Knee Injury in Pacific, MO

Knee Injury in Pacific, MO. Suffering a knee injury has the power to disrupt your daily life, and even your long-term well-being. 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 advanced age, exposure to repetitive motions, 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 guide you in a recovery plan that leaves you stronger and healthier than ever before.

knee injury Pacific, MO | Pacific physical therapy for knee injury

What Are Knee Injuries?

The knee is the largest human joint, and one that is integral to executing so many of the motions and actions that are unique to humans, making it possible for us to carry out the complicated tasks our busy lives require. This body part is made up of four types of 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 three bones are held in place by groups of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that allow us to stand, sit, walk, and move. In addition to joining the separate bones together within the joint, the ligaments act to provide stability and prevent movement in certain directions. Within the joint, the end of each bone is 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 parts that make up the knee, both hard bone and soft tissue, 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 any kind of trauma in or around your knee or suffer from a chronic condition that could cause damage to any part of the knee, speak with Axes Physical Therapy to learn about how to care for and heal your knee injury in Pacific, MO today or book an appointment online now.

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

The knee is a complex part of the human body — an intricately constructed joint that allows us to execute tasks and movements that are unique to humans. But this complex joint is vulnerable to a variety of injuries. In fact, knee injuries are the most common of all sports injuries, contributing to 41 percent of all sports injuries. But sports injuries make up only one category of knee injury individuals in Pacific, MO and throughout the US commonly experience. 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 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 suffer a knee injury
Men are more likely to have a knee injury than women, making up 68% of all knee injury sufferers
Half of all knee injuries take place during physical activity
Among all sports-related knee injuries, soccer and skiing are the most dangerous sports and activities, each responsible for over a quarter of all knee injuries related to sports
Other top causes of knee injuries are 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 Pacific, 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 is a broken bone, and these kinds of injuries range in severity from a stress fracture or crack in the bone to a much more brutal break like a comminuted fracture when a bone is crushed into multiple 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. Twisting, pivoting, and other sudden changes in direction can also cause a meniscus tear (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 learn more about our treatment and therapy services for Pacific, MO ACL tears near you.
Arthritis. Many different types of arthritis exist and each patient has their own unique experience of their condition. However, if you live with arthritis or a similar condition and experience knee injury symptoms 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. 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 people who regularly 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.

Knee Injury Risk Factors in Pacific, MO

Excessive weight. Being overweight or obese introduces inordinate stress on your knees and most other joints in the body, even during what are generally considered light activities from walking, sitting and standing, and going up and down stairs. It also puts you at increased risk of osteoarthritis by accelerating the breakdown of joint cartilage.
Muscle or bone weakness or stiffness. A lack of strength and flexibility can increase the risk of succumbing to a knee injury. Strong muscles help stabilize and protect your joints, while adequate muscle flexibility can help you utilize a full range of motion.
Certain activities and occupations. Some sports put greater strain on your knees than do others. Downhill skiing with its rigid ski boots and harsh landings, the near constant and rapid change of direction in basketball, and the repeated pounding of running or jogging on hard surfaces like pavement all increase your risk of knee injury in Pacific, MO. Occupations that require activities that put stress on the knees such as auto work or farming also can increase your risk.
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 knee is no exception. The protective cartilage cushioning the bones in your knee 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 Pacific, MO

As always, each patient is unique 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 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 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 indicates a serious injury that necessitates immediate medical care. Rapid, significant swelling that occurs within three to four hours after an instance of acute trauma to the knee is usually 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

As a valued knee injury treatment patient with Axes Physical Therapy in the Pacific, 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 Pacific, MO. With years of clinical experience guiding 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 perform 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, it is critical that you are an active participant 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 therapist may employ a variety of treatment modalities to target your knee injury.

Therapeutic exercises and stretches
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 Pacific, MO area have successfully treated hundreds of patients with pain, injuries, and chronic conditions and have restored their ability to do the activities they value. Learn more about the conditions we treat and the treatment methods we provide near Pacific, MO, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Pacific, MO Now

If you recently experienced a knee injury while being active or are suffering from symptoms of any type of knee injury, do not waste any time. Contact a knowledgeable medical professional as soon as possible. As musculoskeletal specialists with expertise in movement and the human body, the physical therapists of Axes Physical Therapy in Pacific, MO will help you understand your injury and design a tailored treatment plan that works for you. Contact the professionals at any of our accessible treatment locations in the Pacific, MO area to take the first step toward healing and relief from your knee injury.

Pacific, MO