How Long Should You Power Through Pain Before Seeking Medical Help?

You want to be a responsible consumer of health care services. You don’t want to go to the doctor for every little sniffle or twinge of pain. But sometimes, it can make things worse if you don’t see the doctor when you’re experiencing pain.

So how can you tell when you should seek medical help? Fortunately, there are some clues that can guide you to know when you need to see a doctor about your pain. Here, the physicians at Glaser Pain Relief Center explain more about when you shouldn’t power through your pain and instead should schedule an appointment to get help.

The pain interferes with your life

You can have several types of pain that can necessitate the need to seek medical help. It could be the many types of back pain or neck pain or it could be due to conditions such as sciatica or neuropathy. When the pain interferes with your daily life, it means that you spend a lot of time trying to compensate for the pain.

If pain responds well to over-the-counter painkillers like acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Advil® and Motrin®), you might want to just keep an eye on it for a few days before making a call. You may have pulled a muscle or strained too hard, which may resolve itself after a few days.

But if the pain doesn’t get better with over-the-counter painkillers, or if it continues to get worse, you should definitely give us a call.

Your pain gets worse despite ice or rest

Usually, one of the first recommendations we make for most injuries is to rest and to use ice to reduce swelling. If your back hurts, for example, lying in a reclining position may relieve the pain. For many minor injuries, adequate rest is enough to resolve the problem. 

However, if your pain continues to get worse despite rest and ice, you need to make an appointment to have a doctor examine you and provide treatment.

The pain is new or particularly acute

If you haven’t experienced this pain before, it’s often a sign that it needs to be treated sooner than later. Similarly, if you experience a sharper pain than what you’re used to feeling, this may also indicate that you need treatment.

In general, if your pain seems to be out of the ordinary and it causes you reason to worry, it never hurts to make an appointment. We would rather have you come in to see us for even a minor problem than to have you needlessly suffer from worry or live with treatable pain.

You have emergency symptoms

Some symptoms that when present along with pain indicate a more serious problem, and you should seek care right away. Some of these symptoms include:

• A joint that appears deformed
• Inability to move
• Inability to put weight on a joint
• Any signs of infection (fever, chills, or redness)

If you have pain and it’s not getting better or if you’re just worried about it, please give us a call. We have advanced diagnostic technologies to evaluate your pain and let you know whether it’s a sign of a problem, and we treat your pain promptly and compassionately. Contact us today, or request an appointment online.