In some cases, feeling pain after a sudden movement during sports or activities means an injury has happened. This type of pain is different than aching muscles after overworking, or gradual onset of joint or tendon pain. Sometimes the injury that's just occurred will feel better and heal on its own, with no negative effects.
Other times the injury starts to feel better, but without an orthopedic doctor to guide the healing, it may not heal properly. There can be other symptoms that last beyond the pain, such as swelling, weakness, instability, or limited range of motion. Over time, these unchecked symptoms can lead to more serious or even permanent damage.
An orthopedic doctor is more likely to properly diagnose and treat sports and activity injuries than another type of doctor. Here are just some of the injuries that may seem mild but can lead to complications if untreated or misdiagnosed:
ACL tears
"Slipped hip" in growing teens
Hip stress fractures
Upper-thumb-meets-wrist bone (scaphoid) fracture
"Skier's Thumb"
Achilles Tendon Rupture
Inner foot tendon (posterior tibial tendon) rupture