Injuries have become a common part of our lives. We get minor injuries while stumbling and falling within our home, playground, and on the road. From people who go jogging every day to those who play football on the ground, everyone has dealt with some type of injury in their life. In fact, you can be seriously injured in your own home while doing normal activities. According to a report, around 19000 people in France die every year due to home and leisure accidents. Hence, severe injuries can happen anywhere.
Most people think that rest can heal an injury. Although rest can help you recover when there is mild strain and small muscle soreness, there are numerous injuries that need proper medical care, surgery, or therapy. If you ignore these methods of recovery, then you might have to deal with long-term damage. There are serious injuries in which patients feel the pain for weeks and swelling that does not go away after rest. These pains and swelling are warning signs if it stays more than a week.
You have to understand when a condition can be healed by resting and when you need a professional injury treatment to increase the recovery speed and avoid long-term damage. In this blog, we will be sharing the 8 injuries that should not be managed with rest alone to help you understand the difference between minor and major injuries.
Key Takeaways
- There are serious injuries like bone fractures or brain injuries that can not be healed by the resting process.
- If patients with serious injuries depend on resting alone, then they can worsen the injury, and pain can increase.
- There are certain treatment processes for serious injuries, like therapies and surgeries.
A List of Injuries That Cannot Be Healed by Rest Alone
While there are some minor injuries that can be healed by the resting process, you should be aware of the injuries that need immediate treatment or therapy. Here are the 8 serious injuries that cannot be healed by rest alone.
1. Brain Injuries
When a patient is suffering from a brain injury, they can’t recover by resting alone. While minor brain injuries can be healed within a few days by taking rest and not putting pressure on the head, some serious brain injuries require medical treatment with the help of a private physiatrist (physiatre privé) and not just rest.
After medical treatment, they will need to get specialised rehabilitation therapies to regain their strength for daily functions. These therapies include: physical therapy, speech therapy, and cognitive therapy.
They need some physical therapy from professionals to address the vertigo and neck problems. They need speech therapy so that they can solve their swallowing difficulties after a brain injury. Since many patients suffer from memory and attention issues after brain injury, they should get cognitive therapy.
2. Ligament Tears
The patients who faced severe ligament tears cannot heal completely just by resting. Although resting can heal some minor sprains, you need serious therapy when the condition is moderate to severe to make sure the joint stabilises and regains function.
After the injury, in the initial stage, the patients need to use RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) to reduce pain and swelling. Then, they need physical therapy to strengthen their surrounding muscles. If the ligament is seriously injured, they will need to contact a private orthopedist (orthopédiste privé) and get surgery to repair it.
3. Rotator Cuff Tears
The rotator cuff is a group of shoulder tendons in your body, and it helps you lift and rotate your arms. Most people who go to the gym or lift heavy objects can end up with rotator cuff tears. If you feel the pain while raising your arm or sleeping on a particular side becomes difficult and painful, then you might have this injury.
Although you can limit inflammation and ease pain by taking a rest, a full-thickness tear can not be treated with just that. There are several reasons why resting won’t completely heal rotator cuff tears. Since rotator cuff tendons don’t get much blood flow, you can not naturally heal by taking a rest, especially if you are more than 25 years old.
If you ignore a tear, you might have to deal with more serious issues like frozen shoulders or even degeneration of the rotator cuff tendons. In fact, when patients with this injury rest for too long, their surrounding muscles become weaker, which causes chronic instability. Generally, you will need to go through surgery to reattach the tendon. Even the patients who don’t require surgery need to go through physical therapy and might need injections.
4. Bone Injuries
If you get a bone fracture, you usually end up with a cracked or broken bone. Now, whether the fracture is a small crack or a full break, the pain is almost always severe and sharp. You will notice swelling, bruising, and difficulty in movement as the first signs that you have a bone fracture.
In the case of bone injuries and fractures, you cannot expect the broken bones to join naturally through the resting process.
If you get a serious fracture, then there is an immediate need for consultation with a private physiatrist (physiatre privé) before undergoing surgery. The doctors can use metal plates or screws in the surgery process. If you don’t go through the treatment process, then your bone may heal, but in the wrong position, especially if you are more than 20 years old and lack high levels of calcium and iron.
5. Herniated Disc
The spinal disc is located between the spine bones and acts like cushions. In the case of a herniated disc, patients can notice that the back feels numb or the pain has become intense and has moved to the leg or arm.
If you get a minor herniated disc injury, then you can reduce the pain and heal by taking a rest for a few days. But if the pain around the disc is severe, then you need medicines, physiotherapy, or surgery. You should not ignore a severe spinal disc injury because it can cause nerve damage.
6. Dislocated Shoulder
If your X-ray reports state there is a shoulder dislocation, then it means the joints around your shoulder have moved out of their place. You might feel severe pain, and the shoulder might look different from usual. Additionally, if you get a dislocated shoulder or shoulder injury, then you will face difficulty in moving your arms for daily activities.
In the case of a minor shoulder injury, you can recover by taking a rest. But if you have a dislocated shoulder, rest cannot push the bone back to its original location. You must consult a doctor who knows how to position the joint. Generally, you will need sling support to recover and relocate the shoulder joints. You will also need physiotherapy to restore body strength and improve arm movement.
7. Achilles Tendon Rupture
In your body, the Achilles tendon is the part that connects your calf muscle to the heel. The Achilles tendon supports you while walking and jumping. If you suddenly start jumping, then it can cause a rupture. When you have this issue, you will feel pain in the back of your ankle while moving and walking.
While a minor rupture can be healed with rest, you cannot heal a complete rupture by resting alone. You should contact a private orthopedist (orthopédiste privé) to know the right treatment. Your doctor may ask you to go through the surgery process immediately. If you delay the treatment process for Achilles tendon rupture, then the ankle strength can weaken over time.
8. Meniscus Tear
In our body, there is knee cartilage known as the meniscus, which absorbs shock when we walk and move. If you suddenly twist, then this meniscus can tear, and the knee can click. You might feel pain and swelling after some time.
Although minor tears can heal naturally by resting, if you have a larger meniscus tear, then you will need to undergo surgery. The doctors can suggest that you have an arthroscopy to repair the damaged parts. If you depend on the resting process alone, then you won’t be able to fix torn cartilage.
Heal Your Injury by Taking the Right Measures and Professional Help!
Injuries are serious problems that can result in long-term pain and difficulty in movement. Whether you are suffering from a brain injury or a bone fracture, consulting a doctor and a physiotherapy expert is an important step to restore strength and improve movement to live a normal life again.
So, if you are in pain and confused about the condition of any injury in your body, then you must seek medical help and get a complete check-up report.