Who to see when you are Injured or in pain?

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When someone is experiencing body pains or has had an unfortunate experience that has led to injury, You could see a number of practitioners such as Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, GP, etc.

Most Australians would think to see their local general practitioner (GP) and If it is an emergency they may call 000 and go straight to the hospital.

In most cases, they will get better but what if they don’t?

Many times we have heard from our patients that they have seen their doctor and have had every test and scans done to their body only to be told that there is nothing wrong. Is there hope? Who can you see and what can you do?

Hopefully by the end of reading this article, you will be able to make an informed decision in seeking the right treatment and seeing the right health professional for you.

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Phases of injury

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Acute stage (1-3 days)

A severe and sudden onset injury is classified as an acute injury. Acute injuries include sprained ankles, strained backs, and fractures or dislocation. Acute injury is a type of injury that occurs suddenly and is frequently caused by a stressful incident, such as tripping and twisting your ankle, or muscle strain caused by overuse. Depending on the type and severity of the injury will decide which medical/health professional to seek and which treatment option to take.

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Sub acute stage (4 days - 3 weeks)

‍For the sake of decision making, we won’t talk too much about the subacute phase. Sub acute phase is the healing time in between acute and chronic and the management for subacute is mixed between those two stages. At this stage the body has already started to repair tissue by producing scar tissue.

Chronic stage (3 weeks - weeks/months/years)

Badly managed acute injuries may lead to chronic problems that will affect people's quality of life over time. Chronic illness may be obvious such as arthritis or headaches , or less obvious like depression or anxiety.

The injury is now well on its way to healing, and the body has changed and developed scar tissue. Except for overuse or over exertion of the body, most people will not feel any further discomfort at this time. Physical therapy, exercise, and a lot of rehabilitation is recommended during this stage.

Now that you understand the stage of injury you are in, Who should you see?When it comes to acute pain, depending on severity, you want to make the right decision when seeking help. This will save you time and money. Last thing you want to do is to see a practitioner only to be told they can’t help you and be sent off to someone else.Here at Hyper Health Allied Health Care, we have a team of Chiropractors, Physiotherapist and Podiatrist who work together and understand the importance of educating our patients so that they are able to be Independent and make good health choices. That is why we have created this flowchart to help streamline your decision making when seeking help.

Here at Hyper Health, our Chiropractors, Massage Therapist and Physiotherapists strive on providing quality service. Our clinic is located in Marrickville, servicing the Inner West suburbs of Sydney. If you have any further questions about how we can help with your health, head over to our Contact Us page, or book in now to make an appointment.