MCL Injury House Springs, MO | Sports Rehab

MCL Injury | House Springs, MO Physical Therapy

MCL Injury in House Springs, MO. For many people who maintain an active lifestyle, feeling that sudden “pop” in their knee creates a lot of doubts: Did I suffer an MCL injury? How bad is the injury? How long will it take to recover? Will I have to permanently give up the things I love doing? At Axes Physical Therapy in House Springs, MO, all of our physical and occupational therapists are dedicated to positive patient experiences. 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 proven to be a fundamental component of any treatment plan for MCL injuries. Our physical therapists in House Springs, MO are movement health experts. For lasting and meaningful recovery, call the Axes location most convenient for you you or contact us online.

What is 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 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 helps keep your knee stable and moving normally. Its functions to withstand valgus pressure, or the knee being forced too far inward. It is one of four ligaments that help control the knee, along with the:

ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), which runs down the center of your knee and provides rotational stability and prevents the tibia from sliding too far forward on the femur
PCL (posterior cruciate ligament), which forms an “X” with 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 affixes 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. Optimal structure and movement depends on surrounding bone, muscle, tendons, and ligaments. There are a variety of knee injuries that can greatly affect your mobility and pursue the activities you love most, or just live a pain-free day-to-day life. Specific physical therapy exercises and other treatment modalities, prescribed by a doctor, have been proven to help patients reduce pain and get back to optimal movement health.

MCL Injury House Springs, MO | Sports Rehab | Injury Prevention | Physical Therapy Near House Springs

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 tiers:

Grade 1 — A grade 1 MCL injury refers to a sprain, or a tear where less than 10% of the the fibers in your MCL are torn. It’s typically a mild injury, and don’t result in much instability. Your knee will feel tender, and you may also experience soreness.
Grade 2 — This is a more moderate tear, most commonly to the middle layer of the ligament. 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 — A grade 3 tear is a complete tear, or separation from the bone. Your knee will be significantly unstable. You will likely feel significant pain and several other symptoms. The injury may actually caused by or accompanied by other serious knee injuries such as ACL tears.

Whatever grade MCL injury you have, the team of qualified House Springs, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes can, alongside your doctor, create a comprehensive and customized plan to get you back to the things you love without incurring further injury.

What Causes MCL Injuries?

Ligament injuries account for 40% of all knee injuries, and the MCL is the most commonly injured ligament. 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 occur if the knee is rotated too forcefully. 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 are common in athletes in contact sports and in sports that require a lot of sudden movement such as football, soccer, skiing, basketball, and tennis. They are also common in those who have to squat 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 House Springs, MO, you’ll likely notice the pain right away. Other symptoms may include:

Hearing or feeling a popping noise or sensation
The knee being unstable
Not being able to put any weight on the knee
Contusions
Tenderness along the inside of the joint
Swelling, 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. If you experience any of the above symptoms, stop any strenuous activity immediately and seek medical treatment for a diagnosis.

Diagnosis and Treatment of an MCL Injury in House Springs, MO

Diagnosing an MCL injury requires going to a doctor’s office, urgent care or at a physical therapy center. In the examination, your House Springs, 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 check for stability.

Most physical therapists or doctors with knowledge of movement health in House Springs, MO will be able to determine if you have an MCL injury with the above procedures. 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 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 does not show soft tissue, to insure your femur, kneecap, tibia, and fibula have not fractured

Alternatively, you can schedule and appointment with the Axes location most convenient for you for a free, no-obligation injury screening. While we can determine if you have suffered an MCL sprain or tear, Missouri law stipulates a prescription in order to officially begin physical therapy treatment.

How MCL Injuries are Treated in House Springs, MO

Typically, treating an MCL injury begins with basic first aid: reducing swelling, easing 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, pain and swelling relievers, and some time with limited activity may be sufficient for your body to heal itself.

Professional physical therapy is needed for more severe tears to restore strength and function and get you back to racing down or around the court or field. You’ll also need to refrain from rigorous activity for an even longer period. Your Axes physical therapist in House Springs, MO will be able to 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.

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. The surgery is performed by using a graft, either from your hamstring or an organ donor, to reconstruct the ligament. The surgery is an outpatient procedure. If you do require surgery in House Springs, MO, our physical therapists specialize in pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation to make your surgery and recovery as successful as possible.

How Do Physical Therapists in House Springs, MO Treat MCL Injuries?

The goal of physical therapy, when dealing with any injury, is to implement safe and evidence-backed exercises, each aimed at helping a specific part of the body regain a specific level or function. 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 joint so you can get back to what you love most and prevent further injury. Depending on you and your injuries, your treatment plan may include:

At the start, passive motions carried about 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, weight lifting equipment, or cardio machines such as an elliptical
Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, which studies show can accelerate knee ligament healing
Kinesio Taping®, which keeps the knee stable and helps control motion
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 athletes who want to improve their performance

At Axes Physical Therapy in House Springs, MO, all of our treatment plans are designed individually to each patient, backed by empirical evidence, and created alongside 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 services we offer in House Springs, MO include:

MCL Injury House Springs, MO | Athletic Training | Sports Training | Physical Therapy Near House Springs

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

An MCL injury can be painful and frightening, especially if you’re used to being physically active, 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 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 House Springs, MO, call the location nearest you and request an appointment online.