Injury warning signs

There are some common tip-offs you should recognise as warning signs that you have an injury that requires attention. While some injuries are immediately evident, others can creep up slowly and progressively get worse. If you don’t pay attention to both types of injuries, chronic problems can develop.

Don’t ignore these injury warning signs

Joint Pain
Joint pain, particularly in the joints of the knee, ankle, elbow and wrist, should never be ignored. Because these joints are not covered by muscle, pain here is rarely of muscular origin. Joint pain that lasts more than 48 hours requires a health care professional’s diagnosis.

Tenderness at a Specific Point
If you can elicit pain at a specific point in a bone, muscle or joint, by pressing your finger into it, you may have a significant injury. If the same spot on the other side of the body does not produce the same pain, you should probably see a health care professional.

Swelling
Nearly all sports injuries cause swelling. Swelling is usually quite obvious and can be seen, but occasionally you may just feel as though something is swollen even though it looks normal. Swelling usually goes hand-in-hand with pain, redness and heat. Swelling within a joint often causes pain, stiffness, and may produce a clicking sound as the tendons snap over one another after having been pushed into a new position from the swelling.

Reduced Range of Motion
If swelling isn’t obvious, you can usually find it by checking for a reduced range of motion in a joint. If there is significant swelling within a joint, you will lose range of motion — the limb will only go so far in each direction. Again, compare one side of the body with the other to identify major differences; if there are any, you likely have an injury that needs attention.

Comparative Weakness
Comparing one side to the other for weakness is often hard to do, but can be helpful when assessing an injury. One way to tell is to lift the same weight with the right and left side and look at the result. Or try to place body weight on one leg and then the other. A difference in your ability to support your weight is another tip-off to an injury that requires attention.

Numbness and tingling
Never ignore numbness or tingling. Such sensations are often related to nerve compression, and these warning signs may indicate serious injury that should always be seen by your health care professional.

Acute Injury
Acute injuries, such as a sprained ankle, strained back, or fractured hand, occur suddenly during activity. Signs of an acute injury include:
• sudden, severe pain
• swelling
• inability to place weight on a lower limb
• extreme tenderness in an upper limb
• inability to move a joint through full range of motion
• extreme limb weakness
• visible dislocation / break of a bone

Chronic Injury
Chronic injuries usually result from overusing one area of the body while playing a sport or exercising over a long period. Signs of a chronic injury include:
• pain when performing activities
• a dull ache when at rest
• swelling

What Should I Do If I Suffer An Injury?
Whether an injury is acute or chronic, there is never a good reason to try to “work through” the pain of an injury. When you have pain from a particular movement or activity, STOP! Continuing the activity only causes further harm. Some injuries require prompt medical attention, while others can be self-treated.

When To Seek Medical Treatment
You should call a health professional if:
• the injury causes severe pain, swelling, or numbness
• you can’t tolerate weight on the area
• the pain or dull ache of an old injury is accompanied by increased swelling or joint
abnormality or instability

If you don’t have any of the above symptoms, it’s probably safe to treat the injury at home, at least at first. If pain or other symptoms worsen, it’s best to check with your health care practitioner.