The Brace Guide from Athrohab – Part 2
Pain and Inflammation
Pain is the natural way for the body to signal that something is wrong. It is very personal and experienced differently from person to person. Some can tolerate a lot of pain while others are very affected by the slightest pain. We distinguish between acute pain and chronic pain. For example, the acute pain, which comes after an ankle injury or fracture, is usually treatable with painkillers, while a more chronic or prolonged pain is more complicated to treat and requires an accurate diagnosis and cooperation between different medical specialists.
The word inflammation comes from the Latin word inflammatio which means fire. It is a burning pain, not entirely unlike the experience you may have from an inflammation.
Inflammation can also be categorized by being either acute or chronic, depending on the severity of the condition.
Acute inflammation can be caused by either:- pressure, repeated irritation, overloading, deformities, external trauma, or infection. Before starting any course of treatment, it is important to find out what caused the inflammation in order to prevent recurrence.
The most common symptoms of inflammation are:
- Local redness and hyperthermia over the affected area
- Local swelling
- Pain when touching or moving the injured limb
- Reduced mobility and function of the limb.
Inflammation heals by itself if you reduce the stress and activity, however there are some that do not heal by themselves, which can then turn into long-term chronic pain conditions.
All inflammations will cause damage the body tissue.
When the body eventually heals, it will have repaired the tissue completely. More severe inflammations can leave scar tissue which will replace the normal tissue.
When should you seek help?
Always seek medical attention for more severe injuries with bruises and swellings or when the limb can’t be used. There is a risk that you may have a fracture and it’s important to start the proper treatment immediately. Also pay attention to pain or injuries that have no real cause or relevance, such as severe knee pain without any loading of the knee. It is always better to seek medical attention if you are uncertain.
