Injuries are not created equal. When you think about the types of issues that might bring an individual into contact with a sports medicine or spine specialist, you might picture sudden injuries that pop up without warning. But this is just one type of bodily harm that might affect you.
A new report delves into the various ways to categorize an injury, and you need to be aware of each of them. That way, you’ll be able to respond appropriately and protect your body from some of the more serious problems that might result if an injury is neglected.
The first thing that the author brings up are those injuries that are somewhat seasonal in nature. This week, we at DISC actually issued a press release focused on the ways that a person’s arthritic joints can be a predictor of upcoming weather patterns. That phenomenon hinges on the fact that changes in barometric pressure can lead to the expansion of joint fluids, which will manifest in a person feeling an achy pain that essentially notifies them that the weather will be changing.
This is just one of the injuries that could be deemed seasonal. We also recently spent some time pointing out how the spring leads to an uptick in injuries due to the mere fact that persons are pushing themselves more than they’re accustomed to. They’re conducting yard work, cleaning up the house, and running outdoors for the first time in months. All of these activities place strain on the body, and if one doesn’t take injury prevention seriously, what starts as minor wear can progress to a serious issue. With all exercise, whether it’s a trip to the gym or dusting high shelves, one must stretch and otherwise prep their body for the activity.
The other types of injuries that must be understood are those that are acute and those that are chronic. Acute is what most people think of when they picture a sports medicine injury. You’re going about a workout when something pops. A bone breaks, an ankle twists, etc. This injury can happen without warning, but it can also be the result of misguided exercise that caught up with an individual.
This is different from a chronic injury, which lasts for awhile and proves a little harder to pinpoint. One must understand the connection between these two. What often seems like an acute injury can be the result of a person ignoring a dull, chronic pain for weeks and months until that portion of the body eventually gives out. You may ignore the pain to the point where surgery will be required to overcome the damage, and the longer you wait, the lengthier the recover time will typically be. Spinal fusion recovery time, for instance, can take longer if you insist on delaying a professional evaluation.
No matter how you get hurt, don’t hesitate to seek out help from a professional who can get the issue taken care of as soon as possible.
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