MCL Injury | Hopewell, MO Physical Therapy

MCL Injury in Hopewell, 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 I ever be able to perform at the same level again? At Axes Physical Therapy in Hopewell, MO, all of our physical and occupational therapists are committed to positive patient experiences. 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 been shown time and time again to be a fundamental aspect of recovering from any MCL injury. Our physical therapists in Hopewell, MO specialize helping a variety of injuries and conditions in the musculoskeletal system heal. For lasting and meaningful recovery, call the Axes location most convenient for you you or contact us online.

The Anatomy of the MCL

MCL is an abbreviation for “medial collateral ligament.” A ligament is like a strong, firmly attached rope that attaches bones to each other and helps hold structures with the musculoskeletal system together. 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 functions to guard against valgus stress, or the knee being forced too far inward. It is one of four ligaments in the knee, along with the:

• 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 forms an “X” with the ACL inside the knee and controls backward movement
• LCL (lateral collateral ligament), which connects the thigh bone to the fibula (the smaller bone the small bone behind the tibia) and prevents the knee from being pushed unnaturally outward

The knee is one of the biggest joints we have. Optimal structure and movement depends on surrounding bone, muscle, tendons, and ligaments. There are countless knee injuries that can have tremendous consequences for your mobility and ability to do what you love most, or just live a pain-free day-to-day life. Specific physical therapy techniques and other treatment modalities, prescribed by a doctor, have been demonstrated through research and studies to help those who have suffered an MCL injury reduce pain and get back to normal functionality.

What Types of MCL Injuries Are There?

For all intents and purposes, an MCL injury is either a sprain, which stretches the ligament farther than is naturally, or a tear, where the MCL 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 the fibers in your MCL are torn. It’s typically a mild injury, and your knee will still be stable. Your knee will feel tender, and you may also experience mild pain.
• Grade 2 — This is a more moderate tear, generally to the more fibrous part of the ligament. You will probably lose some stability in your knee, and your joint may be loose when moved by hand. 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 superficial and deep parts. You will likely feel like your knee’s about to buckle. Pain will be intense and you’ll likely feel 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 qualified Hopewell, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes can, alongside your physician, implement an extensive and personalized plan aimed at returning you to the life you’re used to without incurring further injury.

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. Most people often suffer and MCL injury because of a blow to the exterior of the knee. MCL injuries can also occur if the knee is rotated too forcefully. They can also happen because of landing or awkward bending, such as if a cleat is stuck in grass while you’re moving.

MCL injuries are common in 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 lift weights or lift heavy objects at 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:

• Hearing or feeling a popping sound or sensation
• Feeling like the may give out
• Pain or discomfort when trying to bear weight
• Bruising
• Tenderness on the inside of your knee
• Swelling, either where the MCL is located 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 Hopewell, MO

Diagnosing an MCL injury requires going to a doctor’s office, emergency room or at a physical therapy center. In the examination, your Hopewell, 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 gently see if your knee is unstanble while bending inward, and your pain level.

Most physical therapists or doctors that specialize in mobility of the human body in Hopewell, MO will be able 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 radio waves to create detailed images of your soft tissue
• An ultrasound, which uses sound waves and can help determine how severely the MCL 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 fractured

Axes Physical Therapy also offers injury screening injury screenings at no cost or obligation to you. While we will be able to diagnose your injury, Missouri law stipulates that physical therapy be prescribed by a doctor.

How to Treat and MCL Injury in Hopewell, MO

Typically, treating an MCL injury begins with basic first aid: reducing swelling, managing pain, and using 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 a few days or week or two of rest may be enough for your body to heal itself.

Grade 2 or 3 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 time resting to allow your body to heal safely. Your Axes physical therapist in Hopewell, MO will be able to fit you for a knee brace to give your knee stability while it’s healing. Even with physical therapy, you’ll likely still continue the R.I.C.E. method and anti-inflammatory 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 one of your other ligaments or from another person, to reconstruct the ligament. 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 Do Physical Therapists in Hopewell, MO Treat MCL Injuries?

For recovering from any injury, a physically therapist will design safe and evidence-backed exercises, 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 surrounding muscles, flexibility of ligaments and tendons, and range of motion to the knee so you can get back to what you love most and prevent further injury. A physical therapist may recommend and implement the following practices:

• To begin, passive movements carried about by your physical therapist to help restore normal functionality
• More active exercises and stretches later to regain strength
• Exercises with elastic bands, weight lifting equipment, or cardio machines such as a stationary bike
• 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 motion
• Trigger point dry needling to stimulate harder-to-reach tissue
• Blood flow restriction training to improve strength while lessening stress on the joint
• Athletic training and sports therapy for athletes who want to improve their performance

At Axes Physical Therapy in Hopewell, MO, all of our treatment plans are as unique as each patient, and created with the help of your physician, in order to deliver you the best client experience and get you back to the activities you love.

Other conditions we help treat in Hopewell, 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 Hopewell, MO for Your MCL Injury

An MCL injury is scary and anxiety-inducing at first, especially if you’re an athlete, but with our help, the ailment is only temporary. 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 Hopewell, MO, call the location nearest you and request an appointment online.