When Should You Actually See a Physiotherapist?
Aches and pains are part of life. Sometimes you know exactly where they came from. Other times, your knee starts hurting, your back keeps complaining or an old injury suddenly makes itself known again.
So, when is it something you can give a little time, and when should you actually see a physiotherapist?
It’s easy to assume physiotherapy is only for a significant injury, after an operation or when pain has become bad enough to stop you doing something completely.
In reality, people see physiotherapists for all sorts of reasons, including problems that have gradually developed or simply keep coming back.
Here are some of the questions worth asking if you’re wondering whether it’s time to get something checked.
“Should I just rest it?”
When something hurts, stopping the activity that aggravates it can seem like the obvious answer.
Sometimes a short period of reducing or changing an activity can be useful. But repeatedly resting every time the same problem appears doesn’t necessarily address why it keeps happening.
Pay attention to patterns.
If your knee hurts every time you run, your back repeatedly flares up after sitting at work or your shoulder complains whenever you return to the gym, the recurring pattern itself can be useful information.
A physiotherapy assessment can look beyond where it hurts and consider factors such as your movement, strength, mobility and the demands you’re placing on your body.
The aim is to understand what may be contributing to the problem and what can be done to help you move forward.
“How long should I wait before getting it checked?”
There isn’t one set amount of time that applies to every ache, pain or injury.
Some problems settle relatively quickly, while others need more attention.
Rather than watching the calendar, pay attention to what is happening.
Is the pain improving, staying the same or getting worse? Does it disappear and then return whenever you do a particular activity? Are you starting to change how you move because of it?
Is it preventing you from exercising, working, sleeping comfortably or doing something you enjoy?
If a problem isn’t settling, keeps returning or is beginning to affect everyday life, it may be worth having it assessed rather than continuing to work around it.
“But I didn’t actually injure myself…”
Not every problem starts with a dramatic injury.
There isn’t always a fall, tackle, awkward movement or memorable moment when something suddenly went wrong.
Some symptoms develop gradually. You might first notice discomfort after a long day at work, while walking, when exercising or during an everyday movement you’ve done hundreds of times before.
That doesn’t make the symptoms any less real or mean you need to wait for them to become significantly worse before asking for advice.
Physiotherapy isn’t only about acute sports injuries.
It can also help assess musculoskeletal problems affecting your muscles, joints and movement.
“It’s not that bad. Do I really need physiotherapy?”
Pain doesn’t have to be severe to be frustrating.
Perhaps you can still do everything you normally do, but your knee aches afterwards. Maybe your shoulder is fine until you reach a certain position.
Your back might only flare up occasionally, or an old injury might have started making you think twice about certain activities.
It’s common to adapt without really noticing it.
Have you quietly started working around the problem?
You stop taking a particular route on your walk. You avoid an exercise at the gym. You use the other arm to lift something. You stop joining in with an activity because you’re worried about aggravating an old problem.
If pain is changing what you do, even in small ways, understanding what’s behind it can be useful.
“What will a physiotherapist actually do?”
Your physiotherapist won’t simply look at the painful area and hand you a sheet of exercises.
An assessment gives you the opportunity to talk through what you’ve been experiencing, when it happens and how it is affecting you.
Your physiotherapist can then assess relevant areas such as your movement, mobility and strength to build a clearer picture of what may be contributing to your symptoms.
Treatment will depend on the individual and the problem being assessed. This may include hands-on physiotherapy techniques, rehabilitation exercises and advice around movement and activity.
Most importantly, the plan should relate to you.
For one person, the goal might be returning to competitive sport. For somebody else, it could be getting through a working day comfortably, walking the dog, going to the gym or simply being able to move without constantly thinking about the problem.
When should you seek medical advice instead?
Physiotherapy can help with many musculoskeletal problems, but it isn’t always the appropriate first step.
New or unexplained severe symptoms, significant trauma, feeling generally unwell alongside pain, or symptoms that cause you concern may require assessment by a GP, NHS 111 or another appropriate healthcare professional.
If you’re unsure whether physiotherapy is suitable for your particular problem, you can also speak to the Elite Therapy team before booking.
You don’t have to wait until you can’t do something
One of the biggest misconceptions about physiotherapy is that you have to be seriously injured before you can benefit from an assessment.
You don’t.
If you’ve got an ache that isn’t settling, an injury that keeps returning or pain that is beginning to affect the things you want to do, getting some advice can help you understand what’s happening and what your next steps could be.
At Elite Therapy in Coventry, our physiotherapists work with people with a wide range of musculoskeletal problems, from everyday aches and pains to sports injuries and rehabilitation.
If something has been bothering you, get in touch with the Elite Therapy team to find out whether a physiotherapy assessment could help.