MCL Injury Lemay, MO | Sports Rehab | Axes Physical Therapy

MCL Injury | Lemay, MO Physical Therapy

MCL Injury in Lemay, MO. If someone plays sports or engages in other physical activity, it’s easy to fear the worst when you feel sudden pain on the inside of your knee: Did I injure my MCL? Is it significant? How long will I be sidelines for? Will I have to permanently give up the things I love doing? At Axes Physical Therapy in Lemay, 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, effective treatments. Physical therapy has been shown time and time again to be an essential component of any treatment plan for MCL injuries. Our physical therapists in Lemay, MO are all licensed and average more than 15 years of individual experience. For treatment plans you know will be effective, reach out to the Axes location most convenient for you you or schedule an appointment online.

The Anatomy of the MCL

MCL stands for “medial collateral ligament.” A ligament is like a strong, firmly attached rope that affixes bones to each other and provides stability. 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 withstand valgus pressure, 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 femur 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. Correct structure and movement depends on surrounding bone, muscle, tendons, and ligaments. When any knee injury, such as an MCL tear, occurs it can greatly affect your mobility and pursue the activities you love most, or just live a pain-free day-to-day life. Particular physical therapy techniques and other physician-prescribed treatment plans have been proven to help patients manage their symptoms and return to optimal mobility.

MCL Injury Lemay, MO | Sports Rehab | Injury Prevention | Physical Therapy Near Lemay

What Types of MCL Injuries Are There?

Generally speaking, an MCL injury is either 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. 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. These injuries are typically not especially painful or debilitating, 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, usually to the middle layer of the ligament. You will probably lose some stability in the joint, and the knee will likely 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. Grade 3 MCL injuries often occur alongside other knee injuries such as ACL tears.

However significant your MCL injuries, our expert Lemay, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes can, as a team with your doctor, develop an extensive plan specially made for you and your injuries to get you back to the things you love in a safe and effective manner.

What Causes MCL Injuries?

Ligament injuries account for 40% of all knee injuries, and most of the time that ligament is the MCL. 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 occur because of landing or unnatural bending, such as if your foot stays in one place while your leg keeps moving.

Athletes in contact sports are the most likely to sustain an MCL injury. 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

Most people feel pain immediately on the inside of the knee when they experience an MCL sprain or tear. Other symptoms may include:

Hearing or feeling a popping noise or feeling
Feeling like the may give out
Not being able to put any weight on the knee
Bruising
Tenderness on the inside of your knee
Inflammation, either on the inside of the knee or the whole knee

Sometimes your knee may feel like your knee is loose when you walk, even if walking doesn’t hurt, 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 seek medical treatment for a diagnosis.

Diagnosis and Treatment of an MCL Injury in Lemay, MO

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

Most physical therapists or physicians that specialize in mobility of the human body in Lemay, 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 magnet and computer-generated radio waves to create detailed 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, 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 Revised Statute §334.506 stipulates a prescription for further physical therapy.

How MCL Injuries are Treated in Lemay, MO

Typically, treating an MCL injury begins with basic first aid: inflammation reduction, reducing pain, and implementing the R.I.C.E. Method of Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. For mild injuries, the R.I.C.E method, over-the-counter pain relievers, and some time spent off your feet may be enough for your body’s natural healing processes to get you back on your feet.

Professional physical therapy is needed for more severe tears to restore strength and optimal range of motion and get you back to the activities you love. You’ll also need time resting to allow your body to heal safely. Your Axes physical therapist in Lemay, 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 uncommon, the worst grade 1 tears — 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. 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 you do require surgery in Lemay, MO, our physical therapists are experts at pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation get you the best possible results from your surgery.

How Do Physical Therapists in Lemay, 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. These treatments and exercises will, over time, build strength in the surrounding muscles, 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, passive motions performed by your physical therapist to slowly get the joint used to normal motion again
More active exercises and stretches later to further develop strength and flexibility
Exercises with elastic bands, weight lifting equipment, or cardio machines such as treadmill
Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, which research suggests can accelerate knee ligament healing
Kinesio Taping®, which provides further stability while your body heals and helps control motion
Trigger point dry needling to further help the body’s natural healing process
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 Lemay, MO, all of our treatment plans are as unique as each patient, and created with the help of your physician, 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 Lemay, MO include:

MCL Injury Lemay, MO | Athletic Training | Sports Training | Physical Therapy Near Lemay

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

An MCL injury can be painful and frightening, 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 the treatment method we plan for you will be safe and backed by evidence. As part of our program, we’ll educate you on your injury and the anatomy of the knee so you can stay as healthy and active as possible. For meaningful and lasting recovery from your MCL injury in Lemay, MO, call the location nearest you and request an appointment online.