MCL Injury | Owensville, MO Physical Therapy

MCL Injury in Owensville, 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? Is it significant? How long will it take to recover? Will my knee ever be the same again? At Axes Physical Therapy in Owensville, MO, all of our physical and occupational therapists are dedicated to getting our clients back to the activities they love most. While we can’t, we can help ensure you get back to feeling like yourself with safe, evidence-backed treatments. Physical therapy has been shown time and time again to be a critical aspect of recovering from any MCL injury. Our physical therapists in Owensville, MO are all licensed and average more than 15 years of individual experience. For lasting and meaningful recovery, reach out to the Axes location most convenient for you you or contact us online.

What is the MCL?

MCL stands for “medial collateral ligament.” A ligament is like a strong, firmly attached rope that attaches 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 keeps the knee from moving side to side. Its chief purpose is to guard against 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 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 crosses the ACL in the middle of the knee and acts as a secondary front and back stabilizer
• LCL (lateral collateral ligament), which runs along the outside of the knee from the thigh bone to the fibula (the smaller bone between the knee and ankle) and gives stability to the outer knee

The knee is one of the largest joints we have. It depends on surrounding bone and muscle, and the tendons and ligaments in order to provide support and function properly. There are countless knee injuries that can greatly affect your mobility and pursue the activities you love most, or just complete basic tasks pain-free. Certain physical therapy exercises and other treatment modalities, prescribed by a doctor, have been demonstrated through evidence to help patients manage their symptoms and get back to optimal movement health.

What Types of MCL Injuries Are There?

Generally speaking, an MCL injury is either a sprain, wherein the MCL is stretched farther than is naturally, 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 sprain or tear means that the ligament has been stretched, and less than 10% of the MCL has been torn. These injuries are typically not especially painful or debilitating, and your knee will still be stable. You will likely experience some tenderness and mild pain.
• 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 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 injury is a complete tear to both the fibrous and deep parts. Your knee will be significantly unstable. Pain will be intense and you’ll likely feel several other symptoms. The injury may actually caused by or accompanied by other serious knee injuries such as ACL tears.

However significant your MCL injuries, our licensed Owensville, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes can, along with your doctor, create a comprehensive plan specially made for you and your injuries aimed at returning you to the life you’re used to in a safe and effective manner.

How Do MCL Injuries Occur?

40% of all knee injuries involve damage to a ligament, 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 by the knee rotating too forcefully. They can also occur because of landing or awkward bending, such as if a cleat is stuck in grass 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 are also common in those who have to hunch over 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 joint 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 give out
• Inability to bear weight
• Contusions
• Tenderness where the MCL is located
• Inflammation, either of the MCL area 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. If you suspect you may have suffered an MCL injury, cease any strenuous activity immediately and schedule a physical examination in order to get a diagnosis.

Diagnosing and Treating an MCL Injury in Owensville, MO

Diagnosing an MCL injury requires going to a physical examination. In the examination, your Owensville, 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 perform a valgus stress test.

Most physical therapists or doctors with knowledge of movement health in Owensville, 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 magnet and computer-generated radio waves to create detailed images of your soft tissue
• An ultrasound, which uses sound waves and can help determine the grade of your injury
• An X-ray, which does not show soft tissue, to insure your femur, kneecap, tibia, and fibula have not fractured

Axes Physical Therapy also offers injury screening injury screenings at no cost or obligation to you. While we can offer you an evaluation, Missouri law requires a prescription for further physical therapy.

How to Treat and MCL Injury in Owensville, MO

Typically, treating an MCL injury begins with basic first aid: swelling reduction, reducing 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 some time spent off your feet may be sufficient for your body’s natural healing processes to get you back on your feet.

Grade 2 or 3 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 of limited activity to allow your body to heal safely. Your Axes physical therapist in Owensville, 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 uncommon, 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 carried out by using a graft, either from your hamstring or an organ donor, to reattach the torn sections. You would not have to be hospitalized overnight. If you do require surgery in Owensville, MO, our physical therapists specialize in pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation to make your surgery and recovery as successful as possible.

How Can Physical Therapy in Owensville, MO Treat My MCL Injury?

For recovering from any injury, a physically therapist will design safe, effective, and evidence-backed treatment methods based on each patient as an individual. Physical therapy slowly and effectively improves strength in the surrounding muscles, flexibility of ligaments and tendons, and range of motion to the knee 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 movements performed by your physical therapist to help restore normal functionality
• Exercised performed by you later to regain strength
• Exercises with elastic bands, weights, or cardio machines such as treadmill
• 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 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 athletes who want to improve their performance

At Axes Physical Therapy in Owensville, MO, all of our treatment plans are as unique as each patient, 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 conditions we help treat in Owensville, 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

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

An MCL injury is scary and anxiety-inducing at first, especially if you’re used to being physically active, but with our help, you can get back to how you used to feel. 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. As part of our program, we’ll educate you on your injury and the structures of the knee so you can stay as healthy and active as possible. For meaningful and lasting recovery from your MCL injury in Owensville, MO, call the location nearest you and request an appointment online.