MCL Injury Weingarten, MO | Sports Rehab

MCL Injury | Weingarten, MO Physical Therapy

MCL Injury in Weingarten, MO. For many athletes and physically active people, it’s easy to fear the worst when you feel sudden pain on the inside of your knee: Did I injure my MCL? How bad is the injury? How long will it take to recover? Will this be the end of my athletic career? At Axes Physical Therapy in Weingarten, MO, we are driven by positive patient outcomes. While we’d like to be able to magically fix your MCL, we can help ensure you get back to feeling like yourself with safe, effective treatments. Physical therapy has been shown time and time again to be an essential aspect of recovering from any MCL injury. Our physical therapists in Weingarten, MO are all licensed and average more than 15 years of individual experience. For treatment plans you know will be effective, reach out to the Axes location nearest you or request an appointment online.

What is the MCL?

MCL stands for “medial collateral ligament.” A ligament is like a strong, firmly attached rope that connects bone to bone and keeps joints stable. 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 guard against valgus stress, or the knee being forced too far 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 controls rotation 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 femur to the fibula (the smaller bone in the lower leg) and provides stability to the outer knee

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 stability and function properly. When any knee injury, such as an MCL tear, occurs it can greatly affect your mobility and pursue the activities 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 proven to help patients manage their symptoms and get back to optimal functionality.

MCL Injury Weingarten, MO | Sports Rehab | Injury Prevention | Physical Therapy Near Weingarten

What Types of MCL Injuries Are There?

In general, an MCL injury is either 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. 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 MCL has been torn. It’s typically a mild injury, and your knee largely remains stable. You will likely experience some tenderness and mild pain.
Grade 2 — This is more significant tearing, most commonly to the middle layer of the MCL. Your knee will be slightly unstable, and the knee will likely be loose when manipulated manually. Symptoms of a grade 2 MCL injury generally include much more noticeable pain.
Grade 3 — A grade 3 tear is a complete tear, or separation from the bone. You will retain little to no stability. You will likely feel significant pain and a wide array of symptoms. The injury may actually caused by or accompanied by other serious knee injuries such as ACL tears.

However significant your MCL injuries, our expert Weingarten, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes can, along with your doctor, create an extensive and customized plan to get you back to the activities your love most without incurring further injury.

MCL Injuries: Causes and Symptoms

40% of all knee injuries involve damage to the MCL, LCL, ACL, or PCL, 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 by the knee rotating too forcefully. They can also occur because of landing or unnatural bending, such as if your foot stays in one place 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 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 MCL injuries are accompanied by sudden, noticeable pain. Other symptoms may include:

Hearing or feeling a popping noise or feeling
Feeling like the may give out
Pain or discomfort when trying to bear weight
Bruising
Tenderness where the MCL is located
Inflammation, either where the MCL is located or the whole knee

Sometimes you may feel like your knee is “shaky”, while other times you’ll barely be able to move the knee. If you suspect you may have suffered an MCL injury, do not participate in any more strenuous activity and seek medical treatment for a diagnosis.

Diagnosis and Treatment of an MCL Injury in Weingarten, MO

MCL injuries are diagnosed in a physical examination. In the examination, your Weingarten, 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 gently see if your knee is unstanble while bending inward, and your pain level.

Most physical therapists or doctors with knowledge of movement health in Weingarten, 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 take 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, 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

You can also schedule and appointment with 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 law requires a prescription in order to officially begin physical therapy treatment.

How MCL Injuries are Treated in Weingarten, MO

Typically, treating an MCL injury begins with 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 some time spent resting may be sufficient for your body to heal itself.

Professional physical therapy is needed for grade 2 and 3 injuries to restore strength and function and get you 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 Weingarten, MO will be able to fit you for a knee brace in order to prevent your knee from becoming more instable 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 performed by using a graft, either from one of your other ligaments or from another person, to reconstruct the MCL. The surgery is an outpatient procedure. If your doctor thinks surgery is necessary, our physical therapists are experts at pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation get you the best possible results from your surgery.

How Do Physical Therapists in Weingarten, MO Treat MCL Injuries?

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 joint, 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, light motions performed 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 a stationary bike
Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, which studies show can accelerate knee ligament healing
Kinesio Taping®, which provides further stability while your body heals 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 loads
Athletic training and sports therapy for those whose main goal is to get back onto the court or field

At Axes Physical Therapy in Weingarten, MO, all of our treatment plans are designed individually to each patient, proven through peer-reviewed research, and created alongside 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 Weingarten, MO include:

MCL Injury Weingarten, MO | Athletic Training | Sports Training | Physical Therapy Near Weingarten

Schedule an Appointment With an Axes Physical Therapist in Weingarten, MO for Your MCL Injury

An MCL injury can be painful and frightening, 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 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 how the knee works so you can stay as healthy and active as possible. For meaningful and lasting recovery from your MCL injury in Weingarten, MO, call the location nearest you and request an appointment online.