The most important part of managing any injury is getting the most accurate and reliable diagnosis from the most experienced healthcare professional as soon as possible.
Making an accurate diagnosis requires time, experience and skill.
A rushed or inexperienced examination can result in a wrong diagnosis and the wrong treatment plan.
In addition, a wrong diagnosis can result in setting unrealistic expectations and timelines.
Before proceeding to any form of treatment, your physician or physio should be able to answer the following six questions for you.
- What specific tissue(s) have been injured? (anatomical name)
- What is the least vascular tissue that has been injured (tendon? cartilage?)
- How severe is the tissue damage? (grade 1? grade 2? grade 3?)
- What is the prognosis for a full recovery of an injury of your severity? (will it heal? will it be 100%?)
- How long does it take for an injured tissue of your severity to biologically heal or mature?
- What are realistic biological timelines to see a (1) reduction of pain (2) improvement in function?
Without these answers, proceeding to any form of treatment will not only be a waste of time and money and potentially result in permanent chronic pain.
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