MCL Injury | New Haven, MO Physical Therapy

MCL Injury in New Haven, MO. If someone plays sports or engages in other physical activity, feeling that sudden “pop” in their knee creates a lot of doubts: Did I injure my MCL? How bad is the injury? How long will it take to recover? Will my knee ever be the same again? At Axes Physical Therapy in New Haven, MO, we are driven by getting our patients back to the physical lifestyles they’ve grown to love. While we’d like to be able to magically fix your MCL, we can make your recovery safe and effective through personalized, evidence-based treatment plans. Physical therapy has been shown time and time again to be an integral component of any treatment plan for MCL injuries. Our physical therapists in New Haven, MO are all licensed and average more than 15 years of individual experience. For treatment plans you know will be effective, call the Axes location nearest you or request an appointment online.

What is the MCL?

MCL is an abbreviation for “medial collateral ligament.” A ligament is a tough, flexible of connective tissue that connects 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 maintains stability in the inner knee. Its primary purpose is to withstand valgus stress, 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 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 in the lower leg) and helps keep the outer side of your knee joint stable

The knee is one of the biggest joints in the human body. A healthy knee relies on surrounding bone and muscle, and the tendons and ligaments in order to provide support and function properly. When any knee injury, such as an MCL tear, occurs it can limit or completely restrict your mobility and pursue the activities you love most, or just live a pain-free day-to-day life. Particular physical therapy exercises and other treatment modalities, prescribed by a doctor, have been demonstrated through evidence to help patients reduce pain and get back to optimal functionality.

What Types of MCL Injuries Are There?

Generally speaking, an MCL injury either involves a sprain, wherein the MCL is stretched beyond its normal range of motion, or a tear, where the MCL 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. 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 injury is when the MCL suffers more significant tearing, usually to the middle layer of the ligament. Your knee will be slightly unstable, and the knee will likely 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 fibrous and deep parts. 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 New Haven, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes can, in concert with your physician, develop a comprehensive plan specially made for you and your injuries aimed at returning you to the life you’re used to 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. Most people often suffer and MCL injury because of a force to the exterior of the knee. MCL injuries can also by the knee rotating more than the ligament can stand. They can also happen because of landing or awkward bending, such as if your foot stays in one place while your leg keeps moving.

MCL injuries usually occur athletes in contact sports and in athletic events that require a lot of cutting and jumping such as football, soccer, skiing, basketball, and tennis. They are also common in those who lift weights or lift heavy objects at their employment.

Common Symptoms of MCL Injuries

Most MCL injuries are accompanied by sudden, noticeable pain. Other symptoms may include:

• Hearing or feeling a popping noise or sensation
• The knee being unstable
• Pain or discomfort when trying to bear weight
• Bruising
• Tenderness where the MCL is located
• Inflammation, either on the inside of the knee or the entire knee joint

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, cease any strenuous activity immediately and schedule a physical examination in order to get a diagnosis.

Diagnosis and Treatment of an MCL Injury in New Haven, MO

Diagnosing an MCL injury requires going to a physical examination. In the examination, your New Haven, 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 doctors that specialize in mobility of the human body in New Haven, MO are qualified to diagnose 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 create three-dimensional images of your soft tissue
• 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, 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 mandates that physical therapy be prescribed by a doctor.

Treating an MCL Injury in New Haven, MO

Right after your MCL injury, you should start with basic first aid: reducing swelling, relieving pain, and using 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.

Professional physical therapy is needed for grade 2 and 3 tears to restore strength and function and get you 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 New Haven, MO can fit you for a knee brace so that you don’t suffer further injury. With physical therapy, you’ll still continue icing your knee and taking anti-inflammatory pain medication.

Though uncommon, 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 from another person, to reattach the torn sections. The surgery is an outpatient procedure. If you do require surgery in New Haven, MO, our physical therapists will be able to help you with pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation get you the best possible results from your surgery.

How Do Physical Therapists in New Haven, MO Treat MCL Injuries?

The aim of physical therapy, when dealing with any injury, is to implement safe, effective, and evidence-backed treatment methods based on each patient as an individual. These treatments and exercises will, over time, build strength in the surrounding muscles, flexibility of soft tissue, and range of motion to the joint in the interest of not only recovery, but injury prevention. Depending on you and your injuries, your treatment plan may include:

• At the start, light movements performed by your physical therapist to slowly get the MCL used to normal motion again
• Exercised performed by you later to further develop strength and flexibility
• Exercises with elastic bands, weight lifting equipment, or cardio machines such as a stationary bike
• 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 encourages normal function
• Trigger point dry needling to further help the body’s natural healing process
• Blood flow restriction training to help you make greater strength gains while lifting lighter loads
• Athletic training and sports therapy for those whose main goal is to get back onto the court or field

At Axes Physical Therapy in New Haven, MO, all of our treatment plans are designed individually to each patient, proven through peer-reviewed research, and created in concert with your physician, in order to get you the best patient outcome possible and get you back to the activities you love.

Other services we offer in New Haven, MO include:

• 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
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy

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