Knee Injury in Woodson Terrace, MO

Knee Injury in Woodson Terrace, MO. A knee injury can wreak havoc on your day to day living, and often results in long-term harm. There is nobody in Woodson Terrace, 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 aging, exposure to repetitive motions, 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 for help with your knee injury near Woodson Terrace, MO. The experienced staff of physical and occupational therapists will release you from pain and restore your mobility.

knee injury Woodson Terrace, MO | Woodson Terrace physical therapy for knee injury

What Are Knee Injuries?

The knee earns the title of the largest joint in the human body and is critical to executing so many of the motions and actions that are unique to humans, making it possible for us to performing the complicated tasks our busy lives require. This joint is composed 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 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, 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 — essentially a cushion that protects the hard bones where they meet and absorbs the shock of movement and weight that introduce pressure to the joint.

All the different components of the knee’s anatomy, both hard bone and soft tissue, are essential to the healthy functioning of the knee joint, and damage to any one or more of these areas can lead to a knee injury. If you or a family member recently suffered an acute trauma to your knee or surrounding area or have developed a chronic condition that could cause damage to the knee structure, speak with Axes Physical Therapy to discuss how to care for and heal your knee injury in Woodson Terrace, MO today or schedule an appointment online now.

Knee Injury Causes and Prevalence in Woodson Terrace, MO and the US

The knee is a complex part of the human body — an impeccably designed joint that makes it possible for us to execute tasks and movements that are unique to humans. However, along with the intricate design comes an inherent susceptibility to a variety of 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 category of knee injury that people in Woodson Terrace, MO and throughout the US commonly experience. While 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 like osteoarthritis.

Check out these fast knee injury facts and statistics from 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
Men are more likely to have a knee injury than women, with 68% of knee injury patients categorized as male
Half 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, each responsible for in excess of a quarter of all sports knee injuries
Other top knee injury causes are related to 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 Woodson Terrace, 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, suddenly stopping to change directions or twisting).
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 the bone shatters into several fragments. Even the kneecap bone, called the patella, 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 result in 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 learn more about our treatment and therapy services for Woodson Terrace, MO 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 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 degeneration of the cartilage and in your knee joint. The right care that targets the underlying cause of your pain can prevent further damage
Tendonitis and Other Forms of Inflammation. Tendons in the knee area can become inflamed through overuse or repeated stress, common in individuals 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.

Risk Factors for a Knee Injury in Woodson Terrace, MO

Being overweight. Heaviness or obesity puts undue stress on the majority of your joints including your knees, even during ordinary activities from walking, sitting and standing, and going up and down stairs. It also puts you at increased risk of osteoarthritis because of the premature breakdown of joint cartilage.
Muscle or bone weakness or stiffness. Inadequate strength or flexibility can put you at a heightened risk of succumbing to a knee injury. Strong muscles help stabilize and protect your joints, and muscle flexibility can help you utilize a full range of motion.
Specific activities and occupations. Some athletic and occupational activities put greater strain on your knees than do others. Downhill skiing with its rigid ski boots and harsh landings, basketball jumps and pivots, and the repeated pounding your knees take when you run or jog all increase your risk of knee injury in Woodson Terrace, MO. Jobs that involve activities that put stress on the knees such as construction or farming also can increase your risk.
History of previous injury. Being injured in the past makes it more likely that you’ll injure your knee again.
Age. As our bodies age, our tissues start to wear down. The cartilage protecting your knee joint can degrade, and diseases like osteoporosis leave your bones weak and susceptible to injury.

When You Need Treatment for your Knee Injury in Woodson Terrace, MO

As always, each case is different and it is important that you speak with a licensed 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, 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, there are certain times that immediate medical care is necessary. 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, 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 Woodson Terrace, 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 Woodson Terrace, 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 Woodson Terrace, MO knee injury patient is different and every injury varies in severity, so your knee injury treatment plan in Woodson Terrace, 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 Woodson Terrace, MO

When you come to Axes Physical Therapy for knee injury treatment near you in the Woodson Terrace, MO area, you will work with a dedicated physical therapist who will lead your knee injury recovery by administering a custom physical therapy treatment plan in Woodson Terrace, 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 Woodson Terrace, MO knee injury and return 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 Woodson Terrace, MO appointment with Axes for your knee injury, your physical therapist will conduct 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 imperative that you are an active participant in your physical therapy treatment of your knee injury.

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 therapies to target 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 movement health professionals at Axes Physical Therapy in the Woodson Terrace, 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 Woodson Terrace, MO, such as:

Recover from your Knee Injury in Woodson Terrace, MO Now

If you recently experienced a knee injury while being active or are experiencing symptoms of any type of knee injury, do not waste any time. Talk to a experienced medical professional as soon as possible. As musculoskeletal specialists with expertise in movement and the human body, the physical therapists of Axes Physical Therapy in Woodson Terrace, MO will guide you in your recovery by creating a personalized treatment plan based on the latest proven practices in movement health. Contact our Woodson Terrace, 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.

Knee Injury Woodson Terrace, MO