category of knee injury individuals in Lake St. Louis, MO and throughout the US commonly experience. While athletic activity is the more common culprit for knee injuries in young people, older adults who sustain knee injuries most often do so in acute injuries involving falls and ramps or through chronic conditions like osteoarthritis.

Check out these fast knee injury 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
Men experience knee injuries far more often than women, with 68% of knee injury patients categorized as male
Fifty percent of all knee injuries are caused by sports-related injuries
Of sports-related knee injuries, soccer and skiing are the most dangerous sports and activities, each responsible for over a quarter of all sports-related 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%; next are contusions and abrasions at 27.1% and lacerations and puncture wounds at 10.5%

Common Types of Knee Injuries in Lake St. Louis, MO

Sprains and Strains. When you sprain or strain your knee, a muscle or ligament within the joint is affected. These injuries 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, which can be anything from a small, partial crack like a hairline fracture to something much more devastating like a comminuted fracture when a bone is crushed into multiple fragments. Even the kneecap bone, called the patella, can be fractured 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 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 get more information about our treatment and therapy services for Lake St. Louis, MO ACL tears in your area.
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 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. Tendons in the knee area can become inflamed through overuse or repeated stress, common in people who engage in frequent activities like running, jumping, and cycling. A common form of tendonitis in the knee is what is known as jumper’s knee. This condition is caused by the severe force of hitting the ground when landing a jump.

Risk Factors for a Knee Injury in Lake St. Louis, 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 put you at a heightened risk of knee injuries. Strong muscles help stabilize and protect your joints, while adequate muscle flexibility make it possible to safely achieve full range of motion.
Certain activities and occupations. Some athletic and occupational activities put more stress on your knees than do others. Downhill snowboarding and skiing involve rigid boots and potential for falls, the near constant and rapid change of direction in basketball, and the relentless force your knees take when you run or jog all increase your risk of knee injury in Lake St. Louis, MO. Jobs that involve activities that put stress on the knees like auto work or farming put you at an increased risk as well.
Previous Injury. Being injured in the past puts you at a higher risk of injuring your knee again.
Age. As our bodies age, the tissues in our body wear down. The cartilage protecting your knee joint can break down, and diseases like osteoporosis make your bones weak and susceptible to injury.

Do I Need Knee Injury Treatment in Lake St. Louis, MO?

As with any medical condition or injury, each case is unique and it is important that you speak with a licensed healthcare professional when a knee injury or any condition affects your ability to function normally or live comfortably. 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 is a hallmark sign that the injury is serious and medical care is warranted. Rapid, extensive 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 Lake St. Louis, 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 Lake St. Louis, 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 Lake St. Louis, MO knee injury patient is different and every injury varies in severity, so your knee injury treatment plan in Lake St. Louis, 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 Lake St. Louis, MO

When you come to Axes Physical Therapy for knee injury treatment near you in the Lake St. Louis, MO area, you will work with a dedicated physical therapist who will lead your knee injury recovery for the entirety of your knee injury physical therapy treatment plan in Lake St. Louis, 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 Lake St. Louis, MO knee injury and return to all the activities you value and need to be able to do for work, home, and recreation.

During your first Lake St. Louis, 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, you are a critical piece in your knee injury treatment puzzle. It is imperative that you are an active participant in your knee injury physical therapy treatment.

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 variety of treatments 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 physical and occupational therapists at Axes Physical Therapy in the Lake St. Louis, 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 Lake St. Louis, MO, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Lake St. Louis, 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, do not waste any time. Contact a experienced 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 Lake St. Louis, MO will take charge of your recovery. Contact the professionals at any of our accessible treatment locations in the Lake St. Louis, MO area to begin your healing journey and obtain relief from your knee injury.