MCL Injury | Gray Summit, MO Physical Therapy

MCL Injury in Gray Summit, 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? Is it significant? How long will I be sidelines for? Will this be the end of my athletic career? At Axes Physical Therapy in Gray Summit, MO, we are driven by getting our patients back to tearing up the filed. While we’d like to be able to make your MCL injury go away, we can make your recovery safe and effective through tailored, proven treatment plans. Physical therapy has been shown time and time again to be an essential aspect of recovering from any MCL injury. Our physical therapists in Gray Summit, MO are all licensed and average more than 15 years of individual experience. For lasting and meaningful recovery, reach out to the Axes location nearest you or contact us online.

How the MCL Works

MCL is an abbreviation for “medial collateral ligament.” A ligament is like a strong, firmly attached rope that connects bones to each other and provides stability. 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 main purpose is to resist valgus stress, 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 runs down the center of your knee and controls rotation and controls forward movement
• PCL (posterior cruciate ligament), which crosses the ACL in the middle of the knee and the femur from sliding off the tibia
• LCL (lateral collateral ligament), which runs along the outside of the knee from the thigh bone to the fibula (the smaller bone the small bone behind the tibia) and prevents the knee from being pushed too far outward

The knee is known for being one of our most complex joints. It depends on surrounding bone and muscle, and the tendons and ligaments in order to provide stability and function properly. There are a variety of knee injuries that can greatly affect your mobility and compete like you’re used to, or just get around the house pain-free. Specific physical therapy exercises and other physician-prescribed treatment plans have been proven to help patients mitigate pain and swelling and return to optimal functionality.

What Types of MCL Injuries Are There?

For all intents and purposes, an MCL injury either involves a sprain, wherein the MCL extends 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 MCL has been torn. These injuries are typically not especially painful or debilitating, and don’t result in much instability. Your knee will feel tender, and you may also experience mild pain.
• Grade 2 — This is a more moderate tear, usually to the middle layer of the ligament. Your knee will be slightly unstable, and your joint may be loose when manipulated manually. Symptoms of a grade 2 MCL injury generally include much more noticeable pain.
• Grade 3 — This injury is a complete tear to both the superficial and deep parts. You will retain little to no stability. 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.

However significant your MCL injuries, the team of qualified Gray Summit, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes can, along with your physician, create a comprehensive plan uniquely made for you and your injuries aimed at returning you to the life you’re used to without incurring further injury.

How Do MCL Injuries Occur?

Ligament injuries account for 40% of all knee injuries, and most of the time that ligament is the MCL. People often suffer and MCL injury because of the knee suddenly being forced too far inward. MCL injuries can also occur if the knee is rotated more than the ligament can support. They can also take place when landing or awkward bending, such as if a cleat is stuck in grass while your leg keeps moving.

MCL injuries usually occur athletes in contact sports and in sports that require a lot of cutting and jumping 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

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
• The knee being unstable
• Pain or discomfort when trying to bear weight
• Bruising
• Tenderness where the MCL is located
• Swelling, either of the MCL area or the whole knee

Sometimes you may feel like your knee is “shaky”, 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 schedule a physical examination in order to get a diagnosis.

Diagnosis and Treatment of an MCL Injury in Gray Summit, MO

Diagnosing an MCL injury requires going to a physical examination. In the examination, your Gray Summit, 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 Gray Summit, 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 magnetic field and radio waves to take detailed images of the knee joint
• An ultrasound, which uses sound waves and can help determine the grade of your injury
• 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 law mandates that physical therapy be prescribed by a physician.

Treating an MCL Injury in Gray Summit, MO

The initial treatment of an MCL injury consists of basic first aid: swelling reduction, easing pain, and using the R.I.C.E. Method of Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. For sprains or slight tears, the R.I.C.E method, pain and swelling relievers, and a few days or week or two of rest may be sufficient to get mostly back to normal.

Professional physical therapy is needed for grade 2 and 3 tears to restore strength and optimal range of motion and get you back to the activities you love. You’ll also need time off your feet to allow your body to heal safely. Your Axes physical therapist in Gray Summit, MO can fit you for a knee brace in order to prevent your knee from becoming more instable while your MCL is still healing. With physical therapy, you’ll still continue icing your knee and taking anti-inflammatory pain medication.

Surgery is typically only needed with severe grade 1 MCL injuries, or if the MCL tear is accompanied by an ACL tear or other damage to the knee. During the surgery, a surgeon will use a graft, either from your hamstring or an organ donor, to reattach the torn sections. The surgery is an outpatient procedure. If your doctor thinks surgery is necessary, our physical therapists specialize in pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation get you the best possible results from your surgery.

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

For recovering from any injury, a physically therapist will implement safe and evidence-backed exercises, each aimed at helping a specific part of the body regain a specific level or function. Physical therapy slowly and effectively improves strength in the surrounding muscles, flexibility of ligaments and tendons, 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:

• At the start, passive movements carried about by your physical therapist to slowly get the knee 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 studies show can accelerate knee ligament healing
• Kinesio Taping®, which provides further stability while your body heals and encourages normal function
• Trigger point dry needling to further help the body’s natural healing process
• Blood flow restriction training to help you make greater strength gains while lifting lighter weights
• Athletic training and sports therapy for athletes who want to improve their performance

At Axes Physical Therapy in Gray Summit, MO, all of our treatment plans are designed individually to each patient, proven through peer-reviewed research, and created with the help of your physician, in order to get you the best patient outcome possible and get you back to the activities you love.

Other services we offer in Gray Summit, MO include:

• 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
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy

Call an Axes Physical Therapist in Gray Summit, 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 with our help, you can get back to how you used to feel. We know you place a lot of trust in your physical therapists, so the treatment method we plan for you will be safe and 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 Gray Summit, MO, call the location nearest you and request an appointment online.