Causes and Symptoms of Inflammation
What is inflammation?
Inflammation, also referred to as swelling, is a natural bodily reaction to an injury – whether it is an acute or chronic case. When a person suffers from an acute injury, swelling generally onsets within a day or so, whereas a chronic injury can take much longer to develop. In either situation, the patient usually experiences pain in the injured area, which is then followed by inflammation.
Why does inflammation occur?
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to an injury, and is the first step toward healing. As the body pumps an increased blood supply to the injured area, it begins to heat up, turn red, and swell as a result. Usually, pain is also associated with the injury, and along with inflammation, is the sign to the body to stay off of the injured body part. Sometimes, however, the pain and inflammation can be extreme and it becomes necessary to visit a specialist to help relieve the pain and swelling.
What kinds of injuries cause inflammation?
Inflammation is a common side effect of an injury or overuse of a body part, and is commonly seen in sports injuries. Some of the most common injuries that can result in inflammation include:
- Runner’s knee
- ACL injuries
- Meniscal injuries
- Achilles tendon injuries
- Tennis elbow
- Golfer’s elbow
- UCL injuries
- Rotator cuff tears
- Labral tears
When should I see a doctor for inflammation?
It is important to see a medical health professional at Performance Health if you are suffering from inflammation and/or pain that is limiting your ability to perform in sports or other activities. Some of the common signs of inflammation include:
- Redness
- Increased size of body part
- Tingling
- Heated feeling
- Throbbing
If any of the below situations are paired with inflammation, get help from a medical professional right away, as it may indicate a more serious health emergency:
- You have swelling that occurs after a blow to the head
- You suspect a broken bone
- You are bleeding excessively
- Your pain level is very high
- Your inflammation is accompanied by a fever
- You have signs of an infection
- Your inflammation is accompanied by vomiting or nausea
How is inflammation treated?
At Performance Health, our physicians can help you recover and return to optimal health and performance using any of the below conservative therapies:
- Physical therapy and myofascial release
- Pain management
- Sports medicine and rehabilitation
- Massage therapy
- Regenerative and alternative medicine
If you are suffering from tendonitis pain, the first step to improving your health and returning to your normal activities is to schedule an evaluation at Performance Health. Our physicians can help you get back to performance-level health. Call one of our New York offices at 212.486.8616, or fill out the form on this page to request an appointment now.