Knee Injury in St. George, MO

Knee Injury in St. George, MO. Suffering a knee injury has the power to disrupt your day to day living, and often results in long-term harm. A knee injury can happen to anyone in St. George, MO. A knee injury can happen in any number of situations — often when you least expect it. However, the majority of knee injury victims experience damage due to age-related deterioration, repetitive motions, and trauma and damage caused by an accident or while being physically active.

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 in the St. George, MO area. The experienced staff of physical and occupational therapists will release you from pain and restore your mobility.

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What Are Knee Injuries?

The knee earns the title of the largest joint in the human body, and one that is integral to executing so many of the motions and actions that distinguish us from other animals and allow us to accomplishing the complex tasks our busy lives require. This joint is made up of four different structures, all 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. The bones are attached by groups of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that allow us to move our legs. In addition to connecting bones within the joint together, ligaments act to provide 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 parts that make up the knee, 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 lead to a knee injury. If you or a family member recently suffered an acute trauma in or around your knee or have a chronic condition that could lead to damage to the knee structure, speak with Axes Physical Therapy to learn about your knee injury treatment options in St. George, MO today or request an appointment online now.

Knee Injury Statistics in in St. George, MO and the US

The human knee is a complex part of the human anatomy — an intricately designed joint that makes it possible for us to move and act in ways other animals cannot. But this intricate joint is susceptible to a number of different injuries. In fact, knee injuries are the most common of all sports injuries, making up 41 percent of all sports injuries. And sports injuries are just one category of knee injury individuals in St. George, MO and throughout the US can suffer. Though athletic activity is the more likely culprit for 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.

Learn more about knee injuries through the following facts and statistics provided by 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 suffer 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 knee injury causes are 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, followed by contusions and abrasions at 27.1% and lacerations and puncture wounds at 10.5%

Most Common St. George, MO Knee Injuries

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 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 small, partial crack like a hairline fracture to something much more devastating like a comminuted fracture when the bone is crushed into several fragments. Even the kneecap bone, called the patella, 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 result in a tear to the meniscus — the cartilage padding the knee where the bones meet — and/or anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear injuries. You can get more information about our St. George, MO physical therapy services for ACL tears near you.
Arthritis. Many different types of arthritis exist 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 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 Other Forms of Inflammation. When under constant stress or overuse, tendons in the knee can become inflamed. This is commonly found in people who engage in frequent 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.

Risk Factors for a Knee Injury in St. George, MO

Being overweight. Heaviness or obesity introduces inordinate stress on your knees and most other joints in the body, even during ordinary activities such as walking or going up and down stairs. Being at an unhealthy excessive weight also puts you at increased risk of osteoarthritis because it speeds up 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, and adequate muscle flexibility make it possible to reach full range of motion.
Certain activities and occupations. Some sports put more stress on your knees than do others. Downhill skiing with its rigid ski boots and potential for falls, basketball jumps and pivots, and the relentless pounding of running or jogging on hard surfaces like pavement all increase your risk of knee injury in St. George, MO. Occupations that involve activities that put stress on the knees like maintenance or farming put you at an increased risk as well.
Previous Injury. Having a previous knee injury makes it more likely that you’ll injure your knee again.
Old age. As we age, the tissues in our body wear down. The knee is no exception. The protective cartilage cushioning the bones in your knee can break down, 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 St. George, MO

As with any medical condition or injury, each case is unique and it is important that you consult with a licensed medical professional when a knee injury or any condition 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 your experience as a patient is unique, there are certain times that immediate medical care is necessary. 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. Immediate, significant 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 St. George, 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. George, 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. George, MO knee injury patient is different and every injury varies in severity, so your knee injury treatment plan in St. George, 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 St. George, MO

As a valued knee injury treatment patient with Axes Physical Therapy in the St. George, 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. George, MO. With extensive clinical success restoring knee injury patients back to full performance, your physical therapist will draw upon their extensive education and the most current evidence-based practices to treat the cause of your St. George, 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.

During your first St. George, MO appointment with Axes for your knee injury, your physical therapist will conduct 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, 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 therapist may employ a variety of treatments to target the source of 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 St. George, MO area have experience guiding patients with all kinds of movement disorders, chronic pain, and injuries back to the life and activities they value. Learn more about the conditions we treat and the treatment methods we provide near St. George, MO, such as:

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

If you recently experienced a knee injury or are experiencing symptoms of any type of knee injury, do not waste any time. Talk to a experienced 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 St. George, MO will take charge of your recovery. Contact the professionals at any of our accessible treatment locations in the St. George, MO area to take the first step toward healing and relief from your knee injury.