Knee Injury in St. Clair, MO

Knee Injury in St. Clair, MO. A knee injury has the power to disrupt your everyday life, and even your long-term well-being. A knee injury can happen to anyone in St. Clair, 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 age-related deterioration, 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 St. Clair, MO. Our team of physical and occupational therapists will guide you in a recovery plan that leaves you stronger and healthier than ever before.

knee injury St. Clair, MO | St. Clair physical therapy for knee injury

What Do I Need to Know About Knee Injuries?

The knee is the largest human joint, and one that is integral to many of the actions, motions, and functions that distinguish us from other animals, making it possible for us to performing the complicated tasks we use every day to go about our lives. The knee is composed of four types of 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 held in place by groups of muscles, connected by tendons and ligaments, that make it possible for us to move our legs. In addition to connecting bones within the joint together, ligaments act to provide stability and limit 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 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 damage to any one or more of these areas can result in 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 lead to damage to any part of the knee, contact Axes Physical Therapy to discuss how to care for and heal your knee injury in St. Clair, MO today or request an appointment online now.

Knee Injury Causes and Prevalence in St. Clair, MO and the US

The knee is a complex part of the human body — an intricately designed joint that allows us to move and act in ways that are unique to humans. 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, attributed with 41 percent of all sports injuries. And sports injuries make up only one category of knee injury that people in St. Clair, MO and throughout the US commonly experience. While 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 like osteoarthritis.

Learn more about knee injuries through the following facts and statistics provided by 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
Of sports-related knee injuries, the sports activities most likely to lead to injury are soccer and skiing, each responsible for in excess of a quarter of all knee injuries related to sports
After sports injuries, most common causes of knee injuries 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; next are contusions and abrasions at 27.1% and lacerations and puncture wounds at 10.5%

Common Types of Knee Injuries in St. Clair, MO

Sprains and Strains. A sprain or strain knee injury involves a muscle or ligament within the joint structure of the knee. These injuries 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 fractured in a knee injury, especially in car accidents, hard falls against solid objects, assaults and other traumatic events.
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. 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 St. Clair, 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 have symptoms of a knee injury like pain or stiffness, 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. Tendons in the knee area can become inflamed through overuse or repeated stress, common in people who engage in frequent activities like running, jumping, and cycling. A common form of tendonitis in the knee is 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.

Knee Injury Risk Factors in St. Clair, MO

Being overweight. Being overweight or obese introduces inordinate stress on your knee joints, even during ordinary activities from walking, sitting and standing, and going up and down stairs. Being at an unhealthy excessive weight is also a risk factor for developing 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 protect your joints and keep them properly aligned, and adequately flexible muscles make it possible to safely enjoy full range of motion.
Some activities and occupations. Some athletic and occupational activities put greater stress on your knees than do others. Alpine skiing with its rigid ski boots and harsh landings, the near constant and rapid change of direction in basketball, and the relentless pounding your knees take when you run or jog all increase your risk of knee injury in St. Clair, MO. Occupations that involve repetitive stress on the knees such as construction or farming put you at an increased risk as well.
History of previous injury. Being injured in the past makes it more likely that you’ll injure your knee again.
Old age. As we age, the tissues in our body wear down. The cartilage protecting your knee joint can wear thin, and diseases like osteoporosis make your bones weak and susceptible to injury.

When You Need Treatment for your Knee Injury in St. Clair, MO

As always, each case is different and you should always speak 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, 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, significant 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.

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

As a valued knee injury treatment patient with Axes Physical Therapy in the St. Clair, MO area, you will be assigned one dedicated physical therapist who will work with you for the entirety of your knee injury physical therapy treatment plan in St. Clair, MO. With years of clinical experience guiding knee injury patients back to optimal performance, your physical therapist will draw upon their extensive education and the most current evidence-based practices to treat the cause of your St. Clair, MO knee injury at the source, successfully returning you to all the activities you care about and need to be able to do for work, home, and recreation.

When you visit Axes near St. Clair, 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 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 critical that you take an active role in your knee injury physical therapy treatment.

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 methods to target your knee injury.

Stretches and exercises
Gait and posture training
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 St. Clair, 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. Find out more about our treatment capabilities and the types of conditions we specialize in for patients near St. Clair, MO, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in St. Clair, MO Now

If you recently experienced a knee injury while being active or are suffering from any symptoms that you think may be caused by any type of knee injury, do not waste any time. Talk to a experienced 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 St. Clair, 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 St. Clair, MO to begin your healing journey and obtain relief from your knee injury.

Knee Injury St. Clair, MO