MCL Injury Bonne Terre, MO | Sports Rehab

MCL Injury | Bonne Terre, MO Physical Therapy

MCL Injury in Bonne Terre, MO. For many athletes and physically active people, feeling that sudden “pop” in their knee creates a lot of anxiety: Did I injure my MCL? Is it significant? How long will I be sidelines for? Will my knee ever be the same again? At Axes Physical Therapy in Bonne Terre, MO, we are driven by getting our patients back to tearing up the filed. While we’d like to be able to magically fix your MCL, we can make your recovery safe and effective through customized, proven treatment plans. Physical therapy has been shown time and time again to be an integral aspect of any treatment plan for MCL injuries. Our physical therapists in Bonne Terre, MO are all licensed and average more than 15 years of individual experience. For treatment plans you know will be effective, reach out to the Axes location nearest 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 attaches bones to each other and keeps joints stable. The MCL connects your upper shin bone to the inner surface of the bottom thigh bone, running along your inner knee, and maintains stability in the inner knee. Its chief purpose is to resist valgus pressure, or the knee being forced too far inward. It combines with three other ligaments that work together to support normal function and stability:

ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), which goes through the middle of your knee and provides rotational stability and prevents the tibia from sliding too far forward on the femur
PCL (posterior cruciate ligament), which crosses the ACL in the middle of the knee and keeps the shinbone from sliding back too far
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 one of the biggest joints we have. A healthy knee relies on surrounding bone and muscle, and the tendons and ligaments in order to provide support and function properly. When any knee injury, such as an MCL tear, occurs it can greatly affect your mobility and ability to do what you love most, or just live a pain-free day-to-day life. Particular physical therapy exercises and other physician-prescribed treatment plans have been proven to help patients manage their symptoms and get back to normal functionality.

MCL Injury Bonne Terre, MO | Sports Rehab | Injury Prevention | Physical Therapy Near Bonne Terre

What Types of MCL Injuries Are There?

Generally speaking, an MCL injury is either a sprain, which stretches the ligament beyond its normal range of motion, or a tear, where the ligament may fray partially or entirely separate from the bone. MCL injuries are “graded” in three levels:

Grade 1 — A grade 1 sprain or tear means that the ligament has been stretched, and less than 10% of the the fibers in your MCL are torn. These injuries are typically not especially painful or debilitating, and don’t result in much instability. Symptoms will likely be tenderness and mild pain.
Grade 2 — This is more significant tearing, usually to the superficial part of the MCL. Your knee will be slightly unstable, and the knee will likely be loose when manipulated manually. A grade 2 injury will result in significantly more pain than a grade 2 MCL injury.
Grade 3 — This occurs when your MCL is entirely torn, both the fibrous and deep parts. You will likely feel like your knee’s about to “give out.” Pain will be intense and you’ll likely feel a wide array of symptoms. Grade 3 MCL injuries often occur alongside other knee injuries such as ACL tears.

Whatever grade MCL injury you have, our qualified Bonne Terre, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes can, along with your physician, implement a comprehensive plan specially made for you and your injuries aimed at returning you to the life you’re used to safely.

MCL Injuries: Causes and Symptoms

Ligament injuries account for 40% of all knee injuries, 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 more than the ligament can support. They can also happen because of landing or unnatural bending, such as if a cleat is stuck in grass while your leg keeps moving.

Athletes in contact sports are the most likely to sustain an MCL injury. They are also common in those 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

Most people feel pain immediately on the inside of the joint when they experience an MCL sprain or tear. Other symptoms may include:

A sudden “pop” on the inside of your knee
Instability
Inability to bear weight
Contusions
Tenderness where the MCL is located
Inflammation, either where the MCL is located or the entire knee joint

Sometimes you may feel like your knee is “shaky”, or in other cases you’ll barely be able to move the knee. If you experience any of the above symptoms, stop any strenuous activity immediately and schedule a physical examination in order to get a diagnosis.

Diagnosis and Treatment of an MCL Injury in Bonne Terre, MO

MCL injuries are diagnosed in a physical examination. In the examination, your Bonne Terre, MO doctor or physical therapist will go over what led to the injury, will feel for swelling and how your knee is different from your healthy knee, and gently see if your knee is unstanble while bending inward, and your pain level.

Most physical therapists or physicians with knowledge of movement health in Bonne Terre, MO will be able to diagnose an MCL injury with a physical examination. Other tests to check severity or to confirm may include:

An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), which uses a magnet and radio waves to take three-dimensional images of the inside of your knee
An ultrasound, which uses sound waves and can help determine how severely the ligament is torn
An X-ray, which, while it won’t show the MCL or other ligaments, to insure your femur, patella, tibia, and fibula have not been broken

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 requires a prescription in order to officially begin physical therapy treatment.

How to Treat and MCL Injury in Bonne Terre, MO

The initial treatment of an MCL injury consists of basic first aid: reducing swelling, managing pain, and utilizing the R.I.C.E. Method of Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. For sprains or slight tears, the R.I.C.E method, over-the-counter pain relievers, and a few days or week or two of rest may be enough 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 most physical until your knee is strong again. Your Axes physical therapist in Bonne Terre, MO can fit you for a knee brace in order to prevent your knee from moving side to side while your MCL is still healing. Even with physical therapy, you’ll likely still continue the R.I.C.E. method and anti-inflammatory medication.

Though rare, 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. During the surgery, a surgeon will use a graft, either from one of your other ligaments or an organ donor, to reattach the torn sections. You would be able to go home the day of the surgery. If your doctor thinks surgery is necessary, our physical therapists will be able to help you with pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation to make your surgery and recovery as successful as possible.

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

For recovering from any injury, a physically therapist will implement safe, targeted, and evidence-backed treatment methods based on each patient as an individual. These treatments and exercises will, over time, build strength in the strength in the muscles that power the knee, flexibility of soft tissue, and range of motion to the knee in the interest of not only recovery, but injury prevention. A physical therapist may recommend and implement the following practices:

To begin, passive motions carried about by your physical therapist to slowly get the knee used to normal motion again
Exercised performed by you later to regain strength
Exercises with elastic bands, weights, or cardio machines such as an elliptical
Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, which studies show can accelerate knee ligament healing
Kinesio Taping®, which provides further stability while your body heals and helps control motion
Trigger point dry needling to further help the body’s natural healing process
Blood flow restriction training to improve strength while lifting lighter loads
Athletic training and sports therapy for athletes who want to reduce the risk of reinjury

At Axes Physical Therapy in Bonne Terre, MO, all of our treatment plans are designed individually to each patient, proven through peer-reviewed research, and created in concert with your doctor, in order to get you the best patient outcome possible and get you back to doing what you love to do most.

Other injuries we help treat in Bonne Terre, MO include:

MCL Injury Bonne Terre, MO | Athletic Training | Sports Training | Physical Therapy Near Bonne Terre

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

An MCL injury can be painful and frightening, especially if you’re used to being physically active, but with our help, you can get back to how you used to feel. We know our clients trust us with their recovery, so we repay that trust with safe and effective treatments that are backed by evidence. We also strongly believe in patient education so you can stay as healthy and active as possible. For meaningful and lasting recovery from your MCL injury in Bonne Terre, MO, call the location nearest you and request an appointment online.