Soft tissue injuries, such as damage to muscles, tendons, or ligaments, follow an established healing process. The first stage of healing is called the “acute inflammatory phase” and usually lasts 48 to 72 hours. During this phase of the injury, you are likely to experience acute pain, swelling, redness, and warmth. During this healing phase, the best thing you can do is rest.
You really want to reduce swelling during this phase, as this may reduce the duration of recovery. When this phase is over, physical therapists can begin to strengthen, stretch, massage, and help you get back to normal. Because of this, leave 2-3 days after the initial injury before seeing the doctor work in your best interest. However, if you are ever concerned about the seriousness of the injury, of course, go to the physical therapist or medical professional for their opinion and, if appropriate, they will send you for further explorations or treatment.
Yes, you can see a physical therapist at any time. He has a sharp pain in his heel. Consider physical therapy if you have an injury or chronic pain that affects your daily functioning. Your doctor may refer you to physical therapy after surgery, such as a hip replacement, or an event such as a heart attack or stroke.
If you plan to use health insurance to help cover the cost of physical therapy, remember to visit your insurance company's website to make sure the physical therapist is covered. If the physical therapist isn't covered by that insurance company, you won't be able to use your benefits and you'll have to pay the full cost of treatment. When you suffer an injury, the pain is expected to last as long as the healing process lasts. In minor cases, such as an ankle sprain, the pain may take up to a few weeks.
However, in some cases, pain may come back and become persistent for a long period of time. Pain that continues to recur can often become chronic, and typical examples are low back pain and neck pain. In such cases, you should seek the help of a physiotherapist. In most other scenarios, seeing a physical therapist first is best for treating a musculoskeletal injury.
They can diagnose your problem very accurately and in a specialized way because it affects your field (muscle and joint injuries). Effective diagnosis can lead to rapid treatment and faster recovery times. A physical therapist will also refer you for certain types of x-rays that can then be billed in bulk, and they may also refer you for other types of images (CT scans, MRI scans, or diagnostic ultrasound) to get them sooner. However, this depends, since sometimes, images are not billed in bulk if they are derived from a physical therapist.
