Knee Injury in Saint Paul, MO

Knee Injury in Saint Paul, MO. Suffering a knee injury can wreak havoc on your day to day living, and is likely to cause long-term symptoms. A knee injury can happen to anyone in Saint Paul, 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, repetitive motions, and sudden movement or trauma that can happen in accidents and when engaging in physical activities.

Are you experiencing knee-related symptoms like pain, swelling, or buckling? 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 Axes Physical Therapy for help with your knee injury in the Saint Paul, MO area. The experienced staff of physical and occupational therapists will design a treatment plan to maximize your recovery and restore you to optimal movement.

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What Are Knee Injuries?

The knee is the largest human joint and is pivotal to executing so many of the actions, motions, and functions that are unique to humans and allow us to accomplishing 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 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 in place by groups of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that allow us to stand, sit, walk, and move. In addition to connecting bones within the joint together, the ligaments also create stability and limit movement in certain directions. Inside the joint, the ends of the bones are capped by a layer of cartilage — essentially a cushion that protects 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, both hard bone and soft tissue, are essential 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 in or around your knee or suffer from a chronic condition that could lead to damage to the knee, contact Axes Physical Therapy to discuss the best choice for the treatment of a knee injury in Saint Paul, MO today or schedule an appointment online now.

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

The knee is a sophisticated part of the human body — an impeccably 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 account for the most common type of sports injury, making up 41 percent of all sports injuries. And sports injuries make up only one type of knee injury that people in Saint Paul, MO and throughout the US can suffer. While physical activity is the more likely cause of knee injuries in young people, older adults more often get knee injuries after falling or due to the development of a chronic condition like osteoarthritis.

Consider these fast knee injury 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
Men experience knee injuries far more often than women, with 68% of knee injury patients categorized as male
Half of all knee injuries take place during physical activity
Among sports-related knee injuries, soccer and skiing are the most dangerous sports and activities, together accounting for in excess of 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%)
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 Saint Paul, MO

Sprains and Strains. When you sprain or strain your knee, a muscle or ligament within the joint is damaged. 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, 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 pieces. Even the patella, the bone commonly known as the kneecap, can be broken in a knee injury, especially in car accidents, hard falls against solid objects, assaults and other catastrophic events.
Cartilage or Ligament Tears. Injury to the ligaments and cartilage in and around the knee are frequently caused by a blow to the knee from various directions. Twisting, pivoting, and other sudden changes in direction can also result in a tear to the meniscus — 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 Saint Paul, MO physical therapy services for ACL tears in your area.
Arthritis. Many different types of arthritis exist 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. When under constant stress or overuse, tendons in the knee can become inflamed. This is common in patients who engage in frequent activities like running, jumping, and cycling. A common form of tendonitis in the knee is jumper’s knee. This condition is caused by the severe force of hitting the ground after jumping.

Risk Factors for a Knee Injury in Saint Paul, MO

Being overweight. Heaviness or obesity introduces inordinate 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 by accelerating the breakdown of joint cartilage.
Muscle or bone weakness or stiffness. Inadequate strength or flexibility can increase the risk of succumbing to a knee injury. Strong muscles protect your joints and keep them properly aligned, and adequately flexible muscles can help you safely achieve full range of motion.
Specific activities and occupations. Some sports put more strain on your knees than do others. Downhill snowboarding and skiing involve rigid 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 Saint Paul, MO. Jobs that involve repetitive stress on the knees like installation or farming also can increase your risk.
History of previous injury. Having a previous knee injury makes it more likely that you’ll injure your knee again.
Old age. As we age, our tissues start to 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.

Do I Need Knee Injury Treatment in Saint Paul, MO?

As always, each case is different and it is important that you consult with a licensed and practiced 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, 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, extensive swelling that occurs in the three to four hours after an instance of acute trauma to the knee is usually a sign that blood is trapped in the joint.

What To Do After a Knee Injury in Saint Paul, MO

When in doubt, err on the side of caution and seek out medical care right away after you notice a potential knee injury. Especially in the case of an acute or sudden injury, the commonly known RICE method can help mitigate the damage and support your knee injury recovery with a swift response to the trauma.

The RICE method refers to:

Rest. If you experience pain or suspect a knee injury, do not force any activity or introduce any additional undue stress to the joint. If possible, avoid putting weight on the affected knee and minimize movement.
Ice. The application of ice or a cold compress after an injury like a knee injury can help temporarily ease the pain and reduce swelling. When using ice on an injury, do not apply the ice directly on bare skin and remember to follow an alternating schedule of 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off.
Compression. It may be helpful to wrap the injured knee with a soft, elastic bandage or ace wrap. Take care not to wrap the area so tight that it causes pain or cuts off blood and oxygen circulation to the injured area.
Elevate. During the initial resting time after the occurrence of your knee injury, you can use pillows, a stool, or another prop or structure to help keep your injured knee elevated higher than your heart. This elevation can stimulate reparative blood flow to the injury, reduce pressure and throbbing, and encourage the removal of waste from the area.

Knee Injury Physical Therapy in Saint Paul, MO

As a valued knee injury treatment patient with Axes Physical Therapy in the Saint Paul, MO area, you will work with a dedicated physical therapist who will lead your knee injury recovery by administering a custom physical therapy treatment plan in Saint Paul, MO. With years of clinical experience guiding knee injury patients back to optimal movement health, your physical therapist will draw upon their extensive education and the most current evidence-based practices to treat the cause of your Saint Paul, MO knee injury at the source, successfully returning you to all the activities you love and need to be able to do for work, home, and recreation.

During your first Saint Paul, MO appointment with Axes for your knee injury, your physical therapist will conduct a full injury screening and evaluation of your condition. From ensuring that your physical therapist is operating with a complete picture of your condition and overall health to consistently practicing the prescribed treatments and exercises, it is imperative that you take an active role 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 therapist may employ a number of therapies 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 movement health professionals at Axes Physical Therapy in the Saint Paul, 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 Saint Paul, MO, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Saint Paul, 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 knowledgeable 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 Saint Paul, MO will guide you in your recovery by creating a personalized treatment plan based on the latest proven practices in movement health. Contact our physical therapy clinics today or find the location nearest you in Saint Paul, MO to restore your mobility and acheive relief from your knee injury.

Knee Injury Saint Paul, MO