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Old injuries and lingering pain treatment in Shirley, MA
The short answer
Some injuries never fully heal. A sprain, strain or tendon problem can settle down enough to live with, then keep flaring up for months or years. Usually the tissue got stuck partway through healing and the strength around it never came back. With the right mix of treatment and strength work, most old injuries can finally calm down for good.
On this page
Why some injuries never fully heal
Rest helps an injury calm down, but it does not rebuild it. These are the most common reasons an injury gets stuck.
- Tendons that stopped healing
- Tendons in the heel, elbow, knee, shoulder and hip can get stuck in a cycle of irritation that rest alone does not fix.
- Strength that never came back
- After an injury, the muscles around it weaken. Without rebuilding them, the injured area keeps taking too much load.
- Going back too fast, or not at all
- Jumping straight back into sport flares it up, and avoiding it completely leaves it weak. Both keep an injury stuck.
- Scar tissue and stiffness
- An area that never got its full motion back can stay tight and sore, and other joints start to compensate.
- Learning to guard it
- After months of pain, the body gets protective. Moving differently to avoid pain can create new aches somewhere else.
When to get it checked
Get checked if an old injury still hurts after a few months, keeps flaring up with activity, or is keeping you from sport, work or exercise. See a doctor soon if the area is hot, red and swollen, if you have numbness or weakness that is getting worse, or if pain is waking you at night for no clear reason. Go to the emergency room if you cannot put weight on a leg or use an arm after a new fall or twist.
What you can do at home right now
These are safe starting points for most people. They are not a replacement for a proper evaluation.
- Keep it moving
- Gentle movement in a range that feels okay helps an old injury more than complete rest.
- Load it a little
- Easy strength work that causes mild discomfort that settles within a day is usually a good sign. Sharp or lingering pain means back off.
- Track your flare ups
- Notice what sets it off, such as long runs, heavy lifts or long days on your feet. That pattern helps us build your plan.
How we treat old injuries at Whole Health Solutions
Your physical therapist is with you for the whole appointment, start to finish. We look at the old injury and everything around it, find out why it is stuck, and build a plan to finally move past it.
01
Relieve
Hands on care, and shockwave therapy or dry needling when they are a good fit, to kick start healing and calm the pain.
02
Rebuild
Progressive strength work that rebuilds the tissue and the muscles around it, so it can handle real life again.
03
Perform
Back to running, lifting, sport and work without the old injury holding you back. When you are ready, our personal trainers and athletic performance coaches keep you going.
04
Thrive
Stay with the team that knows you. Check ins, training and a quick tune up whenever something new comes up, so this stays in the past.
Thrive is not a finish line. When life brings something new, the loop starts again with the same team.
How dry needling and shockwave therapy can help
For old injuries that never healed, your physical therapist may use dry needling and shockwave therapy to speed things up. They will tell you on your first visit if it is a good fit.
Dry needling
A very thin needle placed into a tight, guarded muscle helps it let go, so pain calms down and you can move and strengthen again. Always paired with hands on care and strength work.
Learn about dry needlingShockwave therapy
Sound waves delivered to a stubborn tendon or tissue help restart healing when it has stalled for months. Always paired with the strength work that keeps it from coming back.
Learn about shockwave therapyLearn from our team
Short, free videos from our clinicians on questions we hear about old injuries that never healed all the time.
Read more from our team
Blog posts and newsletter tips from our clinicians that go with old injuries that never healed.
Hear it from a client
Amy on an injury that never quite healed.
Read what Amy said
Amy, "What were you skeptical about?" I think one of the biggest things was that I've done physical therapy multiple other places before. and I felt like I went, did what was needed to be done, that was prescribed, and always felt good after leaving the sessions, but I didn't really feel like I was moving any further along.
Talk to a physical therapist
A free call to tell us what is going on and see if we are the right fit.
Common questions about old injuries that never healed
Can an injury from years ago still be treated?
Yes. It is never too late to work on an old injury. Many people come to us months or years after an injury and feel much better once the right treatment and strength work are in place.
Why does my old injury keep flaring up?
Usually the tissue and the muscles around it never got strong enough for what you ask of them. Each time you push past that point, it flares. Rebuilding that strength is what stops the cycle.
Is shockwave therapy good for old injuries?
Shockwave therapy works best on tendons and tissue that have stopped healing on their own, like stubborn heel, elbow, knee and shoulder pain. Your physical therapist will tell you on your first visit if it is a good fit.
Do I need a referral?
No. You can book directly with us. Most of our clients do use their insurance for reimbursement of our physical therapy services. We go over everything in the discovery meeting.
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Everyone is different, so the best next step is an evaluation with one of our physical therapists.
Visit us
Serving 22+ nearby towns and beyond
2 Shaker Road, Suite C200, Shirley, MA 01464. Monday to Thursday, 5:00 am to 8:00 pm, Friday, 5:00 am to 3:00 pm, and Saturday, 6:00 am to 1:00 pm.