MCL Injury | Paulina Hills, MO Physical Therapy

MCL Injury in Paulina Hills, MO. For many people who maintain an active lifestyle, feeling that sudden “pop” in their knee creates a lot of anxiety: Did I suffer an MCL injury? How bad is the injury? How long will I be sidelines for? Will I have to permanently give up the things I love doing? At Axes Physical Therapy in Paulina Hills, MO, all of our physical and occupational therapists are dedicated to getting our clients back to tearing up the filed. 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, evidence-backed treatments. Physical therapy has proven to be an integral part of any treatment plan for MCL injuries. Our physical therapists in Paulina Hills, 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 contact us online.

How the MCL Works

MCL an acronym for “medial collateral ligament.” A ligament is like a strong, firmly attached rope that attaches bones to each other 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 functioning normally. Its main purpose is to resist valgus pressure, or the knee being forced unnaturally towards the other one. It is one of four ligaments that help keep the knee stable, along with the:

• ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), which runs down the center of your knee and provides rotational stability and controls forward movement
• PCL (posterior cruciate ligament), which forms an “X” with 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 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 we have. Optimal structure and function depends on surrounding bone, muscle, tendons, and ligaments. There are a variety of knee injuries that can limit or completely restrict your mobility and ability to do what you love most, or just live a pain-free day-to-day life. Specific physical therapy techniques and other treatment modalities, prescribed by a doctor, have been proven to help those who have suffered an MCL injury manage their symptoms and return to optimal mobility.

What Types of MCL Injuries Are There?

For all intents and purposes, an MCL injury either involves a sprain, wherein the MCL is stretched farther than is naturally, or a tear, where the ligament is either partially or completely torn or separated 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. It’s typically a mild injury, and don’t result in much instability. Your knee will feel tender, and you may also experience mild pain.
• Grade 2 — This is more significant tearing, usually to the middle layer of the ligament. Your knee will be slightly unstable, and your joint may 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. You will retain little to no stability. 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, our professional Paulina Hills, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes can, as a team with your doctor, develop an exhaustive and tailored plan aimed at returning you to the life you’re used to safely.

How Do MCL Injuries Occur?

Ligament injuries account for 40% of all knee injuries, and most of the time that ligament is the MCL. People often suffer and MCL injury because of the knee suddenly being forced too far inward. MCL injuries can also by the knee rotating too forcefully. They can also happen because of landing or excessive bending, such as if a cleat is stuck in grass while you’re moving.

MCL injuries are common in athletes in contact sports and in sports that require a lot of cutting and jumping such as football, soccer, skiing, basketball, and tennis. 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 joint when they experience an MCL sprain or tear. Other symptoms may include:

• Hearing or feeling a popping sound or sensation
• Feeling like the may give out
• Not being able to put any weight on the knee
• Contusions
• Tenderness on the inside of your knee
• Swelling, either on the inside of the knee or the entire knee joint

Sometimes you may feel a “wobbly” sensation, while other times the knee feels too stiff. 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 Paulina Hills, MO

MCL injuries are diagnosed in a doctor’s office, urgent care or at a physical therapy center. The exam will usually start with a doctor or physical therapist in Paulina Hills, 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 doctors with knowledge of movement health in Paulina Hills, MO are qualified to determine if you have an MCL injury with the above procedures. Other tests to check severity or to confirm may include:

• An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), which uses a magnet and radio waves to take three-dimensional images of the knee joint
• An ultrasound, which uses sound waves and can help determine the grade 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 been broken

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 requires that physical therapy be prescribed by a doctor.

How MCL Injuries are Treated in Paulina Hills, MO

Right after your MCL injury, you should start with basic first aid: reducing swelling, easing pain, 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 enough for your body to heal itself.

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 most physical activity for an even longer period. Your Axes physical therapist in Paulina Hills, MO can 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. During the surgery, a surgeon will use a graft, either from your hamstring or an organ donor, to reattach the torn sections. The surgery is an outpatient procedure. If you do require surgery in Paulina Hills, MO, our physical therapists are experts at pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation to make your surgery and recovery as successful as possible.

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

For recovering from any injury, a physically therapist will implement safe, targeted, and evidence-backed treatment methods based on each patient’s specific injury and the lifestyle they want to get back to. 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 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:

• At the start, light motions carried about by your physical therapist to slowly get the joint used to normal motion again
• Exercised performed by you later to further develop strength and flexibility
• Exercises with resistant bands, weights, or cardio machines such as an elliptical
• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, which studies show can 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 lifting lighter weights
• Athletic training and sports therapy for those whose main goal is to get back onto the court or field

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

Other conditions we help treat in Paulina Hills, 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 Paulina Hills, MO for Your MCL Injury

An MCL injury is scary and anxiety-inducing at first, especially if you’re an athlete, but with our help, you can get back to how you used to feel. We know our clients trust us with their recovery, 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 Paulina Hills, MO, call the location nearest you and request an appointment online.