How diagnostics can help aid injury recovery
Christopher Worthington considers when to seek medical advice for an injury.
Injuries of any kind are a severe inconvenience, even beyond any pain and discomfort they may cause. Broken bones or cuts are easily treated with a hospital visit. What appears to be relatively minor strains or sprains can also leave us not functioning at our best for months on end, especially if we are not in a position where we can take the time out to rest and recover properly.
Muscle strains are not only the preserve of sportsmen and women. Any one of us can pick up pulls and tears. Everyone is familiar with the dangers of lifting heavy objects without taking care, but repetitive movements can also cause strains if adequate breaks are not accepted. You do not even have to be particularly active. A severe bout of coughing can leave you with strained muscles that will hurt long beyond you, getting rid of any virus!
Most muscular strains and sprains recover after a week or so of proper rest, regular doses of NSAIDs like ibuprofen, and the application of heat and ice packs. Minor injuries are easy to treat at home; even grazes and cuts that do not need stitches are unlikely to require a GP or hospital visit. However, if the injury is more severe or persistent, it could be time to visit a doctor to discuss further treatment.
Muscular injuries sometimes go beyond a simple pull that recovers in a few days. Muscles can tear, and there can be significant damage to the tissue that may even require surgery to recover. If the area hurts even when at rest, and you cannot use the affected muscle, it is time to seek further advice on recovering from the injury.
Knowing where to go can be difficult, especially if the injury is causing you to miss work or makes you unable to go about even the most mundane aspects of your daily life, such as housework or essential shopping. It is unlikely that your GP will be able to get you seen by a specialist as quickly as you wish. A more significant injury that might require rehabilitation or surgical repair could put you at risk of making a full recovery.
Under those circumstances, you should visit The Winslow Hospital, where we can see you more quickly and at a time that suits you. Although the severity of a muscular injury can usually be determined with a simple physical examination, you also have the reassurance of immediate access to MRI or CT scans if your specialist does think the injury is more serious.
Medical prevention is better than cure. Once you are well on your way to recovery, ask your practitioner about which stretches and exercises you can do to prevent another severe injury in the future.
Page Reference
If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:
- WORTHINGTON, C. (2016) How diagnostics can help aid injury recovery [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article216.htm [Accessed 15/5/2025]
About the Author
Christopher Worthington is an experienced medical writer with several years of experience covering sports injury topics. Christopher has written for various hospital websites and contributed to health blogs.
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