MCL Injury | Huntleigh, MO Physical Therapy

MCL Injury in Huntleigh, MO. For many people who maintain an active lifestyle, feeling that sudden “pop” in their knee creates a lot of anxiety: Did I injure my MCL? How bad is the injury? How long will it take to recover? Will I ever be able to perform at the same level again? At Axes Physical Therapy in Huntleigh, MO, we are driven by positive patient outcomes. While we can’t, we can help ensure you get back to feeling like yourself with safe, effective treatments. Physical therapy has proven to be a fundamental component of recovering from any MCL injury. Our physical therapists in Huntleigh, MO are movement health experts. For treatment plans you know will be effective, reach out to the Axes location nearest you or contact us online.

How the MCL Works

MCL stands for “medial collateral ligament.” A ligament is a tough, flexible of connective tissue that attaches bone to bone and keeps joints stable. 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 moving normally. Its functions to resist valgus pressure, or the knee being forced unnaturally towards the other one. 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 controls backward movement
• LCL (lateral collateral ligament), which connects the femur 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 largest joints we have. Optimal structure and function depends on surrounding bone, muscle, tendons, and ligaments. There are numerous knee injuries that can limit or completely restrict your mobility and ability to do what you love most, or just get around the house pain-free. Specific physical therapy techniques and other physician-prescribed treatment plans have been demonstrated through research and studies to help those who have suffered an MCL injury reduce pain and return to optimal functionality.

What Types of MCL Injuries Are There?

Generally speaking, an MCL injury either involves a sprain, which stretches the ligament beyond its normal range of motion, 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 MCL injury refers to a sprain, or a tear where less than 10% of the MCL has been torn. It’s typically a mild injury, and your knee largely remains stable. Your knee will feel tender, and you may also experience soreness.
• Grade 2 — This is more significant tearing, generally to the middle layer of the MCL. You will probably lose some stability in the joint, and your joint may be loose when manipulated manually. Pain is much more severe in 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. Pain will be intense and you’ll likely feel a wide array of 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 Huntleigh, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes can, in concert with your doctor, implement an extensive and tailored plan to get you back to the things you love safely.

MCL Injuries: Causes and Symptoms

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 happen 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 can also occur in people who have to squat 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 knee when they experience an MCL sprain or tear. Other symptoms may include:

• A sudden “pop” on the inside of your knee
• Feeling like the may buckle
• Not being able to put any weight on the knee
• Contusions
• Tenderness on the inside of your knee
• Swelling, either where the MCL is located or the entire knee joint

Sometimes you may feel like your knee is “shaky”, while other times you’ll barely be able to move the knee. Any time you feel pain or instability in your knee, stop any strenuous activity immediately and schedule a physical examination in order to get a diagnosis.

Diagnosis and Treatment of an MCL Injury in Huntleigh, MO

MCL injuries are diagnosed in a doctor’s office, emergency room or at a physical therapy center. The examination will usually start with a doctor or physical therapist in Huntleigh, MO asking how the injury occurred. They’ll then bend your knee and apply slight pressure to the outside of it, noting your pain level and if your knee feels structurally sound. They’ll also gently feel for swelling, and may compare your injured knee to the healthy one.

Most physical therapists or physicians that specialize in the musculoskeletal system in Huntleigh, MO are qualified 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 computer-generated radio waves to create 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, may be ordered for a severe MCL injury to ensure there are no broken bones

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 Revised Statute §334.506 mandates that physical therapy be prescribed by a physician.

How to Treat and MCL Injury in Huntleigh, MO

Typically, treating an MCL injury begins with basic first aid: reducing swelling, managing discomfort, and implementing 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 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 strenuous activity for an even longer period. Your Axes physical therapist in Huntleigh, MO will be able to fit you for a knee brace to give your knee stability while it’s healing. With physical therapy, you’ll still continue icing your knee and taking anti-inflammatory pain 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. 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 Huntleigh, MO, our physical therapists will be able to treat you with pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation, which ensures that your knee will be healthy enough for the operation, and you’ll build back strength safely after the surgery.

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

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 get back to optimal movement health. Physical therapy slowly and effectively improves strength in the strength in the muscles that power the knee, flexibility of ligaments and tendons, and range of motion to the joint 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, light motions carried about by your physical therapist to help restore normal functionality
• Exercised performed by you later to further develop strength and flexibility
• Exercises with elastic bands, weights, or cardio machines such as treadmill
• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, which research suggests 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 lessening stress on the joint
• Athletic training and sports therapy for those whose main goal is to get back onto the court or field

At Axes Physical Therapy in Huntleigh, MO, all of our treatment plans are as unique as each patient, and created alongside your doctor, in order to deliver you the best client experience and get you back to doing what you love to do most.

Other injuries we help treat in Huntleigh, 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 Huntleigh, MO for Your MCL Injury

An MCL injury is scary and anxiety-inducing at first, especially if you’re an athlete, 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 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 Huntleigh, MO, call the location nearest you and request an appointment online.