Knee Injury in West Alton, MO

Knee Injury in West Alton, MO. A knee injury can wreak havoc on your everyday life, and is likely to cause long-term symptoms. A knee injury can happen to anyone in West Alton, 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, exposure to repetitive motions, and sudden movement or trauma that can happen in accidents and when engaging in physical activities.

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 Axes Physical Therapy for help with your knee injury in the West Alton, MO area. The experienced staff of physical and occupational therapists will release you from pain and restore your mobility.

knee injury West Alton, MO | West Alton physical therapy for knee injury

What Do I Need to Know About Knee Injuries?

The knee earns the title of 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 accomplishing the complicated tasks we use every day to go about our lives. This joint is made up of four distinct structures, none of which are immune to injury. The knee contains bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

There are multiple bones that make up the knee, including the tibia, femur, and patella. The bones are bound together by groups of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that allow us to move our legs. In addition to connecting bones within the joint together, the ligaments act to provide stability and prevent movement in certain directions. Within the joint, the end of each bone is capped by a layer of cartilage — essentially a cushion that protects the hard bones from one another and works as a shock absorber when movement or weight put pressure on the joint.

All the different components of the knee’s anatomy, both hard bone and soft tissue, are critical to the healthy functioning of the knee 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 suffered any kind of trauma to your knee or surrounding area or have developed a chronic condition that could lead to damage to the knee, speak with Axes Physical Therapy to discuss how to care for and heal your knee injury in West Alton, MO today or request an appointment online now.

Prevalence and Common Causes of Knee Injuries in West Alton, MO and the US

The human knee is a sophisticated part of the human body — a beautifully constructed joint that makes it possible for us to move and act in ways other animals cannot. But this intricate joint is vulnerable 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 are just one type of knee injury individuals in West Alton, MO and throughout the US can suffer. While physical activity is the more popular cause of knee injuries in young people, older adults more often get knee injuries after falling or due to the development of a chronic condition such as osteoarthritis.

Check out these fast knee injury 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
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 sports-related knee injuries
After sports injuries, most common 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%

Common Types of Knee Injuries in West Alton, MO

Sprains and Strains. When you sprain or strain your knee, a muscle or ligament within the joint is damaged. 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 a much more brutal break like a comminuted fracture when a bone shatters into multiple fragments. Even the patella, the bone commonly known as the kneecap, can be broken during 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 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 treatment and therapy services for West Alton, MO ACL tears in your area.
Arthritis. Many different types of arthritis exist and each patient has their own unique experience of their condition. However, if you suffer from a chronic condition like arthritis 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. Arthritis can result in rapid and irreparable damage of the cartilage and in your knee joint.
Tendonitis and Inflammation. When under constant stress or overuse, tendons in the knee can become inflamed. This is commonly found in patients 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 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 West Alton, MO

Being overweight. Being overweight or obese puts undue stress on your knees and most other joints in the body, even during ordinary activities such as walking or going up and down stairs. It also puts you at increased risk of osteoarthritis by accelerating the breakdown of joint cartilage.
Muscle or bone weakness or stiffness. A lack of strength and flexibility can put you at a heightened risk of knee injuries. Strong muscles protect your joints and keep them properly aligned, and muscle flexibility can help you safely achieve full range of motion.
Specific activities and occupations. Some sports put more strain on your knees than do others. Downhill snowboarding and skiing involve rigid boots and potential for falls, basketball jumps and pivots, and the relentless force your knees take when you run or jog all increase your risk of knee injury in West Alton, MO. Occupations that require activities that put stress on the knees such as construction or farming put you at an increased risk as well.
Previous Injury. Being injured in the past makes it more likely that you’ll injure your knee again.
Old age. As our bodies age, the tissues in our body wear down. The knee is no exception. The protective cartilage cushioning the bones in your knee can degrade, and conditions associated with advanced age like osteoporosis make your bones weak and susceptible to injury.

Do I Need Knee Injury Treatment in West Alton, MO?

As always, each patient is different and it is important that you consult with a licensed healthcare 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, 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, 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 indicates a serious injury that necessitates immediate medical care. Rapid, extensive swelling that happens in the three to four hours after an instance of acute trauma to the knee is typically a sign that blood is trapped in the joint.

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

As a valued knee injury treatment patient with Axes Physical Therapy in the West Alton, 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 West Alton, MO. With extensive clinical success restoring 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 help you successfully heal from your West Alton, MO knee injury and return to all the activities you love so you can go about your regular life at home, at work, and in your personal time.

When you visit Axes near West Alton, 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 imperative 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 tissue damage, and restore your mobility. To this end, your physical therapy treatment may involve a number of treatment modalities to target 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 West Alton, MO area have successfully treated hundreds of patients with pain, injuries, and chronic conditions and have restored their ability to do the activities they love. Discover more about our treatment capabilities and the types of conditions we specialize in for patients near West Alton, MO, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in West Alton, MO Now

If you suffered an acute knee injury or are experiencing any symptoms that you think may be caused by 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 West Alton, MO will help you understand your injury and design a tailored treatment plan that works for you. Contact our physical therapy clinics today or find the location nearest you in West Alton, MO to begin your healing journey and obtain relief from your knee injury.

Knee Injury West Alton, MO