To Seek Or Not To Seek Medical Attention

Whether you have pain in a new area or have been living with pain for a while, it’s sometimes hard to determine whether you should seek medical attention.

Perhaps it’s just soreness from working the muscles, you think.

Or, it’s just a dull ache – it’ll go away.

However, even a small ache could turn into a bigger problem and even a debilitating injury if it’s not seen right away.

So how do you know whether to seek medical attention for pain and when?

You should always seek medical attention for any kind of pain and right away, say most physical therapists.

If you’re concerned about pain, get it checked out.

“If an athlete or the general population is concerned about pain or an injury that they suffered they should be evaluated right away,” says Kyle McCuskey, a certified athletic trainer at OSR.

Kyle McCuskey, a certified athletic trainer at OSR Physical Therapy.

Physical therapy can help all kinds of pain – from traumatic injuries to lifelong chronic pain. Not only can a strong, individualized physical therapy program help you recover from any injury, but the goal is to always get you back to doing what you like to do – pain-free.

“The biggest benefit of physical therapy is improving quality of life and daily function. That’s the important thing and that’s what I keep in the back of my mind when I’m working with a patient,” says Matt Gannott, an OSR physical therapist that specializes in the spine.

For physical therapists, it’s never too early and you can never go wrong with getting your pain or injury evaluated. In fact, the longer you wait to get checked out, the harder it is to make an accurate diagnosis and start an effective treatment program.

The longer you wait, the longer rehabilitation may take.

Even if you think your pain is manageable or not serious enough, you should still seek medical attention. The result of waiting longer means possibly making the pain worse or it could lead to a more serious and debilitating injury. Rehabilitation could also take longer as it becomes harder to diagnose the problem the longer you wait.  

“It’s harder to determine what’s going on when a patient doesn’t come in right away,” says Gannott. “It’s more challenging to take steps backwards to determine the exact cause of the pain.”

However, even if you’ve had pain for a while that hasn’t been assessed, it doesn’t mean a full recovery is out of reach. With a strong physical therapy program that has been individualized for you, focusing on the causes of your pain, you’ll be on the road to recovery.

A consultation from a physical therapist is the first step to living pain free.

Having your pain assessed by a physical therapist or certified athletic trainer will help you get back to doing the activities you like to do. Setting up a consultation is the first step and OSR offers free consultations for anyone who is in pain and may need physical therapy.

Contact us today to set up a free consultation with one of our certified athletic trainers so that they can get you on an individualized physical therapy program designed specifically for you.