Sports injuries often feel like an inevitable part of an active lifestyle, and it can be tempting to struggle through any pain until you return to normal. Although some sports injuries will heal naturally without intervention, this isn’t guaranteed.
In some cases, sports injuries benefit from physiotherapy to help prevent them from worsening or turning into long-term problems.
What are the signs that your sports injury needs professional help? As well as explaining what we mean by sports injuries, you’ll also find six red flags to look out for below.
Common types of minor sports injuries
In a recent article, we outlined some of the most common sports injuries, which include sprains, strains, muscle soreness, and tears.
Minor sports injuries can often be managed successfully at home with rest, compression, and over-the-counter pain medications, such as paracetamol (an ice cold compress is no longer recommended for soft tissue injuries).
The human body typically needs two or three days to heal and reduce any inflammation after a soft tissue injury before giving a better sense of whether the injury might need further support.
A good rule of thumb is that if you still have a pain or symptom related to a sports injury after a week, it is probably time to get professional advice about your recovery.
Warning signs that an injury needs physiotherapy
Sign #1 – Persistent pain
If the pain of your sports injury lasts more than a few days or worsens with movement, then we’d recommend speaking to a physiotherapist. This also applies if you’ve been experiencing severe pain for three or more days, or if pain suddenly appears in a new area.
Sign #2 – Limited range of motion
If you have difficulty moving the affected area or your movement is restricted, you may need to seek advice, even if you aren’t experiencing any pain. A physiotherapist will be able to assess your movement to understand more about the nature of the injury and the appropriate treatment.
Sign #3 – Swelling that won’t go down
Some swelling is to be expected after many common sports injuries. In fact, the acute swelling that happens in the 24 hours after you injure yourself can actually be a good thing. It’s a sign of increased blood flow to the injured area – the first step towards healing – and can prevent you from moving the injured tissue for a while, thereby reducing the risk of making the injury worse.
Where swelling becomes more problematic is if it won’t go down despite rest and basic treatment. In this case, swelling can damage the muscles in the injured area. A physiotherapist can assess prolonged swelling and take steps to reduce it.
Sign #4 – Bruising, numbness, or tingling
If you experience visible bruising, loss of sensation (numbness) or tingling that doesn’t improve, it’s important to seek professional advice.
Bruising will often change shades and can take up to two weeks to disappear, but persistent bruising that doesn’t seem to be getting any better can be a sign of an underlying issue such as a fracture, low platelets or a blood-clotting disorder.
Numbness or tingling can indicate that some nerves have been compressed or damaged because of your injury. You should always get this checked for peace of mind.
Sign #5 – Joint instability
If your sports injury has left you feeling like a joint might “give way” or buckle during activity, then it’s advisable to seek advice from a sports physiotherapist.
Joint instability usually occurs when there’s damage to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments around the joint, meaning that they can no longer hold the bones in the correct alignment. This can leave you vulnerable to further injury, which is why professional support is so vital.
Sign #6 – Recurring pain
If you’ve had a sports injury that seemed to have healed, but you find that the pain frequently returns, especially during physical activity, then you would probably benefit from seeing a physiotherapist.
It could be that the injury hasn’t fully healed and that you need a longer or more targeted plan for recovery. In some cases, recurring pain is due to factors such as how you move, technique, or muscle weakness.
A physiotherapist will have the knowledge, skills, and practical tools to assess your movement and identify why you are experiencing recurring pain, as well as how to best resolve it.
Why seek physiotherapy early?
With many sports injuries, there’s a delicate balance between giving your body time to do some initial healing and seeking physiotherapy as early as possible.
If you ignore the warning signs above, you may risk problems such as chronic pain or long-term damage, so it’s always better to err on the side of caution. The best-case scenario is that the physiotherapist will reassure you that you are healing well and will be back to your usual activities soon!
However, if your injury would benefit from some help to heal, it’s better to know. A physiotherapist is the ideal person to assess and diagnose an injury and to create a personalised recovery plan.
Specialised sports physiotherapy is proven to help speed up recovery, reduce pain, and prevent future injuries.
Sports injuries that should always be assessed by a physiotherapist
In this article, we’ve been talking about minor sports injuries. You should seek immediate medical advice about injuries such as ACL tears, dislocations, fractures, or severe muscle tears as they may need more extensive physiotherapy support.
Peace of mind
After a sports injury, we know that you will be keen to get back to your favourite activities. The key is to listen to your body and pay attention to any red flags that indicate you might need more help to recover. If in doubt, always seek professional advice.
Worried about a sports injury? Our experienced team are here to help. Contact Physio Box today to arrange a consultation.
