MCL Injury Affton, MO | Sports Rehab

MCL Injury | Affton, MO Physical Therapy

MCL Injury in Affton, MO. If someone plays sports or engages in other physical activity, it’s easy to fear the worst when you hear that sudden “pop” in your knee: Did I injure my MCL? How bad is the injury? How long will I be sidelines for? Will this be the end of my athletic career? At Axes Physical Therapy in Affton, MO, we are driven by positive patient outcomes. While we’d like to be able to magically fix your MCL, we can make your recovery safe and effective through tailored, evidence-based treatment plans. Physical therapy has been shown time and time again to be a fundamental aspect of recovering from any MCL injury. Our physical therapists in Affton, MO are all licensed and average more than 15 years of individual experience. For treatment plans you know will be effective, call the Axes location most convenient for you you or request an appointment online.

The Anatomy of the MCL

MCL stands for “medial collateral ligament.” A ligament is a fibrous of connective tissue that connects bones to each other and keeps joints stable. The MCL runs from the inside of your upper shin bone to the inside of your bottoms thigh bone and keeps the knee from moving side to side. Its primary purpose is to withstand valgus pressure, or the knee being forced unnaturally inward. It combines with three other ligaments to keep the knee stable:

ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), which goes through the middle of your knee and controls rotation and prevents the knee from bending inward
PCL (posterior cruciate ligament), which crosses the ACL in the middle of the knee and prevents excessive posterior translation of the tibia relative to the femur
LCL (lateral collateral ligament), which runs along the outside of the knee from the thigh bone to the fibula (the smaller bone between the knee and ankle) and helps keep the outer side of your knee joint stable

The knee is known for being one of our most complex joints. Healthy structure and function depends on surrounding bone, muscle, tendons, and ligaments. There are countless knee injuries that can limit or completely restrict your mobility and ability to do what you love most, or just live a pain-free day-to-day life. Specific physical therapy exercises and other physician-prescribed treatment plans have been demonstrated through research and analysis to help patients mitigate pain and swelling and return to optimal movement health.

MCL Injury Affton, MO | Sports Rehab | Injury Prevention | Physical Therapy Near Affton

What Types of MCL Injuries Are There?

In general, an MCL injury is either a sprain, which stretches the ligament farther than is naturally, or a tear, where the ligament is either partially or completely torn or separated from the bone. There are three grades to MCL injuries:

Grade 1 — A grade 1 sprain or tear means that the ligament has been stretched, and less than 10% of the MCL has been torn. It’s typically a mild injury, and your knee will still be stable. You will likely experience some tenderness and mild pain.
Grade 2 — This is more significant tearing, most commonly to the middle layer of the ligament. You will probably lose some stability in the joint, and the knee will likely be loose when manipulated manually. Symptoms of a grade 2 MCL injury generally include much more noticeable pain.
Grade 3 — A grade 3 tear is a complete tear, or separation from the bone. Your knee will be significantly unstable. You will likely feel intense pain and several other symptoms. Grade 3 MCL injuries often occur alongside other knee injuries such as ACL tears.

However significant your MCL injuries, the team of professional Affton, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes can, alongside your physician, create a comprehensive and personalized plan to get you back to the activities your love most without incurring further injury.

MCL Injuries: Causes and Symptoms

40% of all knee injuries involve damage to a ligament, and most of the time that ligament is the MCL. Most MCL injuries occur due to a force to the exterior of the knee. MCL injuries can also by the knee rotating too forcefully. They can also happen because of landing or excessive bending, such as if your foot stays in one place while your leg keeps moving.

MCL injuries are common in athletes in contact sports and in athletic events that require a lot of torque being placed on the body such as football, soccer, skiing, basketball, and tennis. They can also occur in people who have to hunch over and lift heavy objects, either for athletic training or in the course of their employment.

Common Symptoms of MCL Injuries

If you suffer an MCL injury in Affton, MO, you’ll likely notice the pain right away. Other symptoms may include:

Hearing or feeling a popping sound or feeling
The knee being unstable
Pain or discomfort when trying to bear weight
Contusions
Tenderness along the inside of the joint
Swelling, either on the inside of the knee or the entire knee joint

Sometimes you may feel a “wobbly” sensation, while other times you’ll barely be able to move the knee. Any time you feel pain or instability in your knee, cease any strenuous activity immediately and seek medical treatment for a diagnosis.

Diagnosis and Treatment of an MCL Injury in Affton, MO

Diagnosing an MCL injury requires going to a physical examination. The examination will usually start with a doctor or physical therapist in Affton, MO asking how the injury occurred. They’ll then bend your knee and apply slight pressure to the outside of it, noting your pain level and whether or not your knee is unstable. They’ll also gently feel for swelling, and may compare your injured knee to the healthy one.

Most physical therapists or doctors that specialize in mobility of the human body in Affton, MO are qualified to diagnose an MCL injury with a physical examination. A phsycian may also order the following imaging tests to check the severity of the injury and whether or not you have suffered other damage to the knee:

An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), which uses a magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves to create detailed images of the inside of your knee
An ultrasound, which uses sound waves and can be helpful in checking the severity of your injury
An X-ray, which, while it won’t show the MCL or other ligaments, to insure your femur, patella, tibia, and fibula have not fractured

Axes Physical Therapy also offers injury screening injury screenings at no cost or obligation to you. While we can determine if you have suffered an MCL sprain or tear, Missouri Revised Statute §334.506 mandates a prescription in order to officially begin physical therapy treatment.

How to Treat and MCL Injury in Affton, MO

Right after your MCL injury, you should start with basic first aid: reducing swelling, managing pain, and utilizing the R.I.C.E. Method of Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. For mild injuries, the R.I.C.E method, pain and swelling relievers, and some time with limited activity may be enough for your body’s natural healing processes to get you back on your feet.

More significant injuries will require professional physical therapy in order truly recover from your MCL injury and get back to the activities you love. You’ll also need to refrain from rigorous until your knee is strong again. Your Axes physical therapist in Affton, MO can fit you for a knee brace so that you don’t suffer further injury. With physical therapy, you’ll still continue icing your knee and taking anti-inflammatory pain medication.

Though uncommon, the worst grade 1 tears — in which the MCL is completely torn, the injury is accompanied by an ACL tear, or nonsurgical treatment just isn’t working — may require surgery. The surgery is carried out by using a graft, either from your hamstring or an organ donor, to reconstruct the ligament. You would not have to be hospitalized overnight. If you do require surgery in Affton, MO, our physical therapists are experts at pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation, which ensures that your knee will be healthy enough for the ligament reconstruction, and you’ll safely restore, strength, flexibility, and range of motion after.

How Can Physical Therapy in Affton, MO Treat My MCL Injury?

For recovering from any injury, a physically therapist will create safe and evidence-backed treatments, each aimed at helping a specific part of the body get back to optimal movement health. These treatments and exercises will, over time, build strength in the surrounding muscles, flexibility of soft tissue, and range of motion to the joint in the interest of not only recovery, but injury prevention. Depending on you and your injuries, your treatment plan may include:

At the start, passive movements performed by your physical therapist to help restore normal functionality
More active exercises and stretches later to further develop strength and flexibility
Exercises with elastic bands, weights, or cardio machines such as an elliptical
Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, which has been proven to help accelerate knee ligament healing
Kinesio Taping®, which provides further stability while your body heals and encourages normal function
Trigger point dry needling to stimulate harder-to-reach tissue
Blood flow restriction training to improve strength while lifting lighter weights
Athletic training and sports therapy for those whose main goal is to get back onto the court or field

At Axes Physical Therapy in Affton, MO, all of our treatment plans are as unique as each patient, and created alongside your physician, in order to deliver you the best client experience and get you back to doing what you love to do most.

Other services we offer in Affton, MO include:

MCL Injury Affton, MO | Athletic Training | Sports Training | Physical Therapy Near Affton

Call an Axes Physical Therapist in Affton, MO for Your MCL Injury

An MCL injury is scary and anxiety-inducing at first, especially if you’re an athlete or someone who finds joy in an active lifestyle, but there’s no reason it has to put you on the sideline forever. We know you place a lot of trust in your physical therapists, so we repay that trust with safe and effective treatments that are backed by evidence. As part of our program, we’ll educate you on your injury and the structures of the knee so you can stay as healthy and active as possible. For meaningful and lasting recovery from your MCL injury in Affton, MO, call the location nearest you and request an appointment online.