Knee Injury in Osage Hills, MO

Knee Injury in Osage Hills, MO. A knee injury has the power to disrupt your day to day living, and is likely to cause long-term symptoms. There is nobody in Osage Hills, 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.

Do you have knee pain, buckling, stiffness, swelling, or other symptoms related to the knee? 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 the movement experts at Axes Physical Therapy for help with your knee injury in the Osage Hills, MO area. Our team of physical and occupational therapists will lead you toward a stronger, healthier, pain-free you.

knee injury Osage Hills, MO | Osage Hills physical therapy for knee injury

What Are Knee Injuries?

The knee earns the title of the largest human joint and is pivotal to many of the motions and actions that are unique to humans and allow us to carry out the complicated tasks we use every day to go about our lives. The knee consists of four different structures, none of which are immune to injury. The knee is made up of bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

There are a number of bones that make up the knee, including the tibia, femur, and patella. The three bones are bound together by groups of muscles, which are connected together by tendons and ligaments, that allow us to move our legs. In addition to connecting bones within the joint together, ligaments also create stability and prevent movement in certain directions. Within the joint, the end of each bone is capped by a layer of cartilage. The cartilage tissue cushions the hard bones where they meet and works as a shock absorber when movement or weight put pressure on 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 lead to a knee injury. If you or a family member recently experienced an acute trauma to your knee or surrounding area or have a chronic condition that could cause damage to the knee structure, contact Axes Physical Therapy to learn about how to care for and heal your knee injury in Osage Hills, MO today or make an appointment online now.

Knee Injury Statistics in in Osage Hills, MO and the US

The human knee is a sophisticated part of the human body — an intricately designed joint that allows us to execute tasks and movements that are unique to humans. But this intricate joint is susceptible to a number of different injuries. In fact, knee injuries account for the most common type of sports injury, attributed with 41 percent of all sports injuries. And sports injuries make up only one type of knee injury individuals in Osage Hills, MO and throughout the US can suffer. 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 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
68% of knee injury victims are male
Half of all knee injuries are caused by sports-related injuries
Of all 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 sports-related knee injuries
After sports injuries, top causes of knee injuries are related to home structures at 30.2% and home furnishings at 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%

Most Common Osage Hills, MO Knee Injuries

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, planting the foot and pivoting, twisting the knee in the wrong direction).
Fractures. A fracture describes a broken bone, which can be anything from a hairline fracture or crack in the bone to a much more brutal break such as a comminuted fracture when a bone is crushed into multiple pieces. Even the patella, the bone commonly known as the kneecap, can be fractured in a knee injury, especially in car accidents, hard falls against solid objects, assaults and other catastrophic events.
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. If you have been diagnosed with or believe you have suffered an ACL injury learn more about our treatment and therapy services for Osage Hills, MO ACL tears near you.
Arthritis. There are countless variations of arthritis and each patient’s experience of the condition is their own. However, if you live with arthritis or a similar condition and experience knee injury symptoms like pain or stiffness, you may have an arthritis-induced knee injury. You may even be at risk of developing bone spurs. Arthritis can result in rapid and irreversible damage of the cartilage and in your knee joint. The right care that targets the underlying cause of your pain can prevent further damage
Tendonitis and Other Forms of Inflammation. When under constant stress or overuse, tendons in the knee can become inflamed. This is commonly found in individuals who frequently perform 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 after jumping.

Risk Factors for a Knee Injury in Osage Hills, MO

Excessive weight. Heaviness or obesity introduces inordinate stress on your knee joints, even during ordinary activities such as walking or going up and down stairs. It also puts you at increased risk of osteoarthritis because of the premature breakdown of joint cartilage.
Weakness or stiffness. A lack of strength and flexibility can increase the risk of knee injuries. Strong muscles help stabilize and protect your joints, while adequate muscle flexibility make it possible to reach full range of motion.
Specific activities and occupations. Some athletic and occupational activities put greater stress on your knees than do others. Downhill skiing with its rigid ski boots and harsh landings, basketball jumps and pivots, and the repeated force your knees take when you run or jog all increase your risk of knee injury in Osage Hills, MO. Occupations that require repetitive stress on the knees like auto work 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 cartilage protecting your knee joint can wear thin, and conditions associated with advanced age like osteoporosis make your bones weak and susceptible to injury.

When You Need Treatment for your Knee Injury in Osage Hills, MO

As always, each case is unique and it is important that you consult with a licensed and practiced medical 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. 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 happens in the three to four hours after an acute trauma impacts the knee is typically a sign that blood is trapped in the joint.

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

When you come to Axes Physical Therapy for knee injury treatment near you in the Osage Hills, MO area, you will work with a dedicated physical therapist who will work with you for the entirety of your knee injury physical therapy treatment plan in Osage Hills, MO. With extensive clinical success guiding knee injury patients back to full 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 Osage Hills, MO knee injury and return to all the activities you value and need to be able to do for work, home, and recreation.

When you visit Axes near Osage Hills, MO for your first appointment after a suspected 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 engaging in the prescribed exercises, it is critical that you take an active role 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 number of treatments to target 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 experts in movement health and the musculoskeletal system at Axes Physical Therapy in the Osage Hills, MO area have experience guiding patients with all kinds of movement disorders, chronic pain, and injuries back to the life and activities they love. Discover more about the conditions we treat and the treatment methods we provide in the Osage Hills, MO area, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Osage Hills, MO Now

If you recently experienced a knee injury or are suffering from symptoms of any type of knee injury, do not waste any time. Talk to a trustworthy medical 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 Osage Hills, MO will take charge of your recovery. Contact our physical therapy clinics today or find the location nearest you in Osage Hills, MO to restore your mobility and acheive relief from your knee injury.

Knee Injury Osage Hills, MO