Why Waiting to Get Help From Our Physical Therapists Is a Mistake
How long should soreness last, or why doesn’t it seem to disappear completely? How can you tell if you have an injury and should have someone look at it? At Maximum Rehabilitation Services at Chicago, and Evergreen Park, IL, and Munster, IN, we are experts at treating musculoskeletal injuries/conditions and can assess 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 for 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 in Chicago, and Evergreen Park, IL, and Munster, IN, our physical 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 relief once and for all!
How to know when it’s time 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.
You can follow some general guidelines for when to seek help with your musculoskeletal problems. For example, healing generally takes four to six weeks. Some conditions take longer, but injuries that fail to heal within this timeframe must be evaluated.
If your symptoms don’t have a specific event, have plateaued, or seem to be getting worse, the following guidelines can help:
- Duration of Pain: Pain with no known cause and lasts more than 10-14 days should be assessed. Although many people use pain intensity 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 localized and seems to grow, seek help sooner than later!
- Pain is affecting mobility: Pain that interferes with your ability to move (i.e., turn your neck, straighten your back, bend your knee, etc.) often means seeking help early on will lead to improvements and even resolution of the pain.
- Changes to your gait: If your pain makes you limp when walking or avoid using the injured area with daily function, an assessment is vital to your recovery. Limping can create new aches and pains, and if the condition makes weight-bearing impossible, an injury is likely to need to be addressed.
- 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 have an injury with swelling that remains or is getting worse, it is imperative to get an assessment. Often there are simple solutions to improve the node, but other times it is an indication of your condition worsening or a new injury altogether. Either way, an assessment is needed.
- Dizziness and changes to balance: There are times when your inner ear is causing vertigo, and a physical therapist can help you resolve the condition quickly. Often, the solution is simple, but it indicates something more severe, and waiting could be catastrophic for others. For others, balance and/or dizziness are more gradual and seem to come and go. No matter what, these issues need to be assessed.
Although many musculoskeletal disorders and injuries can be addressed by physical 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:
- Head trauma/concussion (i.e., from a fall, sports injury, and/or accident)
- Bruising and swelling immediately within minutes of injury (often means there is a fracture)
- Unable to bear weight on injured leg (may indicate a fracture)
- 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. At Maximum Rehabilitation Services, our physical 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 physical 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 physical therapy team will prescribe you exercises, including mobility work, strengthening, balance and gait activities, and any other intervention to help you resume your normal routines pain-free.
Don’t hesitate to get your aches and pains assessed; call Maximum Rehabilitation Services in Chicago, and Evergreen Park, IL, and Munster, IN today!