Your body is full of ligaments, the fibrous tissue that holds joints together. These ligaments are susceptible to injury, especially during intense physical activity like playing sports. When a ligament is torn, it’s called a sprain. The medial collateral ligament, or the MCL, is a ligament in the knee that is often injured by athletes.
If you experienced immediate pain in the knee following a sports injury, then there are a few signs to look out for to determine if you sprained your MCL. If you think that you injured your knee while playing sports, then physical therapy is your next step toward getting back in the game.
What are the symptoms of an MCL sprain?
These are some of the most common symptoms that accompany an MCL sprain:
- Popping noise upon impact / during injury.
- Immediate pain around the knee.
- Tenderness around the knee.
- Swelling of the knee joint.
- Inability to put weight on the knee.
- Knee weakness / decreased stability.
You may be experiencing a different combination of these symptoms depending on the severity of your MCL sprain. That’s why there is an MCL injury grading system to determine how badly the ligament has been damaged.
MCL injuries grading system
There are three different grades of MCL injuries, which increase in severity:
- Grade 1 — This MCL injury is the least severe. It occurs when there is an overstretching of the ligament or a minor sprain. The pain accompanying a grade 1 injury is usually mild.
- Grade 2 — This MCL injury includes partial tears of the ligament. The accompanying symptoms usually include increased acute pain. There is also usually swelling and some knee instability.
- Grade 3 — This injury refers to complete tears of the MCL ligament. Grade 3 injuries usually include significant pain. There will also be swelling and increased instability of the knee joint.
Do you think you’re experiencing a minor or a severe MCL sprain? Physical therapy is an important step in rehabilitating your knee.
Panther Physical Therapy is ready to help you recover from an MCL sprain
Whether you’re an athlete or not, we all depend on our knees to get us through the day. A sprained knee can take weeks to heal, but our expert team at Panther Physical Therapy can help you reduce the pain and discomfort caused by your knee injury. We are prepared to build you a personalized treatment plan to address the severity of your sprain, and to help manage your symptoms.
Contact our team today for more information about how we can treat your MCL sprain or to schedule an initial appointment.