MCL Injury | St. Peters, MO Physical Therapy

MCL Injury in St. Peters, MO. For many people who maintain an active lifestyle, it’s easy to fear the worst when you hear that sudden “pop” in your knee: Did I injure my MCL? How bad is the injury? How long will I be sidelines for? Will this be the end of my athletic career? At Axes Physical Therapy in St. Peters, MO, all of our physical and occupational therapists are committed to positive patient experiences. While we can’t, we can make your recovery safe and effective through tailored, proven treatment plans. Physical therapy has proven to be a critical aspect of recovering from any MCL injury. Our physical therapists in St. Peters, 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 contact us online.

What is the MCL?

MCL an acronym for “medial collateral ligament.” A ligament is a fibrous of connective tissue that connects bones to each other and helps hold structures with the body together. The MCL connects your upper shin bone to the inner surface of the bottom thigh bone, running along your inner knee, and helps keep your knee stable and functioning normally. Its main purpose is to guard against valgus stress, or the knee being forced unnaturally towards the other one. It is one of four ligaments that help control the knee, along with the:

• ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), which runs down the center of your knee and controls rotation and prevents the knee from bending inward
• PCL (posterior cruciate ligament), which forms an “X” with the ACL in the middle of the knee and acts as a secondary front and back stabilizer
• LCL (lateral collateral ligament), which connects the femur to the fibula (the smaller bone in the lower leg) and provides stability to the outer knee

The knee is one of the biggest joints we have. 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 have tremendous consequences for your mobility and ability to do what 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 research and studies to help those who have suffered an MCL injury reduce pain and get back to normal functionality.

What Types of MCL Injuries Are There?

For all intents and purposes, an MCL injury is either a sprain, which stretches the ligament beyond its normal limits, 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 MCL injury refers to a sprain, or a tear where less than 10% of the the fibers in your MCL are torn. It’s typically a mild injury, and your knee largely remains stable. Your knee will feel tender, and you may also experience mild pain.
• Grade 2 — This is a more moderate tear, usually to the more fibrous part 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 — A grade 3 tear is a complete tear, or separation from the bone. You will likely feel like your knee’s about to buckle. Pain will be intense and you’ll likely feel several other symptoms. Grade 3 MCL injuries often occur alongside other knee injuries such as ACL tears.

Whatever grade MCL injury you have, our qualified St. Peters, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes can, as a team with your physician, create a comprehensive plan uniquely made for you and your injuries to get you back to the activities your love most without incurring further injury.

MCL Injuries: Causes and Symptoms

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 more than the ligament can support. They can also take place when landing or excessive bending, such as if a cleat is stuck in grass while the rest of your body moves.

MCL injuries usually occur athletes in contact sports and in sports that require a lot of torque being placed on the body such as football, soccer, skiing, basketball, and tennis. They are also common in those who lift weights or lift heavy objects at their work.

Common Symptoms of MCL Injuries

If you suffer an MCL injury in St. Peters, MO, you’ll probably notice the pain right away. Other symptoms may include:

• Hearing or feeling a popping noise or sensation
• Instability
• Pain or discomfort when trying to bear weight
• Bruising
• Tenderness along the inside of the joint
• Swelling, either where the MCL is located or the entire knee joint

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

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

Diagnosing an MCL injury requires going to a doctor’s office, emergency room or at a physical therapy center. The exam will usually start with a doctor or physical therapist in St. Peters, 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 physicians that specialize in mobility of the human body in St. Peters, MO are qualified to diagnose 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 magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of the knee joint
• An ultrasound, which uses sound waves and can help determine how severely the ligament is torn
• An X-ray, which does not show soft tissue, may be ordered for a severe MCL injury to ensure there are no broken bones

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

Treating an MCL Injury in St. Peters, MO

Right after your MCL injury, you should start with basic first aid: reducing swelling, relieving pain, and utilizing the R.I.C.E. Method of Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. For mild injuries, 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 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 to refrain from strenuous until your knee is strong again. Your Axes physical therapist in St. Peters, MO will be able to fit you for a knee brace in order to prevent your knee from moving side to side 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 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 your hamstring or an organ donor, to reattach the torn sections. The surgery is an outpatient procedure. If your doctor thinks surgery is necessary, our physical therapists are experts at pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation, which ensures that your knee will be healthy enough for the operation, and you’ll safely restore, strength, flexibility, and range of motion after.

How Do Physical Therapists in St. Peters, MO Treat MCL Injuries?

For recovering from any injury, a physically therapist will create 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 surrounding muscles, flexibility of ligaments and tendons, and range of motion to the joint in the interest of not only recovery, but injury prevention. A physical therapist may recommend and implement the following practices:

• At the start, light movements performed by your physical therapist to slowly get the knee used to normal motion again
• More active exercises and stretches later to regain strength
• Exercises with elastic bands, weight lifting equipment, or cardio machines such as an elliptical
• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, which research suggests can accelerate knee ligament healing
• Kinesio Taping®, which keeps the knee stable and helps control motion
• 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 St. Peters, MO, all of our treatment plans are designed individually to each patient, backed by empirical evidence, and created with the help of 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 St. Peters, 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 St. Peters, MO for Your MCL Injury

An MCL injury can be painful and frightening, especially if you’re an athlete, but with our help, the ailment is only temporary. 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. Peters, MO, call the location nearest you and request an appointment online.