MCL Injury | Stone Meadows, MO Physical Therapy

MCL Injury in Stone Meadows, 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? Is it significant? How long will it take to recover? Will this be the end of my athletic career? At Axes Physical Therapy in Stone Meadows, MO, all of our physical and occupational therapists are dedicated to getting our clients back to sprinting down the court. 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 been shown time and time again to be an essential part of any treatment plan for MCL injuries. Our physical therapists in Stone Meadows, 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.

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 helps hold structures with the musculoskeletal system together. The MCL connects your upper shin bone to the inner surface of the bottom thigh bone, running along your inner knee, and maintains stability in the inner knee. Its functions to withstand valgus stress, or the knee being pushed 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 goes through the middle of your knee and controls rotation and prevents the knee from bending inward
• PCL (posterior cruciate ligament), which forms an “X” with the ACL inside the knee and prevents excessive posterior translation of the tibia relative to the femur
• LCL (lateral collateral ligament), which runs along the outside of the knee from the femur to the fibula (the smaller bone between the knee and ankle) and provides stability to the outer knee

The knee is one of the largest joints in the human body. Correct structure and movement depends on surrounding bone, muscle, tendons, and ligaments. There are a variety of knee injuries that can greatly affect your mobility and compete like you’re used to, or just live a pain-free day-to-day life. Specific physical therapy exercises and other treatment modalities, prescribed by a doctor, have been demonstrated through research and analysis to help those who have suffered an MCL injury manage their symptoms and get back to normal functionality.

What Types of MCL Injuries Are There?

In general, an MCL injury is either a sprain, wherein the MCL extends beyond its normal range of motion, 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 sprain or tear means that the ligament has been stretched, and less than 10% of the the fibers in your MCL are torn. These are not generally severe, and your knee largely remains stable. Your knee will feel tender, and you may also experience soreness.
• 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 manipulated manually. Pain is much more severe in a grade 2 MCL injury.
• Grade 3 — This occurs when your MCL is entirely torn, both the superficial and deep parts. You will likely feel like your knee’s about to buckle. You will likely feel significant pain and several other 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 licensed Stone Meadows, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes can, alongside your physician, implement an exhaustive plan specially made for you and your injuries to get you back to the activities your love most safely.

MCL Injuries: Causes and Symptoms

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 blow to the outside of the knee. MCL injuries can also occur if the knee is rotated more than the ligament can stand. They can also take place when landing or awkward 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 can also occur in people who lift weights or lift heavy objects at their employment.

Common Symptoms of MCL Injuries

Most people feel pain immediately on the inside of the knee when they experience an MCL sprain or tear. Other symptoms may include:

• A sudden “pop” on the inside of your knee
• The knee being unstable
• Pain or discomfort when trying to bear weight
• Contusions
• Tenderness along the inside of the joint
• Swelling, either on the inside of the knee or the entire knee joint

Sometimes you may feel like your knee is “shaky”, or in other cases you’ll barely be able to move the knee. If you suspect you may have suffered an MCL injury, stop any strenuous activity immediately and schedule a physical examination in order to get a diagnosis.

Diagnosing and Treating an MCL Injury in Stone Meadows, MO

Diagnosing an MCL injury requires going to a physical examination. The exam will usually start with a doctor or physical therapist in Stone Meadows, MO asking how the injury occurred. They’ll then bend your knee and apply slight pressure to the outside of it, noting your pain level 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 the musculoskeletal system in Stone Meadows, MO are qualified to determine if you have 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 produce 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, while it won’t show the MCL or other ligaments, may be ordered for a severe MCL injury to ensure there are no broken bones

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 law stipulates a prescription in order to officially begin physical therapy treatment.

Treating an MCL Injury in Stone Meadows, MO

The initial treatment of an MCL injury consists of basic first aid: reducing swelling, relieving pain, and utilizing the R.I.C.E. Method of Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. For sprains or slight tears, the R.I.C.E method, over-the-counter pain relievers, and a few days or week or two of rest may be all you need for your body to heal itself.

Professional physical therapy is needed for more severe tears to restore strength and function and get you back to the activities you love. You’ll also need to refrain from rigorous activity for an even longer period. Your Axes physical therapist in Stone Meadows, 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.

Surgery is typically only needed with severe grade 1 MCL injuries, or if the MCL tear is accompanied by an ACL tear or other damage to the joint. The surgery is performed by using a graft, either from one of your other ligaments or from another person, to reattach the torn sections. 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 Do Physical Therapists in Stone Meadows, MO Treat MCL Injuries?

The aim of physical therapy, when dealing with any injury, is to design safe and evidence-backed exercises, each aimed at helping a specific part of the body get back to optimal movement health. Physical therapy slowly and effectively improves strength in the strength in the muscles that power the joint, flexibility of soft tissue, and range of motion to the joint 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 movements carried about by your physical therapist to slowly get the ligament used to normal motion again
• 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 encourages normal function
• Trigger point dry needling to stimulate harder-to-reach tissue
• Blood flow restriction training to improve strength 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 Stone Meadows, MO, all of our treatment plans are as unique as each patient, and created in concert with your doctor, in order to get you the best patient outcome possible and get you back to the activities you love.

Other conditions we help treat in Stone Meadows, 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 Stone Meadows, 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, the ailment is only temporary. 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 structures of the knee so you can stay as healthy and active as possible. For meaningful and lasting recovery from your MCL injury in Stone Meadows, MO, call the location nearest you and request an appointment online.