If you are an athlete or more specifically, a runner, you are likely to be in need of a particular form of physical therapy at some point of your life. Imagine, you are running on the track and you feel a stabbing pinch in your calf. You have probably torn a muscle. Don’t worry, this isn’t the end of the world. With adequate rest and rehabilitation, you will be back on the track in no time.
This injury had manifested simply and can be dealt with easily too. But there are others, that are a bit more challenging to recover from and trickier to treat. So as a runner, how do you decipher when to pull the plug on a schedule by resting it out and when your body needs a trip to the physical therapist? Below are some tell-tale signs that I saw when I needed the services of a specialist in physical therapy in my hometown of New York City (NYC).
1. There is a bothersome pain that lingers on even after resting
If there is a part of your body that seems to be aching, the best plan of action is complete inaction for a few days. Rest it out, give yourself a break from your schedule and ice the affected area for at least 20 minutes at a stretch during several times in a day. So you have taken some time out to rest and recuperate and have even placed an ice-pack over the afflicted portion of your body, but the pain still keeps niggling on. If this happens, you might want to schedule a visit to a specialist of in physical therapy in NYC.
2. There is an ache that keeps reoccurring
With appropriate rest and icing, most aches and pains tend to subside. But more serious injuries keep recurring and linger on until the root cause of the ache in question is dealt with. A physical therapist usually broaches an ailment by reaching its underlying cause.
3. The pain cannot be controlled with medication
Most aches and pains are part and parcel of being an athlete or living an athletic lifestyle. Those people who are heavily into endurance sports are used to these pains and often resort to over-the-counter pain-relief and anti-inflammatory drugs for relief. If your pain seems to be uncontrolled even with medication, it is time to go see a specialist in physical therapy in NYC.
4. A traumatic event has brought it on
Most injuries such as broken bones and muscles tears have been brought on by one traumatic event that your body has gone through in the recent past. For instance, your ankle could be swollen after you twisted it when you were wearing high heels or you slipped and fell on the small of your back while getting out of the pool. If there is pain after a traumatic event like this, then it is wise to see a physical therapist.
If you think that you need the services of a professional in physical therapy in NYC visit integrativespineandsports.com.
This article was written by James Mathers.
[toggle title=”Featured images”]
[/toggle]
Leave a Reply