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Shoulder Pain, When To Seek Professional Help
Sometimes we have pain or soreness from normal activity, and sometimes it's more than that, but how can we tell? Dr. M. Brian Polsky tells us the differences between good and bad pain, how to know when your pain is serious, and when you need to be seen ASAP and when you can wait for an appointment.
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Learn more about M. Brian Polsky, M.D.
M. Brian Polsky, M.D.
Dr. Polsky earned his medical degree at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia. He completed his surgical internship and orthopaedic surgery residency at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, followed by extra-institutional rotations at Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. He then performed a sports medicine fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania’s Pennsylvania Hospital, also in Philadelphia.Learn more about M. Brian Polsky, M.D.
Transcription:
Caitlin Whyte: Sometimes we have pain or soreness from normal activity and sometimes it's more than that. But how can we tell? Dr. M. Brian Polsky tells us the differences between good and bad pain, how to know when your pain is serious, when you need to be seen as soon as possible, and when you can wait for an appointment.
Dr. Polsky is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at the Centers for Advanced Orthopedics, Orthopedic Associates of Central Maryland Division in practice for over 50 years.
Hello, I'm Caitlyn Whyte. And I've got a bone to fix with you.. So Dr. Polsky, thank you for joining us today. Let's start by talking about the difference between good pain and bad pain.
M. Brian Polsky, M.D.: That's a very good question. So pain is a universal thing, so everybody at some point in time is going to have it, but it's important to at least have some sense of when something needs to be potentially evaluated by a specialist. So that's how I kind of coined good pain versus bad pain. And these also are not universal definitions, but usual. So usually, good pain tends to be kind of muscular in nature, function still remains intact. So if you've got some achy pain around a joint or a muscle, but can still function, that is usually what I call good pain, okay?
Bad pain tends to be more sharp, stabbing, you know, something that stops you from doing something that you want to do, either athletically or even functionally like walking up and down the stairs, that's closer to bad pain. Then the additional caveat to that would be length of time. So if sharp stabbing pain is occurring on a regular basis, then that typically should be evaluated. And then even with good pain, if it's something that's mild ache, but it's been going on chronically for over two to three months, even that probably should be evaluated.
Caitlin Whyte: So how do I know when and if it is serious?
M. Brian Polsky, M.D.: Okay. So the seriousness of pain, a lot of times will revolve around function. So if something is bad enough that you can't bear weight or can't get up and down the steps, can't get comfortable sleeping for weeks at a time, then it's bad enough that it probably should be looked at by a specialist.
Caitlin Whyte: And then that leads me into my next question. When should I go to an urgent care versus just making an appointment and, you know, waiting those few extra days?
M. Brian Polsky, M.D.: Right. So again, mainly revolving around the severity and function. So certainly, if something is unbearable pain on a scale of 10, it's eight, nine, or 10 and on, and not getting better with ice, elevation and mild anti-inflammatories, that probably should be evaluated sooner than later and, you know, urgent cares are perfect for that. And then the other one, that would be once again, function. So even if something is not necessarily terribly, terribly painful, but for some reason I can't bear weight or my knee is constantly giving out on me and I can't get around, that probably should be evaluated sooner than later.
Caitlin Whyte: When it comes to pain management, what are just some over-the-counter at home treatments that people can do, you know, even before they hit that urgent care or while they're waiting for that appointment.
M. Brian Polsky, M.D.: RICE, which would be rest, you know, not doing activities that would aggravate the situation. Ice, 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off usually is fine. Compression is the C in RICE and that is, you know, either a light ACE bandage or even the compression of ice can be helpful if it's like a bag of peas. And then E for elevation, elevating the joint higher than the level of your heart to help with swelling.
Caitlin Whyte: And wrapping up here, you know, are there any final thoughts or tips you have for people who are dealing with that pain? I mean, I know I'm the kind of person who will give it a day and then probably go to an urgent care. So what can we do to kind of just get through it?
M. Brian Polsky, M.D.: That's a good question. And you're right, everybody deals a little differently with pain. I never have a problem. I certainly see people in the office that has a very mild, you know, sprain of the ankle or strain of a muscle. But I don't ever have a problem seeing somebody for that if nothing else to calm their nerves and to educate them on what, you know, is serious and what's not serious. So you're never wrong necessarily to seek attention if something is bothering you, if you're worried about something. I would just say that, you know, again, if there's lack of function for a period of time, can't bear weight, can't do normal activities of daily living, then it's probably worth getting evaluated.
Caitlin Whyte: Well, we so appreciate you for joining us today. That was Dr. M. Brian Polsky, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at the Centers for Advanced Orthopedics, Orthopedic Associates of Central Maryland Division.
Find more about us online at mdbonedocs.com. And please remember to share and subscribe this podcast. That's all for today. I'm Caitlin Whyte and that was a bone that's fixed.
Caitlin Whyte: Sometimes we have pain or soreness from normal activity and sometimes it's more than that. But how can we tell? Dr. M. Brian Polsky tells us the differences between good and bad pain, how to know when your pain is serious, when you need to be seen as soon as possible, and when you can wait for an appointment.
Dr. Polsky is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at the Centers for Advanced Orthopedics, Orthopedic Associates of Central Maryland Division in practice for over 50 years.
Hello, I'm Caitlyn Whyte. And I've got a bone to fix with you.. So Dr. Polsky, thank you for joining us today. Let's start by talking about the difference between good pain and bad pain.
M. Brian Polsky, M.D.: That's a very good question. So pain is a universal thing, so everybody at some point in time is going to have it, but it's important to at least have some sense of when something needs to be potentially evaluated by a specialist. So that's how I kind of coined good pain versus bad pain. And these also are not universal definitions, but usual. So usually, good pain tends to be kind of muscular in nature, function still remains intact. So if you've got some achy pain around a joint or a muscle, but can still function, that is usually what I call good pain, okay?
Bad pain tends to be more sharp, stabbing, you know, something that stops you from doing something that you want to do, either athletically or even functionally like walking up and down the stairs, that's closer to bad pain. Then the additional caveat to that would be length of time. So if sharp stabbing pain is occurring on a regular basis, then that typically should be evaluated. And then even with good pain, if it's something that's mild ache, but it's been going on chronically for over two to three months, even that probably should be evaluated.
Caitlin Whyte: So how do I know when and if it is serious?
M. Brian Polsky, M.D.: Okay. So the seriousness of pain, a lot of times will revolve around function. So if something is bad enough that you can't bear weight or can't get up and down the steps, can't get comfortable sleeping for weeks at a time, then it's bad enough that it probably should be looked at by a specialist.
Caitlin Whyte: And then that leads me into my next question. When should I go to an urgent care versus just making an appointment and, you know, waiting those few extra days?
M. Brian Polsky, M.D.: Right. So again, mainly revolving around the severity and function. So certainly, if something is unbearable pain on a scale of 10, it's eight, nine, or 10 and on, and not getting better with ice, elevation and mild anti-inflammatories, that probably should be evaluated sooner than later and, you know, urgent cares are perfect for that. And then the other one, that would be once again, function. So even if something is not necessarily terribly, terribly painful, but for some reason I can't bear weight or my knee is constantly giving out on me and I can't get around, that probably should be evaluated sooner than later.
Caitlin Whyte: When it comes to pain management, what are just some over-the-counter at home treatments that people can do, you know, even before they hit that urgent care or while they're waiting for that appointment.
M. Brian Polsky, M.D.: RICE, which would be rest, you know, not doing activities that would aggravate the situation. Ice, 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off usually is fine. Compression is the C in RICE and that is, you know, either a light ACE bandage or even the compression of ice can be helpful if it's like a bag of peas. And then E for elevation, elevating the joint higher than the level of your heart to help with swelling.
Caitlin Whyte: And wrapping up here, you know, are there any final thoughts or tips you have for people who are dealing with that pain? I mean, I know I'm the kind of person who will give it a day and then probably go to an urgent care. So what can we do to kind of just get through it?
M. Brian Polsky, M.D.: That's a good question. And you're right, everybody deals a little differently with pain. I never have a problem. I certainly see people in the office that has a very mild, you know, sprain of the ankle or strain of a muscle. But I don't ever have a problem seeing somebody for that if nothing else to calm their nerves and to educate them on what, you know, is serious and what's not serious. So you're never wrong necessarily to seek attention if something is bothering you, if you're worried about something. I would just say that, you know, again, if there's lack of function for a period of time, can't bear weight, can't do normal activities of daily living, then it's probably worth getting evaluated.
Caitlin Whyte: Well, we so appreciate you for joining us today. That was Dr. M. Brian Polsky, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at the Centers for Advanced Orthopedics, Orthopedic Associates of Central Maryland Division.
Find more about us online at mdbonedocs.com. And please remember to share and subscribe this podcast. That's all for today. I'm Caitlin Whyte and that was a bone that's fixed.