Knee Injury in Weldon Spring Heights, MO

Knee Injury in Weldon Spring Heights, MO. A knee injury can wreak havoc on your daily life, and is likely to cause long-term symptoms. There is nobody in Weldon Spring Heights, 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 most common knee-related complaints are knee injuries related to age-related deterioration, exposure to repetitive motions, and trauma and damage caused by an accident or while engaging in physical activity.

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 Weldon Spring Heights, MO. Our team of physical and occupational therapists will design a treatment plan to maximize your recovery and restore you to optimal movement.

knee injury Weldon Spring Heights, MO | Weldon Spring Heights physical therapy for knee injury

What Do I Need to Know About Knee Injuries?

The knee is the largest joint in the human body and is critical 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. The knee consists of four different structures, none of which are immune to injury. The knee is made up of bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

There are multiple bones that make up the knee, including the tibia, femur, and patella. The three bones are held together 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, 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. The cartilage tissue cushions the hard bones from one another 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 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 result in 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 structure, reach out to Axes Physical Therapy to discuss your knee injury treatment options in Weldon Spring Heights, MO today or request an appointment online now.

Knee Injury Causes and Prevalence in Weldon Spring Heights, MO and the US

The knee is a complex part of the human body — an intricately designed joint that allows us to execute tasks and movements other animals cannot. However, along with the intricate design comes an inherent susceptibility to a number of different injuries. In fact, knee injuries are the most common of all sports injuries, attributed with 41 percent of all sports injuries. And sports injuries make up only one type of knee injury individuals in Weldon Spring Heights, MO and throughout the US can suffer. 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 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 take place during physical activity
Of all sports-related knee injuries, soccer and skiing are the most dangerous sports and activities, together accounting for over a quarter of all knee injuries related to sports
Other top causes of knee injuries are related to 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; next are contusions and abrasions at 27.1% and cuts and puncture wounds at 10.5%

Common Types of Knee Injuries in Weldon Spring Heights, MO

Sprains and Strains. When you sprain or strain your knee, a muscle or ligament within the joint is affected. Injuries of this nature are caused by sudden force to the knee or a sudden or unintended motion of the knee (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 stress fracture or crack in the bone to something much more devastating like a comminuted fracture when a bone is crushed into multiple fragments. Even the patella, the bone commonly known as the kneecap, can be fractured in a knee injury, especially in events such as car accidents or forceful falls on hard surfaces.
Cartilage or Ligament Tears. Injury 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. You can get more information about our treatment and therapy services for Weldon Spring Heights, MO 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 suffer from 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 individuals who frequently 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 Weldon Spring Heights, MO

Being overweight. Being overweight or obese increases stress on your knees and most other joints in the body, even during ordinary activities from walking, sitting and standing, and going up and down stairs. Being at an unhealthy excessive weight also puts you at increased risk of 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 help stabilize and protect your joints, while adequately flexible muscles make it possible to enjoy full range of motion.
Certain 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 potential for falls, basketball jumps and pivots, and the repeated force your knees take when you run or jog all involve a risk of knee injury in Weldon Spring Heights, MO. Jobs that involve 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, our tissues start to wear down. The cartilage protecting your knee joint 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 Weldon Spring Heights, MO

As with any medical condition or injury, each case is different 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 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 each injury and patient is different, in some cases emergency medical attention should be sought. 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, extreme swelling that occurs within 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 Weldon Spring Heights, 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 Weldon Spring Heights, 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 Weldon Spring Heights, MO knee injury patient is different and every injury varies in severity, so your knee injury treatment plan in Weldon Spring Heights, 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 Weldon Spring Heights, MO

When you come to Axes Physical Therapy for knee injury treatment near you in the Weldon Spring Heights, MO area, you will be assigned a dedicated physical therapist who will work with you for the entirety of your knee injury physical therapy treatment plan in Weldon Spring Heights, MO. With extensive clinical success guiding knee injury patients back to full 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 Weldon Spring Heights, MO knee injury at the source, successfully returning you to all the activities you care about so you can go about your regular life at home, at work, and in your personal time.

During your first Weldon Spring Heights, MO appointment with Axes for your 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, you are a critical piece in your knee injury treatment puzzle. It is critical that you are an active participant 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 methods to target the source of your knee injury.

Therapeutic exercises and stretches
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 Weldon Spring Heights, 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 the conditions we treat and the treatment methods we provide in the Weldon Spring Heights, MO area, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Weldon Spring Heights, MO Now

If you suffered an acute knee injury or are suffering from symptoms of any type of knee injury, do not waste any time. Contact a knowledgeable medical professional right away. 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 Weldon Spring Heights, MO will take charge of your recovery. Contact the professionals at any of our accessible treatment locations in the Weldon Spring Heights, MO area to restore your mobility and acheive relief from your knee injury.