Have you ever hurt yourself and thought, ‘I’m sure it will be ok in a few days’.
Or maybe you have said, ‘I’ll just see how it goes’.
Then days go by and you are either getting worse or just not getting any better. Before you know it, days, weeks or months have passed and you still haven’t attended to your injury.
What do you do next? That’s the time to pick up the phone and make an appointment with your health professional or Physiotherapist. At Power Physiotherapy we advise starting treatment on day one of any pain or injury.
So, what are the benefits of starting treatment straight away?
1. The longer you leave an ache, a pain or an injury, the longer it will take to get better.
Why? Joint stiffness or muscle tightness can begin to develop over time which impacts on recovery. You might start to avoid certain movements altogether or change the way you move or function causing secondary problems. By starting treatment early, many of these changes or secondary problems can be minimised or prevented.
2. Pain relief can start straight away.
How? At Power Physiotherapy we can help you manage your pain in the clinic with different methods and techniques, plus we can advise you on self-care at home. We can advise you on whether to use heat or ice, take medication, apply creams, apply taping or braces, use of walking aids, as well as what movements or exercises to do or not to do. Early pain relief may assist early recovery.
3. We can provide you with an early diagnosis on your pain or injury.
How? The experienced physiotherapists at Power Physiotherapy will do a thorough subjective and objective examination and provide you with an immediate diagnosis. This will help guide you in the right direction towards your recovery. It’s important to know what is going on with your body for a number of reasons: firstly, to put your mind at ease and reassure you and secondly to provide you with realistic expectations on how long your recovery might be.
4. We can help you prevent further injury to your body.
How? At Power Physiotherapy, education and advice is an important component of the holistic care that we provide. We will provide you with advice on what you can and can’t do at various stages of your injury. In addition, we will give you strategies to help you now in your recovery as well as in the future so that it doesn’t happen again. Understanding the self-care of your body is vital in injury prevention.
5. We will get you back on your feet, or doing the things you love in life faster.
How? We will create a treatment management plan for your specific needs. Part of this plan will involve creating an exercise programme for you, focussing on improved mobility and day to day function. We will teach you what exercises you can start immediately, then progress you into the future with a graduated regime of exercises and movements. Ultimately full restoration of movement, strength, power, and function in all aspects of life are our goals for you.
So, whether you have woken up with a stiff neck or back, sat too long at work, fallen over at the park while walking the dog, or sprained your ankle and sustained a sporting injury, we recommend seeking treatment on day one. In addition, anyone sustaining an injury during a motor vehicle accident or work accident should always see their doctor first as soon as possible to eliminate any serious injuries such as fractures.
At Power Physiotherapy, we have often seen people who have not attended to their injuries, aches or pains promptly and have continued to suffer for months. This is a situation that could have been avoided with early diagnosis and physiotherapy intervention.
We encourage you to look after yourself and seek professional help as soon as possible after any injury, pain or discomfort. Let’s get you back to your best in work, home life and leisure.
