Knee Injury in Womack, MO

Knee Injury in Womack, MO. Suffering a knee injury can wreak havoc on your daily life, and is likely to cause long-term symptoms. A knee injury can happen to anyone in Womack, MO. A knee injury can happen in a variety of ways — often when you least expect it. However, the majority of knee injury victims experience damage due to advanced age, repetitive motions (such as in certain occupations), and trauma and damage caused by an accident or while being physically active.

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. For your swift and successful recovery, contact the movement experts at Axes Physical Therapy in the Womack, MO area. The experienced staff of physical and occupational therapists will release you from pain and restore your mobility.

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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 and allow us to accomplishing the complicated tasks our busy lives require. This body part consists of four types of 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. These 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, the ligaments also create stability and limit 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 absorbs the shock of movement and weight that introduce pressure to the joint.

All parts that make up the knee, both hard bone and soft tissue, are critical 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 have recently suffered an acute trauma in or around your knee or have a chronic condition that could lead to damage to the knee structure, contact Axes Physical Therapy to learn about your knee injury treatment options in Womack, MO today or book an appointment online now.

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

The knee is a sophisticated part of the human anatomy — an intricately constructed joint that makes it possible for us to move and act in ways other animals cannot. However, along with the intricate design comes an inherent susceptibility to a number of different injuries. In fact, knee injuries account for the most common type of sports injury, attributed with 41 percent of all sports injuries. And sports injuries are just one type of knee injury that people in Womack, MO and throughout the US commonly experience. While 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 such as osteoarthritis.

Consider these fast knee injury facts and statistics from 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 are more likely to have a knee injury than women, making up 68% of all knee injury sufferers
Nearly half (49.5%) of all knee injuries occur in sports accidents
Of sports-related knee injuries, soccer and skiing are the most dangerous sports and activities, each responsible for in excess of a quarter of all sports-related knee injuries
After sports injuries, top knee injury causes are home structures (30.2%), and home furnishings (13.6%)
The overwhelmingly most common knee injury diagnoses are strains and sprains at 42.1%; next are contusions and abrasions at 27.1% and cuts and puncture wounds at 10.5%

Common Types of Knee Injuries in Womack, MO

Sprains and Strains. A sprain or strain knee injury involves a muscle or ligament within the joint structure of the knee. These injuries 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 is a broken bone, and these kinds of injuries range in extent from a stress fracture or crack in the bone to a much more brutal break like a comminuted fracture when a bone is crushed into several fragments. Even the kneecap bone, or the patella, can be fractured during a knee injury, especially in car accidents, hard falls against solid objects, assaults and other traumatic 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. Sudden changes in direction such as twisting and pivoting motions can also result in 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 Womack, MO physical therapy services for ACL tears near you.
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 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 patients who frequently perform activities like running, jumping, and cycling. One of the most common types of tendonitis knee injuries is what is known as jumper’s knee because of the strain to the tendon that occurs as a result of the severe force of hitting the ground after jumping.

Risk Factors for a Knee Injury in Womack, MO

Being overweight. Being overweight or obese increases stress on the majority of your joints including your knees, 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.
Muscle or bone weakness or stiffness. A lack of strength and flexibility can increase the risk of succumbing to a knee injury. Strong muscles protect your joints and keep them properly aligned, while adequately flexible muscles make it possible to achieve full range of motion.
Specific activities and occupations. Some sports put greater strain on your knees than do others. Alpine snowboarding and skiing involve rigid boots and potential for falls, the near constant and rapid change of direction in basketball, and the relentless force your knees take when you run or jog all increase your risk of knee injury in Womack, MO. Jobs that involve activities that put stress on the knees such as auto work or farming also can increase your risk.
Previous Injury. Having a previous knee injury 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 wear thin, and diseases like osteoporosis leave your bones weak and susceptible to injury.

Do I Need Knee Injury Treatment in Womack, MO?

As always, each patient is different and it is important that you consult with a licensed medical professional when a knee injury or any condition affects your ability to function normally or live comfortably. 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 each injury and patient is different, in some cases emergency medical attention should be sought. 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. Rapid, significant 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 Womack, 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 Womack, 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 Womack, MO knee injury patient is different and every injury varies in severity, so your knee injury treatment plan in Womack, 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.

Getting Physical Therapy for your Knee Injury in Womack, MO

When you come to Axes Physical Therapy for knee injury treatment near you in the Womack, 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 Womack, MO. With years of clinical experience guiding knee injury patients back to full performance, your physical therapist will draw upon their extensive education and the most current evidence-based practices to help you successfully heal from your Womack, MO knee injury and return to all the activities you care about and need to be able to do for work, home, and recreation.

When you visit Axes near Womack, 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 practicing the prescribed treatments and exercises, you are a critical piece in your knee injury treatment puzzle. It is imperative 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 treatments to target 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 movement health professionals at Axes Physical Therapy in the Womack, MO area have experience guiding patients with all kinds of movement disorders, chronic pain, and injuries back to the life and activities they love. Discover more about the conditions we treat and the treatment methods we provide in the Womack, MO area, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Womack, MO Now

If you recently experienced a knee injury while being active or are experiencing symptoms of any type of knee injury, it is important to consult a experienced healthcare 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 Womack, 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 Womack, MO to restore your mobility and acheive relief from your knee injury.