Since pain is not always a sign of an actual tissue injury, you don’t always need to immediately worry about it. Your first response should be to Stay Calm, Think, and Observe.
- Stay calm – panicking will elevate your stress levels and your pain.
- Think – have you had any significant trauma? If yes, how bad was it?
- Observe – are your symptoms getting better over time? If your pain is not a result of significant trauma and is getting better, you probably don’t need to see a doctor.
As a rule, if your pain only lasts for the amount of time, you’d expect it to and you know the cause, it’s probably normal. But if your pain is severe, lasts longer than you think it should for the injury or illness, or you don’t know what’s causing it, you may want to call your doctor.
Muscle pains from minor injuries, exercise, and stress, can usually be treated at home. If you suffer from a severe injury and systemic disease, or experience any of the following, you need immediate and urgent care.
- Difficulty breathing
- Dizziness
- High-grade fever
- Stiff neck
- Vomiting
You may schedule an appointment with your doctor if you have the following symptoms:
- An insect/tick bite
- Signs of infections – swelling, redness around the muscle or joint
- Severe muscle pain that does not go away even with pain medications
- Muscle pain after you begin or increase the dosage of certain medications (for example statins used to control cholesterol levels)
If you have chronic musculoskeletal pain, mechanical joint pain, or functional problems, your doctor may refer you to a physiotherapist.
Physiotherapists are medical professionals who can help you get back to your daily routine by assessing your movement patterns and how they affect your day-to-day activities. They build an exercise program that will gradually improve your mobility, stability, and strength, and educate you on proper and better ways to use your body without incurring any injuries.
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