Knee Injury in Maryland Heights, MO

Knee Injury in Maryland Heights, MO. A knee injury has the power to disrupt your everyday life, and often persists with long-term symptoms. There is nobody in Maryland Heights, 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 majority of knee injury victims experience damage due to age-related deterioration, repetitive motions (such as in certain occupations), and trauma and damage caused by an accident or while engaging in physical activity.

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 Maryland Heights, MO area. Our team of physical and occupational therapists will design a treatment plan to maximize your recovery and restore you to optimal movement.

knee injury Maryland Heights, MO | Maryland Heights physical therapy for knee injury

What Are Knee Injuries?

The knee is the largest joint in the human body and is pivotal to executing so many of the actions, motions, and functions that are unique to humans, making it possible for us to accomplishing the complex tasks we use every day to go about our lives. This body part consists of four distinct structures, any 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 attached by groups of muscles, which are connected together by tendons and ligaments, that allow us to stand, sit, walk, and move. In addition to joining the separate bones together within the joint, ligaments act to provide stability and prevent movement in certain directions. Within the joint, the ends of the bones are capped by 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 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 result in 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, contact Axes Physical Therapy to discuss how to care for and heal your knee injury in Maryland Heights, MO today or book an appointment online now.

Prevalence and Common Causes of Knee Injuries in Maryland Heights, MO and the US

The human knee is a sophisticated part of the human body — a beautifully constructed joint that allows us to move and act in ways other animals cannot. However, along with the intricate design comes 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 individuals in Maryland Heights, MO and throughout the US commonly experience. 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 experience a knee injury
68% of knee injury victims are male
Half of all knee injuries are caused by sports-related injuries
Among sports-related knee injuries, the sports activities most likely to lead to injury are soccer and skiing, together accounting for more than a quarter of all knee injuries related to sports
Other top knee injury causes are related to 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 cuts and puncture wounds at 10.5%

Common Types of Knee Injuries in Maryland Heights, MO

Sprains and Strains. A sprain or strain knee injury involves a muscle or ligament within the joint structure of the knee. These injuries are caused by sudden force to the knee or a sudden or unintended motion of the knee (for example, suddenly stopping to change directions or twisting).
Fractures. A fracture is another word for a broken bone, which can be anything from a stress fracture or crack in the bone to a much more brutal break like a comminuted fracture when a bone shatters into multiple fragments. Even the kneecap bone, or 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. Damage to the ligaments and cartilage in and around the knee are often caused by a blow to the knee from various directions. Sudden changes in direction such as twisting and pivoting motions can also result in a meniscus tear — the cartilage padding the knee where the bones meet — 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 Maryland Heights, MO ACL tears in your area.
Arthritis. Many different types of arthritis exist and each patient’s experience of the condition is their own. However, if you live with arthritis or a similar condition and have symptoms of a knee injury like pain and limited mobility, your arthritis may be causing a knee injury and can even lead to the potential development of 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 patients who frequently perform activities like running, jumping, and cycling. One of the most common types of tendonitis knee injuries is jumper’s knee. This condition is caused by the severe force of hitting the ground after jumping.

Knee Injury Risk Factors in Maryland Heights, MO

Excessive weight. Heaviness or obesity puts undue stress on the majority of your joints including your knees, even during ordinary activities from walking, sitting and standing, and going up and down stairs. It is also a risk factor for developing osteoarthritis because it speeds up the breakdown of joint cartilage.
Muscle or bone weakness or stiffness. A lack of strength and flexibility can put you at a heightened risk of succumbing to a knee injury. Strong muscles protect your joints and keep them properly aligned, and muscle flexibility make it possible to reach full range of motion.
Some 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, basketball jumps and pivots, and the relentless force of running or jogging on hard surfaces like pavement all involve a risk of knee injury in Maryland Heights, MO. Jobs that require activities that put stress on the knees like auto work or farming also can increase your risk.
Previous Injury. Having a previous knee injury puts you at a higher risk of injuring your knee again.
Old age. As our bodies age, our tissues start to wear down. The knee is no exception. The protective cartilage cushioning the bones in your knee can wear thin, and conditions associated with advanced age like osteoporosis leave your bones weak, making you.

When You Need Maryland Heights, MO Knee Injury Treatment

As always, 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 your experience as a knee injury sufferer is unique, in some cases emergency medical attention should be sought. 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. Immediate, extensive 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 Maryland Heights, 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 Maryland Heights, 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 Maryland Heights, MO knee injury patient is different and every injury varies in severity, so your knee injury treatment plan in Maryland Heights, 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.

Knee Injury Physical Therapy in Maryland Heights, MO

When you come to Axes Physical Therapy for knee injury treatment near you in the Maryland Heights, MO area, you will work with one dedicated physical therapist who will lead your knee injury recovery by administering a custom physical therapy treatment plan in Maryland Heights, MO. With extensive clinical success guiding 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 Maryland Heights, MO knee injury at the source, successfully returning you to all the activities you care about so you can go about your regular life at home, at work, and in your personal time.

When you visit Axes near Maryland Heights, MO for your first appointment after a suspected 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 critical that you take an active role in your physical therapy treatment of your knee injury.

Your physical therapist will devise a custom treatment plan to eliminate pain and other symptoms, repair damaged tissue, and restore your mobility. To this end, 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 therapies
Ultrasound
Electric stimulation
Kinesiology taping
Soft tissue massages or knee joint mobilization

The physical and occupational therapists at Axes Physical Therapy in the Maryland Heights, 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. Discover more about our treatment capabilities and the types of conditions we specialize in for patients in the Maryland Heights, MO area, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Maryland Heights, MO Now

If you suffered an acute knee injury or are experiencing 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 licensed physical and occupational therapists with decades of clinical experience restoring the mobility of our patients, the physical therapists of Axes Physical Therapy in Maryland Heights, MO will help you understand your injury and design a tailored treatment plan that works for you. Contact our Maryland Heights, MO treatment professionals or find our facility that is most convenient for you to restore your mobility and acheive relief from your knee injury.

Knee Injury Maryland Heights, MO