Five Signs Which Mean You Need to See a Physiotherapist

If you are unlucky enough to be involved in an accident of some kind or you sustain a bad injury playing sports, no doubt you will have received medical treatment and then been referred by your doctor for physiotherapy. However, the everyday stresses and strains of modern life can also take its toll on your body.  You are busy dashing here and there; running around after the kids, holding down a job, looking after elderly parents, and then perhaps trying to fit in a little recreational exercise whenever you can.

All this can mean that you unwittingly injure yourself.  It may only be at a low level and not serious enough to see a doctor.  It is tempting to carry on with the help of over-the-counter painkillers but you have to also recognise when you need extra help and not wait until things are so bad a doctor has to refer you for physiotherapy.

So When Should You See a Physio?

1. Monitor your pain levels. If you are finding that your pain persists, doesn’t ease up with painkillers and starts to affect how you manage your day to day tasks.  The physiotherapist can identify the problem in order to work out a treatment plan for you.
2. You have taken up a new sport. Many people just throw themselves enthusiastically into a new activity without sufficient preparation, like using a correct warm-up technique.  If you find that the post-activity aches and pains are getting worse it’s time to see a physio, who can advise on how best to conduct yourself in your new sport in order to prevent injury.
3. If you find you are limping after injury, or protecting a limb to try and ease the pain, or you develop pins and needles or numbness.
4. If you have had surgery you may need to see a physiotherapist, for example – following chest surgery you’ll be given advice on how to cough correctly and help you breathe properly.
5. You may suddenly find you have developed postural problems and this may be due to an underlying injury or hidden muscle strain. Carrying on with compromised posture becomes a habit which then causes pain to become worse over time.

Don’t wait until things have got so bad that you can’t carry on.  A trained physiotherapist can help enormously with pain and get back your full range of movement so you can enjoy life to the fullest.