For the serious athlete, anytime you have an injury you would be wise to get a medical evaluation to make sure it will not impact your physical activity. The sooner the injury is looked at and treated, the faster it will heal properly and cause less issues in the future.
But if you are unsure about your particular situation, here is a good guide to let you know if you should seek medical advice.
Swelling and inflammation: After an injury the area that was damaged will have excess fluid accumulate in the tissue. This a natural response to an injury and icing the area usually helps. However, if swelling lasts for more than 2 weeks, the tissue may be damaged more than you think and you should get it evaluated.
Motion of joint injured: At our office we always assess motion within an injured joint. If you have difficulty moving area of your body due to pain, it is likely a soft tissue or nerve problem. If you have an issue moving because it just feels stuck, it is likely an alignment or tracking problem that needs correction.
Weight bearing: If you cannot put weight on the painful site, it is important to get it assessed right away.
Onset of injury: There are three types of injuries we commonly see in our office.
- Injuries that occur from a specific trauma, such as a fall or hit are easy to diagnosis. The sooner they are treated the better the results.
- Pain that comes on gradually and slowly builds up tend to become chronic issues if the athlete ignores it. Often a young athlete can go his or her entire sports career without getting some of these issues treated, but often pays for it as an adult developing arthritis and degeneration much earlier.
- Sudden onset pain with no known cause are of greater concern. If you wake up with pain or have sudden loss of motion in your neck, back, or joints it is recommended you get in for an examination as quickly as possible. Even if the issue resolves quickly, it is likely to resurface time and time again.
Type of pain: If you describe your pain or discomfort as numb, burning or tingling you should have an evaluation at our office as soon as possible. These are all neurological pain descriptors and could become permanent if not addressed.
Associated symptoms: It is important to address any other symptoms you are experiencing digestive upset, pain with deep breathing, headaches, cracking noises in joints, noticeable reduction in flexibility, range of motion, or strength. Sometimes these symptoms are related to issues in your back or neck and you are not even aware they are connected.
Serious symptoms: If you even question that your issue is serious, please seek medical assistance immediately. Some major warning signs include but are not limited to dizziness, lightheaded, blurry or tunnel vision, slurred speech, unclear thinking, and shortness of breath.
At Desired Health Chiropractic we assess biomechanics and neurology of the body so we can find issues before they make things worse. We want our athletes to feel, function, and perform at their best.
Call our office today for a free assessment of what you can do to improve your movement and enhance your athletic ability – 763-205-6192.