Knee Injury in Stone Meadows, MO

Knee Injury in Stone Meadows, MO. Suffering a knee injury has the power to disrupt your day to day living, and often persists with long-term symptoms. There is nobody in Stone Meadows, 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, the majority of knee injury victims experience damage due to advanced age, exposure to repetitive motions, and trauma and damage caused by an accident or while engaging in physical activity.

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. Increase your chances of a full, successful recovery by trusting the movement experts at Axes Physical Therapy near Stone Meadows, 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 Stone Meadows, MO | Stone Meadows physical therapy for knee injury

What Do I Need to Know About Knee Injuries?

The knee earns the title of the largest joint in the human body and is integral to executing so many of the motions and actions that distinguish us from other animals, making it possible for us to carry out the complex tasks we use every day to go about our lives. This joint consists of four distinct structures, none of which are immune to injury. The knee is made up of bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

The bones of the knee include the tibia, femur, and patella. These three bones are attached by muscle groups, which are connected together by tendons and ligaments, that allow us to move our legs. In addition to joining the separate bones together within the joint, ligaments also provide stability and limit movement in certain directions. Within the joint, the end of each bone is capped in a layer of cartilage — essentially a cushion that protects 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 cause a knee injury. If you or a family member recently experienced an acute trauma in or around your knee or have a chronic condition that could lead to damage to any part of the knee, contact Axes Physical Therapy to learn about how to care for and heal your knee injury in Stone Meadows, MO today or book an appointment online now.

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

The knee is a sophisticated part of the human body — a beautifully constructed joint that allows us to move and act in ways other animals cannot. However, the intricate joint design brings with it an inherent susceptibility 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. But sports injuries are just one category of knee injury that people in Stone Meadows, MO and throughout the US can suffer. 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 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 experience a knee injury
Men are more likely to have a knee injury than women, making up 68% of all knee injury sufferers
Fifty percent of all knee injuries are caused by sports-related injuries
Among all sports-related knee injuries, soccer and skiing are the most dangerous sports and activities, together accounting for over a quarter of all sports-related knee injuries
Other top knee injury causes are 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 Stone Meadows, MO

Sprains and Strains. When you sprain or strain your knee, a muscle or ligament within the joint is affected. Injuries of this nature happen when the knee meets a sudden force or is suddenly forced in the wrong direction (for example, suddenly stopping to change directions or twisting).
Fractures. A fracture is another word for a broken bone, and these kinds of injuries range in extent from a hairline fracture or crack in the bone to something much more devastating such as a comminuted fracture when the bone is crushed into multiple pieces. 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. Damage to the ligaments and cartilage in and around the knee are frequently caused by a blow to the knee from various directions. Sudden changes in direction such as twisting and pivoting motions can also cause 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 Stone Meadows, 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 a chronic condition like arthritis 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. Arthritis can result in rapid and irreversible damage of the cartilage and in your knee joint.
Tendonitis and Other Forms of Inflammation. Tendons in the knee area can become inflamed through overuse or repeated stress, common in people who regularly perform running, jumping, or cycling activities. A common form of tendonitis in the knee is jumper’s knee. This condition is caused by the repeated force of hitting the ground when landing a jump.

Risk Factors for a Knee Injury in Stone Meadows, MO

Excessive weight. Heaviness or obesity increases 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. Being at an unhealthy excessive weight is also a risk factor for developing osteoarthritis because of the premature breakdown of joint cartilage.
Weakness or stiffness. Inadequate strength or flexibility can increase the risk of knee injuries. Strong muscles protect your joints and keep them properly aligned, while adequately flexible muscles can help you safely achieve full range of motion.
Specific activities and occupations. Some athletic and occupational activities put more strain on your knees than do others. Alpine skiing with its rigid ski boots and potential for falls, 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 Stone Meadows, MO. Occupations that involve repetitive stress on the knees such as installation or farming also can increase your risk.
Previous Injury. Having a previous knee injury puts you at a higher risk of injuring your knee again.
Age. As we age, our tissues start to wear down. The cartilage protecting your knee joint can degrade, and conditions associated with advanced age like osteoporosis leave your bones weak, making you.

Do I Need Knee Injury Treatment in Stone Meadows, MO?

As always, each case is unique and you should always speak with a licensed medical 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 patient is unique, some times immediate medical care is warranted. 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 is a hallmark sign that the injury is serious and medical care is warranted. Quick, significant swelling that happens 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 Stone Meadows, 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 Stone Meadows, 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 Stone Meadows, MO knee injury patient is different and every injury varies in severity, so your knee injury treatment plan in Stone Meadows, 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 Stone Meadows, MO

When you come to Axes Physical Therapy for knee injury treatment near you in the Stone Meadows, 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 Stone Meadows, MO. With extensive clinical success restoring 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 Stone Meadows, 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 Stone Meadows, MO appointment with Axes for your knee injury, your physical therapist will perform 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 engaging in the prescribed exercises, you are a critical piece in your knee injury treatment puzzle. It is critical 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 therapies to target the source of 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 physical and occupational therapists at Axes Physical Therapy in the Stone Meadows, MO area have a track record of effectively addressing the source of our patients’ pain, injuries, and movement disorders and returning them to the activities they care about. Find out more about the conditions we treat and the treatment methods we provide in the Stone Meadows, MO area, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Stone Meadows, MO Now

If you suffered an acute knee injury while being active or are suffering from symptoms of any type of knee injury, do not waste any time. Talk to a trustworthy healthcare professional right away. As musculoskeletal specialists with expertise in movement and the human body, the physical therapists of Axes Physical Therapy in Stone Meadows, MO will take charge of your recovery. Contact the professionals at any of our accessible treatment locations in the Stone Meadows, MO area to begin your healing journey and obtain relief from your knee injury.

Knee Injury Stone Meadows, MO