We frequently get phone calls from patients who have sustained some form of injury while engaging in a physical activity. 

Sometimes it is something as simple as lifting their one year old or making the bed the “wrong way.” For others, it might be a sore knee from being tackled in football or a sore wrist from playing tennis. While these are all different types of injuries (traumatic, stress, overuse), they all go through the same phases.

There are three phases an injury can go through:

Acute

As the title suggests, acute pain is anything but adorable! This phase lasts from 2 to 3 days after the initial injury. When an injury is first sustained, you will experience inflammation, pain, and loss of motion in the injured area. Also, you may notice an increased temperature around the injury.

Sub-Acute

This second phase can start at any point after the acute phase. You will likely notice that the swelling has decreased and range of motion is improving. Unfortunately, this phase can last for anywhere from weeks to months depending on the severity of the injury.

Chronic

“Chronic” is the phase that no patient wants to hear a doctor say he or she has reached. An injury is considered in the chronic phase from about 2 weeks after the initial injury until recovery. At this point, muscle memory has started and the body has started to accept the injury as being “normal.”

 It is important to see your chiropractor as soon as possible after an injury occurs. Whether the injury has caused back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, or joint pain of another kind, call your chiropractor to begin treatment. While a doctor of chiropractic is trained to work with injuries at any phase, the sooner you begin being treated, the more quickly you will recover! Call Chiropractic Partners today to find out how chiropractic care can help you!