MCL Injury | St. Ann, MO Physical Therapy

MCL Injury in St. Ann, MO. If someone plays sports or engages in other physical activity, it’s easy to fear the worst when you hear that sudden “pop” in your knee: Did I suffer an MCL injury? How bad is the injury? How long will I be sidelines for? Will I ever be able to perform at the same level again? At Axes Physical Therapy in St. Ann, MO, we are driven by getting our patients back to tearing up the filed. While we’d like to be able to make your MCL injury go away, 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 a critical aspect of recovering from any MCL injury. Our physical therapists in St. Ann, MO are all licensed and average more than 15 years of individual experience. For lasting and meaningful recovery, call 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 a tough band of connective tissue that attaches bone to bone and provides stability. The MCL connects your upper shin bone to the inner surface of the bottom thigh bone, running along your inner knee, and keeps the knee from moving side to side. Its primary purpose is to guard against valgus pressure, or the knee being forced unnaturally towards the other one. It is one of four ligaments in the knee, along with the:

• 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 acts as a secondary front and back stabilizer
• LCL (lateral collateral ligament), which attaches 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 known for being one of our most complex joints. 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 compete like you’re used to, or just live a pain-free day-to-day life. Certain physical therapy exercises and other physician-prescribed treatment plans have been proven to help those who have suffered an MCL injury mitigate pain and swelling and get back to optimal movement health.

What Types of MCL Injuries Are There?

For all intents and purposes, an MCL injury either involves a sprain, which stretches the ligament farther than is naturally, or a tear, where the ligament is either partially or completely torn or separated 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. It’s typically a mild injury, and don’t result in much instability. Symptoms will likely be tenderness and mild pain.
• Grade 2 — This is more significant tearing, usually to the more fibrous part of the MCL. 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 — A grade 3 tear is a complete tear, or separation from the bone. You will likely feel like your knee’s about to “give out.” 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.

Whatever grade MCL injury you have, our qualified St. Ann, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes can, along with your physician, create an exhaustive and personalized plan to get you back to the activities your love most in a safe and effective manner.

How Do MCL Injuries Occur?

40% of all knee injuries involve damage to the MCL, LCL, ACL, or PCL, and most of the time that ligament is the MCL. Most people often suffer and MCL injury because of a force to the outside of the knee. MCL injuries can also occur if the knee is rotated too forcefully. They can also happen because of landing or excessive bending, such as if your foot stays in one place while the rest of your body moves.

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

• A sudden “pop” on the inside of your knee
• Instability
• Inability to bear weight
• Contusions
• Tenderness where the MCL is located
• Inflammation, either of the MCL area or the whole knee

Sometimes you may feel a “wobbly” sensation, or in other cases the knee feels too rigid. 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.

Diagnosing and Treating an MCL Injury in St. Ann, MO

Diagnosing an MCL injury requires going to a physical examination. In the examination, your St. Ann, 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 with knowledge of movement health in St. Ann, MO are qualified to determine if you have 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 the inside of your knee
• An ultrasound, which uses sound waves and can help determine how severely the MCL is torn
• An X-ray, which does not show soft tissue, to insure your femur, kneecap, tibia, and fibula have not been broken

Alternatively, you can visit the Axes location nearest you for a free, no-risk injury screening. While we can determine if you have suffered an MCL injury, Missouri Revised Statute §334.506 requires that physical therapy be prescribed by a doctor.

How to Treat and MCL Injury in St. Ann, MO

The initial treatment of an MCL injury consists of basic first aid: reducing swelling, relieving pain, and using 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 all you need for your body’s natural healing processes to get you back on your feet.

Professional physical therapy is needed for more severe injuries to restore strength and optimal range of motion and get you back to racing down or around the court or field. You’ll also need time resting to allow your body to heal safely. Your Axes physical therapist in St. Ann, 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 anti-inflammatory medication.

Though rare, 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 reconstruct the ligament. You would not have to be hospitalized overnight. If your doctor thinks surgery is necessary, our physical therapists will be able to treat you with pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation get you the best possible results from your surgery.

How Can Physical Therapy in St. Ann, 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’s specific injury and the lifestyle they want to get back to. 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. Depending on you and your injuries, your treatment plan may include:

• At the start, light motions carried about by your physical therapist to help restore normal functionality
• Exercised performed by you later to regain strength
• Exercises with elastic bands, weight lifting equipment, 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 further help the body’s natural healing process
• 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 St. Ann, MO, all of our treatment plans are designed individually to each patient, backed by empirical evidence, and created with the help of your doctor, in order to deliver you the best client experience and get you back to the activities you love.

Other services we offer in St. Ann, 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

Schedule an Appointment With an Axes Physical Therapist in St. Ann, 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. As part of our program, we’ll educate you on your injury and how the knee works so you can stay as healthy and active as possible. For meaningful and lasting recovery from your MCL injury in St. Ann, MO, call the location nearest you and request an appointment online.