Everyone is likely to sustain an injury of some kind at one time or another in their lives, with knee injuries being one of the most common. While anyone can sustain an injury to the lower extremity joint, knee injuries account for more than 40% of all sports injuries, with many being ligament injuries.
If you injure your knee ligaments, whether it be a mild sprain or a complete tear, you’re likely to experience pain, tenderness and reduced range of motion. But what actually causes a knee ligament injury? Read on to learn about possible reasons.
5 ways that you can sustain an injury to your knee ligament
Ligaments in your knee are tissue that connect your bones and keep your joints stable during movement. There are four major ligaments that help your knee properly function:
- Anterior cruciate ligament
- Posterior cruciate ligament
- Medial collateral ligament
- Lateral collateral ligament
While it’s possible to injure any of these ligaments, it’s most common in the ACL. The severity and location of the injury can depend on the cause. Here are five possible causes of injuries to the knee ligament:
- Direct blow — A traumatic blow to your knee is a common cause of a knee ligament injury. Direct impact to a ligament can occur from a car accident or while playing contact sports, such as football or hockey.
- Sudden twisting movements.— When people say they “twisted” their knee, it usually refers to a ligament sprain. A sudden twisting movement means that your foot is firmly planted but you pivot quickly, causing the knee to go in the opposite direction.
- Awkward landing — If you land wrong on your feet after a jump or walking down stairs, you may injure your knee ligaments because they can become overstretched or torn from the imbalanced force.
- Overuse — We use our knees much more on a daily basis than we likely realize, and the ligaments can sustain an injury due to overuse. Overuse usually refers to repetitive movements that put stress on the tissue, such as repeatedly jumping.
- Excessive force — If you put too much pressure on your knee ligaments, you can cause one of them to tear. Excessive force can come from suddenly stopping while running or placing too much pressure on the front of your knee while it’s in a bent position.
Border Therapy Services can help you recover from your knee ligament injury
Whether you landed awkwardly after shooting a basketball or you were in a car accident that impacted your knee, every cause of a knee ligament injury can be painful and reduce your mobility. At Border Therapy Services, we can help reduce your pain, improve the function of your knee and accelerate the recovery process with a personalized treatment plan.
Call us or request an appointment today if you have a knee ligament injury.