When Should You See A Doctor?

This week we are going to give you our advice on an often dreaded question:

When Should A Niggle Become Visit to The Doctor?

Knowing exactly when to see a doctor when being affected by a minor sports injury is like asking “how long is piece of string?” Obviously, it depends on the string. It is a common question asked in our field as many players have niggling pains and aches but notice that often they go away on their own. When should you go and see someone?

 There is a general key we have created to help you decide when you should visit a doctor or specialist because ultimately it is up to you. But don’t worry, we aren’t copping out – we are going to guide you through a self-diagnosis soon. But firstly, due to the nature of sports injuries we cannot all diagnose over the internet for two reasons:

i)                 Everyone heals differently

ii)               Injuries vary in severity

It is therefore difficult to determine when the ideal time is to visit a doctor without knowing more. Of course, if you have recently suffered from a sport related injury and cannot see a physician, remember the PRICE procedure we discussed earlier this month (click here to learn more).

The first question you need to ask yourself is: is this injury preventing me from functioning? Generally, if your pain isn’t bad enough to shut you down completely but still preventing you from performing at your peak day-to-day then you should see your physician. This makes it difficult to time stamp when is most appropriate as it depends on your circumstances. A bricklayer who sustained a painful blow to shoulder while playing American football will want to be seeing a physician almost immediately as it would affect his capability to function day-to-day. An office clerk may on the other hand want to wait it out as it doesn’t affect their functionality.

Secondly, and this response is mostly applicable to sportspeople, are you doing what want to do as well as you could be doing it? That is, if you have a niggle that is preventing you from functioning at your highest potential level – then you should get it seen by a physician or doctor. A slight pain in the shoulder can be ignored by most people and left to heal by itself; however, a slight pain in the shoulder for a pitcher or quarterback can diminish their performance week-in and week-out. It is also at a higher risk of deteriorating as you are using the joint more frequently and more intensely. If this is you, get it checked out!

If you have suffered from anything mentioned above and believe you could benefit from a rehab plan or require medical attention, please contact us at Mount Sinai Department of Rehabilitative Medicine for a bespoke rehab plan. We’ll get you back on the field ASAP. Contact our switchboard at (212) 241-6321