MCL Injury

An MCL Injury is not only painful, but can have lasting consequences for your mobility if not treated properly. Often this kind of joint injury occurs during sports. If something collides with the inside part of your knee, your MCL, or medial collateral ligament, may be injured. Below we’ll talk more about what that means for you, treatment steps, and the road to recovery.

What is your MCL? 

Your medial collateral ligament (MCL), is a band of tissue that runs along the inner edge of your knee joint. It connects your thigh and shin bones and ensures your knees are kept stable as you move. If your MCL is damaged or torn, your knee may bend incorrectly or over-extend itself.

What are the symptoms of an MCL injury?

The most common symptom of an MCL injury is pain. Patients often hear a popping noise when the injury occurs, and then struggle to put pressure or walk on the leg with the injured knee. Even if it doesn’t hurt to walk on it, you may feel unbalanced or unstable, or your knee may wobble when you move. 

To ensure an accurate diagnosis, your physician will likely perform an MRI or X-ray to determine the extent of your MCL injury, following an initial physical examination.

Treatment Options

Joint injuries like those to your MCL can be very painful. While smaller sprains should heal on their own, with plenty of rest and ice, other, more severe injuries may require physical therapy once your pain begins to fade. Physical therapy will help you strengthen your leg muscles so your knee can work properly. 

While it isn’t common for an MCL injury to require surgery, depending on the injury and damage to your knee, it may be necessary.

Recovery

Especially if you’re an athlete, you may be wondering how long an MCL injury will keep you away from sports. Always follow the recommendation of your doctor, but typically, mild sprains heal within a few weeks, though you may have to wear a support bandage or brace once you’re active again.

Joint and Extremity Injury Treatment at Minivasive Pain

At Minivasive Pain, our mission is to treat the causes of your pain with the highest standards of care and quality. Using minimally-invasive techniques to ensure maximum results and a speedy recovery, we’ll help you with your MCL injury and get you back to the joys of life in no time. Plus, we have several locations throughout the Greater Houston Area for your convenience. To schedule an appointment, please call (346) 800-6001 now.