Don't Make the Mistake of Waiting Too Long to Get Help

Oct 10, 2023

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Are you wondering how long soreness should last or why it doesn’t seem to disappear completely? Do you wonder how you can tell if you have an injury and should have someone look at it? At Maximum Rehabilitation Services, our occupational therapists are experts at treating musculoskeletal injuries in the upper extremities and can perform an assessment to identify the source of your pain and how to resolve it!

It can be hard to know when an injury or condition will heal on its own and when it’s time to seek help from a medical practitioner. Too often, people are worried about wasting their time or someone else’s and postpone seeking help. Others will wait to get help because their issue is not stopping them from doing things; it’s just “annoying.”

Misinformation and myths about why we hurt can also delay seeking help. Although aging is a normal part of life, chronic pain isn’t. It is common for people to think that if what they tried doesn’t work, nothing will, but most musculoskeletal problems can be improved or resolved fully. The key is getting the right help!

At Maximum Rehabilitation Services, our occupational therapists are highly skilled at identifying the root problem and providing clear guidance on how to resolve it.

Request an appointment today and set up an assessment to find the relief you’ve been looking for!

How can you know when to seek help for aches and pains?

Too many people keep waiting to seek help for a nagging problem, making the condition more difficult to treat or creating a new condition due to compensations and changes in movement strategies.

Routine healing generally takes four to six weeks in healthy kids and young adults. Older people tend to need more time, and people with other health conditions (i.e., diabetes, heart disease, and/or autoimmune diseases, etc.) can also have delayed healing. Fortunately, you can follow some general guidelines to know when to seek help with your musculoskeletal problems.

Even though some conditions take longer to heal, most heal in a reasonable period of time. When injuries fail to heal within this timeframe, it is critical to your well-being that you seek help and get evaluated.

There are some telltale signs you need guidance from an expert. For example, if your symptoms don’t have a specific event, have plateaued, or seem to be getting worse, it would be wise to get help. The following situations can serve as guidelines to help you know when an evaluation is appropriate:

Duration of Pain: Pain with no known cause and lasts more than 10-14 days should be assessed. Although many people use their intensity of pain as a guide for seeking help, the duration of pain is more reliable. Pain that increases and stays increased is more likely to signify that you need an assessment.

Size of pain is growing: Localized pain typically pinpoints the source of the problem. Pain can refer to areas of the body that are not the actual source of the pain. Typically, the further away the referral, the worse the condition gets. If your pain starts more localized and seems to grow, seek help sooner than later!

Pain affects mobility: Pain that interferes with your ability to move (i.e., moving your shoulder, bending your elbow, making a fist, etc.) often means seeking help early on will lead to improvements and even resolution of the pain.

Swelling of unknown origin: Swelling is not normal. Typically swelling is a sign of injury or disease and warrants an evaluation to identify where the problem is coming from. In addition, if you had an injury with swelling and the swelling remains or is getting worse, it is imperative to get an assessment. Often there are simple solutions to improve the swelling, but other times it is an indication of your condition worsening or a new injury altogether. Either way, an assessment is needed.

Although many musculoskeletal disorders and injuries can be addressed by occupational therapy, other signs and symptoms require immediate medical attention (i.e., urgent care, emergency room, or family physician consultation). The condition that requires immediate intervention include:

Bruising and swelling immediately within minutes of injury (often means there is a fracture)
Noticeable deformity or break in the bone
Unable to use arm (may mean muscle/tendon rupture or fracture)
Extreme pain
Loss of strength (inability to move or lift a limb)
Excessive or uncontrolled bleeding

It is essential to seek help sooner than later to ensure a full recovery. Our Maximum Rehabilitation Services therapists are experts at assessing and treating your injuries and can make sure you know what to do to get the results you are looking for!

Request an appointment at Maximum Rehabilitation Services today!

Our occupational therapists will perform a comprehensive evaluation to determine what may be causing you pain and dysfunction. You will then be prescribed a personalized exercise routine that aligns with your goals.

Your therapist can perform manual therapy or pain-relieving techniques to ensure your exercise experience will be as painless as possible. Our skilled therapy team will prescribe you exercises, including mobility work, strengthening, custom splint and bracing, and any other intervention to help you resume your normal pain-free routines.

Don’t hesitate to get your aches and pains looked at; contact Maximum Rehabilitation Services today!

Don’t Make the Mistake of Waiting Too Long to Get Help