Knee Injury in Marthasville, MO

Knee Injury in Marthasville, MO. A knee injury can wreak havoc on your daily life, and is likely to cause long-term symptoms. Anyone could be at risk of a knee injury in Marthasville, MO. 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 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.

If you have any symptoms related to the knee — pain, buckling, stiffness, swelling or irritation — you could be suffering from a knee injury. For your swift and successful recovery, contact the movement experts at Axes Physical Therapy for help with your knee injury in the Marthasville, MO area. Our team of physical and occupational therapists will release you from pain and restore your mobility.

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What Are Knee Injuries?

The knee is the largest joint in the human body and is critical to many of the motions and actions that distinguish us from other animals, making it possible for us to accomplishing the complicated tasks our busy lives require. The knee is made up of four distinct 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 three bones are held together by groups of muscles, 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, ligaments also provide stability and prevent 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 absorbs the shock of movement and weight that introduce pressure to the joint.

All the different components of the knee’s anatomy, whether soft tissue or bone, are essential to the healthy functioning of the knee joint, and damage to any one or more of these areas can result in a knee injury. If you or a family member recently experienced 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 discuss how to care for and heal your knee injury in Marthasville, MO today or request an appointment online now.

Knee Injury Causes and Prevalence in Marthasville, MO and the US

The knee is a sophisticated part of the human body — an intricately 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 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 are just one category of knee injury that people in Marthasville, MO and throughout the US can suffer. While 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 from Society for Academic Emergency Medicine:

Teens 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, making up 68% of all knee injury sufferers
Half of all knee injuries occur in sports accidents
Among all sports-related knee injuries, soccer and skiing are the most dangerous sports and activities, together accounting for over a quarter of all knee injuries related to sports
After sports injuries, top knee injury causes are 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, followed by contusions and abrasions at 27.1% and lacerations and puncture wounds at 10.5%

Common Types of Knee Injuries in Marthasville, 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 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 describes a broken bone, and these kinds of injuries range in extent from a stress fracture or crack in the bone to a much more brutal break like a comminuted fracture when a bone shatters into several pieces. 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. Sudden changes in direction such as twisting and pivoting motions can also result in a tear to the meniscus (the cartilage between the bones in the knee) and/or anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear injuries. You can learn more about our Marthasville, MO physical therapy services for ACL tears near you.
Arthritis. There are countless variations of arthritis and each patient has their own unique experience of their condition. However, if you suffer from a chronic condition like arthritis and have symptoms of a knee injury like pain or stiffness, 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. 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 patients who frequently perform running, jumping, or cycling activities. A common form of tendonitis in the knee is what is known as jumper’s knee. This condition is caused by the repeated force of hitting the ground after jumping.

Risk Factors for a Knee Injury in Marthasville, MO

Excessive weight. Heaviness or obesity introduces inordinate 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 is also a risk factor for developing 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 knee injuries. Strong muscles protect your joints and keep them properly aligned, while muscle flexibility can help you safely achieve full range of motion.
Specific activities and occupations. Some sports put greater strain on your knees than do others. Alpine snowboarding and skiing involve rigid boots and potential for falls, the near constant and rapid change of direction in basketball, and the repeated force your knees take when you run or jog all increase your risk of knee injury in Marthasville, MO. Occupations that require activities that put stress on the knees such as maintenance 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.
Age. As we age, the tissues in our body wear down. The cartilage protecting your knee joint can break down, and conditions associated with advanced age like osteoporosis leave your bones weak and susceptible to injury.

When You Need Marthasville, MO Knee Injury Treatment

As always, each case is different and it is important that you speak with a licensed and practiced 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 each injury and patient is different, some times immediate medical care is warranted. 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 indicates a serious injury that necessitates immediate medical care. Immediate, significant swelling that occurs 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.

Types of Treatments for Knee Injuries in Marthasville, 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 Marthasville, 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 Marthasville, MO knee injury patient is different and every injury varies in severity, so your knee injury treatment plan in Marthasville, 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 Marthasville, MO

When you come to Axes Physical Therapy for knee injury treatment near you in the Marthasville, MO area, you will work with a dedicated physical therapist who will work with you by administering a custom physical therapy treatment plan in Marthasville, MO. With extensive clinical success 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 Marthasville, MO knee injury at the source, successfully returning you to all the activities you care about and need to be able to do for work, home, and recreation.

During your first Marthasville, MO appointment with Axes for your knee injury, your physical therapist will perform 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.

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 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 experts in movement health and the musculoskeletal system at Axes Physical Therapy in the Marthasville, MO area have successfully treated hundreds of patients with pain, injuries, and chronic conditions and have restored their ability to do the activities they love. Discover more about our treatment capabilities and the types of conditions we specialize in for patients in the Marthasville, MO area, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Marthasville, MO Now

If you suffered an acute knee injury while being active or are experiencing symptoms of any type of knee injury, do not waste any time. Talk to a trustworthy medical professional right away. 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 Marthasville, MO will take charge of your recovery. Contact our Marthasville, 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.

Knee Injury Marthasville, MO