You should consult a physician for:

1. All traumatic joint injuries. All injuries to a joint and its ligaments should be examined by a sportsmedicine physician.
2. Any injury accompanied by severe pain. Pain is nature's way of talking to you and when it speaks loudly, you had better listen.
3. Any pain in a joint or bone that persists for more than two weeks. These tissues are the ones in which the most serious injuries occur.
4. Any injury that doesn't heal in three weeks. All injuries that don't heal should be checked for a structural abnormality that may have caused them.
5. Any injury that you feel should be checked. If you are concerned about an injury, you should always ask for help.
6. Any infection in or under the skin manifested by pus, red streaks, swollen lymph nodes, or fever.

The immediate treatment for almost all athletic injuries is the same, whether you've pulled a muscle, strained a ligament, hurt a joint, or broken a bone. It’s a four-part program that you can follow even if you will be seeking a physician's advice and it is abbreviated RICE.

Because swelling usually starts within seconds of an injury, start RICE as soon as possible.

The following are some of the common injuries. Please click the links to see their descriptions, causes, and treatments.

Back to main page