MCL Injury | Beaufort, MO Physical Therapy

MCL Injury in Beaufort, MO. For many people who maintain an active lifestyle, it’s easy to fear the worst when you feel sudden pain on the inside of your knee: Did I suffer an MCL injury? How bad is the injury? How long will I be sidelines for? Will my knee ever be the same again? At Axes Physical Therapy in Beaufort, MO, all of our physical and occupational therapists are committed to getting our patients back to the activities they love most. While we’d like to be able to make your MCL injury go away, we can help ensure you get back to feeling like yourself with safe, evidence-backed treatments. Physical therapy has proven to be an integral aspect of any treatment plan for MCL injuries. Our physical therapists in Beaufort, 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 schedule an appointment online.

What is the MCL?

MCL is an abbreviation for “medial collateral ligament.” A ligament is a tough, flexible of connective tissue that attaches bones to each other and provides stability. The MCL runs from the inside of your upper shin bone to the inside of your bottoms thigh bone and helps keep your knee stable and functioning normally. Its primary purpose is to resist valgus stress, or the knee being pushed too far inward. It is one of four ligaments that help keep the knee stable, along with the:

• ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), which goes through the middle of your knee and provides rotational stability and controls forward movement
• 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 femur to the fibula (the smaller bone the small bone behind the tibia) and provides stability to the outer knee

The knee is known for being one of our most complex joints. Correct structure and function depends on surrounding bone, muscle, tendons, and ligaments. When any knee injury, such as an MCL tear, occurs it can have tremendous consequences for your mobility and compete like you’re used to, or just complete basic tasks pain-free. Particular physical therapy techniques and other treatment modalities, prescribed by a doctor, have been demonstrated through evidence to help patients reduce pain and get back to optimal mobility.

What Types of MCL Injuries Are There?

Generally speaking, an MCL injury is either a sprain, which stretches the ligament beyond its normal limits, or a tear, where the ligament may fray partially or entirely separate from the bone. There are three grades to MCL injuries:

• Grade 1 — A grade 1 MCL injury refers to a sprain, or a tear where less than 10% of the MCL has been torn. These are not generally severe, and your knee will still be stable. Your knee will feel tender, and you may also experience soreness.
• Grade 2 — This is more significant tearing, generally to the superficial part of the MCL. You will probably lose some stability in the joint, and your joint may be loose when manipulated manually. A grade 2 injury will result in significantly more pain than a grade 2 MCL injury.
• Grade 3 — This injury is a complete tear to both the fibrous and deep parts. Your knee will be significantly unstable. You will likely feel significant pain and a wide array of symptoms. Grade 3 MCL injuries often occur alongside other knee injuries such as ACL tears.

However significant your MCL injuries, our professional Beaufort, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes can, in concert with your doctor, implement an exhaustive plan specially made for you and your injuries aimed at returning you to the life you’re used to in a safe and effective manner.

How Do MCL Injuries Occur?

40% of all knee injuries involve damage to a ligament, and most of the time that ligament is the MCL. When you suffer a forceful trauma to the outside of your knee, it can push the knee inside far enough that the MCL strains or tears. MCL injuries can also by the knee rotating too forcefully. They can also occur because of landing or awkward bending, such as if a cleat is stuck in grass while the rest of your body moves.

Athletes in contact sports are the most likely to sustain an MCL injury. They are also common in those who lift weights or lift heavy objects at their employment.

Common Symptoms of MCL Injuries

Most MCL injuries are accompanied by sudden, noticeable pain. Other symptoms may include:

• Hearing or feeling a popping sound or sensation
• Feeling like the may give out
• Pain or discomfort when trying to bear weight
• Contusions
• Tenderness on the inside of your knee
• Inflammation, either on the inside of the knee or the whole knee

Sometimes you may feel a “wobbly” sensation, or in other cases you’ll barely be able to move the knee. Any time you feel pain or instability in your knee, do not participate in any more strenuous activity and seek medical treatment for a diagnosis.

Diagnosis and Treatment of an MCL Injury in Beaufort, MO

Diagnosing an MCL injury requires going to a doctor’s office, urgent care or at a physical therapy center. In the examination, your Beaufort, MO doctor or physical therapist will go over how the injury occurred, will feel for swelling and how your knee is different from your healthy knee, and perform a valgus stress test.

Most physical therapists or doctors with knowledge of movement health in Beaufort, MO are qualified to determine if you have 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 magnet and computer-generated radio waves to create detailed images of your soft tissue
• An ultrasound, which uses sound waves and can help determine how severely the ligament is torn
• An X-ray, which does not show soft tissue, may be ordered for a severe MCL injury to ensure there are no broken bones

You can also visit the Axes location most convenient for you for a free, no-risk injury screening. While we can offer you an evaluation, Missouri Revised Statute §334.506 stipulates that physical therapy be prescribed by a doctor.

Treating an MCL Injury in Beaufort, MO

Right after your MCL injury, you should start with basic first aid: swelling reduction, easing discomfort, and using the R.I.C.E. Method of Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. For grade 1 injuries, the R.I.C.E method, pain and swelling relievers, and some time spent resting may be sufficient for your body’s natural healing processes to get you back on your feet.

More significant tears 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 Beaufort, 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 rare, the most severe cases — in which the MCL is completely torn, the injury is accompanied by an ACL tear, or you are not recovering after several weeks of nonsurgical treatment — may require surgery. During the surgery, a surgeon will use a graft, either from your hamstring or an organ donor, to reconstruct the MCL. The surgery is an outpatient procedure. If your doctor thinks surgery is necessary, our physical therapists are experts at pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation get you the best possible results from your surgery.

How Do Physical Therapists in Beaufort, MO Treat MCL Injuries?

For recovering from any injury, a physically therapist will design safe and evidence-backed treatments, each aimed at helping a specific part of the body get back to optimal movement health. Physical therapy slowly and effectively improves strength in the strength in the muscles that power the joint, flexibility of ligaments and tendons, 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 slowly get the MCL used to normal motion again
• Exercised performed by you later to further develop strength and flexibility
• Exercises with resistant bands, weights, or cardio machines such as an elliptical
• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, which research suggests can accelerate knee ligament healing
• Kinesio Taping®, which keeps the knee stable 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 Beaufort, MO, all of our treatment plans are as unique as each patient, and created alongside your doctor, in order to get you the best patient outcome possible and get you back to the activities you love.

Other services we offer in Beaufort, MO include:

• Neck Pain Treatment
• Physical Therapy Clinic
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
• Sciatica Treatment
• Sports Medicine
• Hand Pain Physical Therapy
• Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment
• Hip Pain Treatment
• Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
• Stroke Rehabilitation

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

An MCL injury can be painful and frightening, especially if you’re an athlete, but there’s no reason it has to put you on the sideline forever. We know our clients trust us with their recovery, 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 Beaufort, MO, call the location nearest you and request an appointment online.