Acute vs Chronic Injury – What’s the Difference?
An injury can affect your ability to work, play and perform tasks needed during your everyday life. Injuries can be classified under two main categories: acute and chronic. A physiotherapist can treat all kinds of injuries, providing conservative treatment which is non-surgical. Physiotherapists can also help you prepare for surgery if necessary.
An acute injury happens suddenly, such as a sprained ankle or pulled muscle. Acute injuries can benefit from physiotherapy treatment to decrease pain, swelling and disability. Depending on your situation, your physiotherapist may need to restrict your range of motion by using a brace or taping, or they may mobilise the area using manual therapy techniques.
At Bodyworks Subiaco, we offer Hands On Physio which may include a combination of massage, dry needling, ultrasound, taping and strengthening of the surrounding muscles using exercise.
Chronic, or overuse, injuries occur slowly over time. They generally occur due to biomechanical issues, suboptimal posture and weaknesses in surrounding muscles. These poor habits create inefficient movement, which may be contributing to your injury. In this case, rehabilitation sessions with one of our physiotherapists are required. These rehab sessions will create the basis of your recovery to better pain management and improved quality of life. A greater understanding of your injury and the factors contributing to your pain will also help you during your daily activities.
During Rehab Physio, you will become more aware of your body and work to correct any muscle imbalances, postural issues and abnormal movement patterns. Our qualified physiotherapists will assess your movement and create a tailored rehabilitation plan focussed on getting you moving correctly.