MCL Injury Knob Lick, MO | Sports Rehab

MCL Injury | Knob Lick, MO Physical Therapy

MCL Injury in Knob Lick, MO. If someone plays sports or engages in other physical activity, 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 have to permanently give up the things I love doing? At Axes Physical Therapy in Knob Lick, MO, all of our physical and occupational therapists are dedicated to positive patient outcomes. While we’d like to be able to magically fix your MCL, we can make your recovery safe and effective through tailored, proven treatment plans. Physical therapy has been shown time and time again to be a fundamental component of recovering from any MCL injury. Our physical therapists in Knob Lick, MO specialize helping a variety of injuries and conditions in the musculoskeletal system heal. For lasting and meaningful recovery, reach out to the Axes location most convenient for you you or schedule an appointment online.

How the MCL Works

MCL an acronym for “medial collateral ligament.” A ligament is like a strong, firmly attached rope that affixes bone to bone and provides stability. The MCL runs from the inside of your upper shin bone to the inside of your bottoms thigh bone and maintains stability in the inner knee. Its primary purpose is to withstand valgus stress, or the knee being pushed unnaturally inward. It combines with three other ligaments to keep the knee stable:

ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), which goes through the middle of your knee and provides rotational stability and controls forward movement
PCL (posterior cruciate ligament), which crosses the ACL in the middle of the knee and keeps the tibia 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 the small bone behind the tibia) and prevents the knee from being pushed unnaturally outward

The knee is one of the biggest joints in the human body. Correct structure and function depends on surrounding bone, muscle, tendons, and ligaments. There are countless knee injuries that can limit or completely restrict your mobility and compete like you’re used to, or just complete basic tasks pain-free. Particular physical therapy techniques and other physician-prescribed treatment plans have been demonstrated through research and analysis to help patients manage their symptoms and return to normal movement health.

MCL Injury Knob Lick, MO | Sports Rehab | Injury Prevention | Physical Therapy Near Knob Lick

What Types of MCL Injuries Are There?

For all intents and purposes, an MCL injury is either a sprain, wherein the MCL extends beyond its normal range of motion, or a tear, where the ligament is either partially or completely torn or separated from the bone. MCL injuries are “graded” in three levels:

Grade 1 — A grade 1 MCL injury refers to a sprain, or a tear where less than 10% of the the fibers in your ligament 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 more significant tearing, usually to the more fibrous part of the ligament. Your knee will be slightly unstable, and the knee will likely be loose when moved by hand. Pain is much more severe in a grade 2 MCL injury.
Grade 3 — This injury is a complete tear to both the fibrous and deep parts. You will likely feel like your knee’s about to buckle. You will likely feel significant pain and several other symptoms. Grade 3 MCL injuries often occur alongside other knee injuries such as ACL tears.

Whatever grade MCL injury you have, our professional Knob Lick, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes can, as a team with your doctor, create an extensive plan uniquely made for you and your injuries 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 most of the time that ligament is the MCL. MCL injuries occur due to the knee suddenly being forced too far inward. MCL injuries can also by the knee rotating more than the ligament can support. They can also take place when landing or unnatural bending, such as if your foot stays in one place while the rest of your body moves.

MCL injuries are common in athletes in contact sports and in athletic events that require a lot of sudden movement such as football, soccer, skiing, basketball, and tennis. They can also occur in people who lift weights or lift heavy objects at their work.

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
Not being able to put any weight on the knee
Bruising
Tenderness on the inside of your knee
Inflammation, either of the MCL area or the entire knee joint

Sometimes your knee may feel like your knee is loose when you walk, even if walking doesn’t hurt, or in other cases the knee feels too rigid. 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 Knob Lick, MO

MCL injuries are diagnosed in a physical examination. The examination will usually start with a doctor or physical therapist in Knob Lick, MO asking how the injury occurred. They’ll then bend your knee and apply slight pressure to the outside of it, noting how much pain you are in and whether or not your knee is unstable. They’ll also gently feel for swelling, and may compare your injured knee to the healthy one.

Most physical therapists or physicians with knowledge of movement health in Knob Lick, MO will be able to determine if you have 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 produce three-dimensional images of your soft tissue
An ultrasound, which uses sound waves and can be helpful in checking the severity of your injury
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

You can also visit the Axes location nearest you for a complimentary, no-risk injury screening. While we will be able to diagnose your injury, Missouri law stipulates a prescription in order to officially begin physical therapy treatment.

How to Treat and MCL Injury in Knob Lick, MO

Typically, treating an MCL injury begins with basic first aid: inflammation reduction, relieving discomfort, 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 sufficient for your body to heal itself.

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 time resting to allow your body to heal safely. Your Axes physical therapist in Knob Lick, MO can fit you for a knee brace so that you don’t suffer further injury. Even with physical therapy, you’ll likely still continue the R.I.C.E. method and over-the-counter meds.

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 carried out by using a graft, either from one of your other ligaments or an organ donor, to reattach the torn sections. The surgery is an outpatient procedure. If you do require surgery in Knob Lick, MO, our physical therapists will be able to help 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 Can Physical Therapy in Knob Lick, MO Treat My MCL Injury?

The objective of physical therapy, when dealing with any injury, is to design safe and evidence-backed treatments, 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 strength in the muscles that power the knee, flexibility of soft tissue, and range of motion to the knee 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:

To begin, passive motions performed by your physical therapist to help restore normal functionality
More active exercises and stretches later to regain strength
Exercises with elastic bands, weights, or cardio machines such as an elliptical
Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, which has been proven to help accelerate knee ligament healing
Kinesio Taping®, which provides further stability while your body heals and helps control motion
Trigger point dry needling to stimulate harder-to-reach tissue
Blood flow restriction training to help you make greater strength gains 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 Knob Lick, MO, all of our treatment plans are designed individually to each patient, backed by empirical evidence, 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 services we offer in Knob Lick, MO include:

MCL Injury Knob Lick, MO | Athletic Training | Sports Training | Physical Therapy Near Knob Lick

Schedule an Appointment With an Axes Physical Therapist in Knob Lick, 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 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 Knob Lick, MO, call the location nearest you and request an appointment online.