Recognizing Acute Musculoskeletal Injuries
At NTO Wellness and Rehab our very own Registered Massage Therapist and Certified Athletic Therapist, Christine Mo would like to share some advice on recognizing acute musculoskeletal injuries in your daily lives, whether you are an athlete planning to run a marathon this weekend or somebody that has difficulty performing day-to-day tasks such as walking to the bus stop and/or lifting heavy groceries.
Christine Mo -HBSc, CAT(C), RMT, ATC, CSCS, CPT
Musculoskeletal injuries are any damage done to the muscles, bones, joints, tendons and other soft tissue. They can be anything ranging from a “Charley Horse” in the calf to a broken bone in the arm. Acute musculoskeletal injuries usually happen following sudden onset of accidents, for example, a slip and fall, a car accident, a hard blow in hockey or a wrongful landing from a jump.
In acute injuries, symptoms of inflammation are often present. Pain, obviously, is one of the most recognizable one. If the pain is so severe that you cannot move or bear weight, do not force the movement. You might have suffered a broken bone or a severe sprain or strain. In this case, stay where you are, and wait for help from a trained emergency care professional.
If you are able to move, bear weight and even walk, it usually means the injury you sustained is not worth a trip to the hospital. However, it does not mean there is no need for care. Although rare, some serious injuries can be hidden, and can only be found out after a thorough assessment by trained healthcare professionals.
Furthermore, trained healthcare professionals are able to provide appropriate treatment to your injury so it heals faster without any compensatory complications.
If you suspect that you may be experiencing musculoskeletal pain of any kind in your day-to-day activity, please do not hesitate to let one of the healthcare professionals or front desk staff know at NTO Wellness and Rehab Centre.
In my next blog I will be introducing the different types of professionals you can see for an acute musculoskeletal injury and the self treatment can be done while you’re looking for your therapist.