Knee Injury in Wentzville, MO

Knee Injury in Wentzville, MO. Suffering a knee injury can wreak havoc on your daily life, and often results in long-term harm. A knee injury can happen to anyone in Wentzville, MO. People of all ages, genders, and activity levels can experience a knee injury. However, the majority of knee injury victims experience damage due to aging, 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.

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. Increase your chances of a full, successful recovery by trusting the movement experts at Axes Physical Therapy in the Wentzville, MO area. Our team of physical and occupational therapists will help you heal fully and safely.

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What Do I Need to Know About Knee Injuries?

The knee earns the title of the largest joint in the human body and is pivotal to many of the actions, motions, and functions that distinguish us from other animals, making it possible for us to performing the complex tasks our busy lives require. This joint consists of four different structures, none of which are immune to injury. The knee contains bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

The bones of the knee include the tibia, femur, and patella. The three 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, ligaments also provide stability and prevent 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 the different components of the knee’s anatomy, 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 result in a knee injury. If you or a family member have recently suffered 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 how to care for and heal your knee injury in Wentzville, MO today or schedule an appointment online now.

Knee Injury Statistics in in Wentzville, MO and the US

The knee is a sophisticated part of the human body — a beautifully designed joint that makes it possible for us to execute tasks and movements other animals cannot. But this intricate joint is vulnerable to a variety of 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 category of knee injury that people in Wentzville, MO and throughout the US commonly experience. Though 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 such as 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
Men experience knee injuries far more often than women, making up 68% of all knee injury sufferers
Fifty percent of all knee injuries take place during physical activity
Among sports-related knee injuries, the sports activities most likely to lead to injury are soccer and skiing, together accounting for in excess of a quarter of all sports knee injuries
After sports injuries, most common causes of knee injuries 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, followed by contusions and abrasions at 27.1% and cuts and puncture wounds at 10.5%

Common Types of Knee Injuries in Wentzville, MO

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, suddenly stopping to change directions or twisting).
Fractures. A fracture is 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 the bone shatters into multiple pieces. Even the patella, the bone commonly known as the kneecap, can be broken in a knee injury, especially in events such as car accidents or forceful falls on hard surfaces.
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 cause a meniscus tear — 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 get more information about our Wentzville, MO physical therapy services for 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 suffer from arthritis or a similar condition and experience knee injury symptoms like pain or stiffness, 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 irreparable 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 engage in frequent activities like running, jumping, and cycling. One of the most common types of tendonitis knee injuries is jumper’s knee because of the strain to the tendon that occurs as a result of the repeated force of hitting the ground when landing a jump.

Knee Injury Risk Factors in Wentzville, MO

Being overweight. Heaviness or obesity introduces inordinate 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 also puts you at increased risk of osteoarthritis by accelerating the breakdown of joint cartilage.
Weakness or stiffness. A lack of strength and flexibility can increase the risk of knee injuries. Strong muscles protect your joints and keep them properly aligned, while adequate muscle flexibility make it possible to utilize a full range of motion.
Specific activities and occupations. Some athletic and occupational activities put more stress on your knees than do others. Downhill snowboarding and skiing involve rigid boots and harsh landings, the near constant and rapid change of direction in basketball, and the repeated pounding your knees take when you run or jog all involve a risk of knee injury in Wentzville, MO. Jobs 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.
Old age. As we age, the tissues in our body 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 Wentzville, MO Knee Injury Treatment

As always, each case is different and you should always speak with a licensed medical professional any time you experience a condition such as a knee injury that 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, there are certain times that immediate medical care is necessary. Specifically, when you suffer 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. Rapid, 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 Wentzville, 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 Wentzville, 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 Wentzville, MO knee injury patient is different and every injury varies in severity, so your knee injury treatment plan in Wentzville, 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 Wentzville, MO

As a valued knee injury treatment patient with Axes Physical Therapy in the Wentzville, MO area, you will work with one dedicated physical therapist who will lead your knee injury recovery by administering a custom physical therapy treatment plan in Wentzville, MO. With extensive clinical success guiding knee injury patients back to optimal performance, 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 Wentzville, MO knee injury at the source, successfully returning you to all the activities you value and need to be able to do for work, home, and recreation.

When you visit Axes near Wentzville, MO for your first appointment after a suspected 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, it is critical 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 treatments to target your knee injury.

Therapeutic exercises and stretches
Training to correct posture, gait, or other movement technique
Heat and ice therapies
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 Wentzville, 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. Discover more about our treatment capabilities and the types of conditions we specialize in for patients near Wentzville, MO, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Wentzville, 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 right away. As musculoskeletal specialists with expertise in movement and the human body, the physical therapists of Axes Physical Therapy in Wentzville, MO will take charge of your recovery. Contact our Wentzville, MO treatment professionals or find our facility that is most convenient for you to begin your healing journey and obtain relief from your knee injury.