Knee Injury in Pacific, MO

Knee Injury in Pacific, MO. A knee injury can wreak havoc on your daily life, and often persists with long-term symptoms. There is nobody in Pacific, 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 aging, 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 near Pacific, MO. 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 integral to executing so many of the actions, motions, and functions that distinguish us from other animals and allow us to carry out the complicated tasks we use every day to go about our lives. The knee is made up of four different structures, none of which are immune to injury. The knee contains bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

There are multiple bones that make up the knee, including the tibia, femur, and patella. These bones are held together by muscle groups, which are connected together by tendons and ligaments, that make it possible for us to move our legs. In addition to connecting bones within the joint together, the ligaments also create stability and prevent movement in certain directions. Inside 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 essential to the knee’s ability to function as a strong and healthy joint, and damage to any one or more of these areas can result in a knee injury. If you or a family member recently suffered an acute trauma to your knee or surrounding area or suffer from a chronic condition that could cause damage to the knee, speak with Axes Physical Therapy to discuss the best choice for the treatment of a knee injury in Pacific, MO today or book an appointment online now.

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

The human knee is a sophisticated part of the human body — a beautifully designed joint that makes it possible for us to execute tasks and movements other animals cannot. 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, making up 41 percent of all sports injuries. But sports injuries make up only one type of knee injury individuals in Pacific, MO and throughout the US commonly experience. While athletic activity is the more likely cause of 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.

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
Fifty percent of all knee injuries occur in sports accidents
Of sports-related knee injuries, the sports activities most likely to lead to injury are soccer and skiing, each responsible for more than a quarter of all sports knee injuries
After sports injuries, most common knee injury causes are related to home structures at 30.2% and home furnishings at 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 Pacific, MO

Sprains and Strains. When you sprain or strain your knee, a muscle or ligament within the joint is affected. 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 stress fracture or crack in the bone to a much more brutal break such as a comminuted fracture when a bone shatters into multiple fragments. Even the patella, the bone commonly known as the kneecap, can be fractured during a knee injury, especially in events such as car accidents or forceful falls on hard surfaces.
Cartilage or Ligament Tears. Injury 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. If you have been diagnosed with or believe you have suffered an ACL injury get more information about our Pacific, 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 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 regularly perform running, jumping, or cycling activities. A common form of tendonitis in the knee is what is known as jumper’s knee because of the strain to the tendon that occurs as a result of the repeated force of hitting the ground after jumping.

Risk Factors for a Knee Injury in Pacific, MO

Excessive weight. Being overweight or obese increases stress on your knee joints, even during what are generally considered light 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.
Weakness or stiffness. A lack of strength and flexibility can increase the risk of knee injuries. Strong muscles help stabilize and protect your joints, and adequately flexible muscles make it possible to safely enjoy full range of motion.
Specific activities and occupations. Some sports put more strain on your knees than do others. Alpine skiing with its rigid ski boots and potential for falls, basketball jumps and pivots, and the repeated force your knees take when you run or jog all increase your risk of knee injury in Pacific, MO. Jobs that require 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 makes it more likely that you’ll injure your knee again.
Advanced age. As our bodies age, our tissues start to wear down. The cartilage protecting your knee joint can wear thin, and diseases like osteoporosis make your bones weak and susceptible to injury.

Do I Need Knee Injury Treatment in Pacific, MO?

As with any medical condition or injury, each case is unique and it is important that you speak with a licensed and practiced medical professional when a knee injury or any condition affects your ability to function normally or live comfortably. 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 your experience as a knee injury sufferer is unique, 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. Rapid, significant swelling that occurs within 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 Pacific, 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 Pacific, 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 Pacific, MO knee injury patient is different and every injury varies in severity, so your knee injury treatment plan in Pacific, 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 Pacific, MO

When you come to Axes Physical Therapy for knee injury treatment near you in the Pacific, 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 Pacific, MO. With extensive clinical success restoring knee injury patients back to optimal 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 Pacific, MO knee injury at the source, successfully returning you to all the activities you value so you can go about your regular life at home, at work, and in your personal time.

When you visit Axes near Pacific, MO for your first appointment after a suspected knee injury, your physical therapist will conduct an evaluation of your overall condition, health history, and an injury screening. 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 imperative 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 number of treatments 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 movement health professionals at Axes Physical Therapy in the Pacific, MO area have experience guiding patients with all kinds of movement disorders, chronic pain, and injuries back to the life and activities they care about. Find out more about our treatment capabilities and the types of conditions we specialize in for patients near Pacific, MO, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Pacific, MO Now

If you suffered an acute knee injury or are suffering from any symptoms that you think may be caused by any type of knee injury, it is important to consult a trustworthy medical professional right away. As musculoskeletal specialists with expertise in movement and the human body, the physical therapists of Axes Physical Therapy in Pacific, MO will take charge of your recovery. Contact our Pacific, 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.