If you are used to a more active lifestyle, you may be familiar with the small pains that tend to arise. You most likely put off visiting doctors when you have minor sports injuries or dull aches, expecting the pain to subside in a short while. While this works out some of the time, it’s important to recognize when it doesn’t. In this blog, we are going to discuss 4 of the signs that mean it’s time to take a trip to your primary care doctor or an urgent care center.

Walking Is More Difficult

If your knee pain has progressed to the point where you are limping or you need to steer clear of walking either short or long distances, it’s clear that a doctor’s visit is needed. Pain that worsens when you walk can escalate, and it could be a sign of an injury to the bone or some other condition that requires an urgent diagnosis.

Your Range of Motion Is Reduced

When you have a knee injury, internal swelling is likely to happen. This swelling makes it painful to move your knee as much as you once could, meaning it is hard to adjust your knee in a given direction. While a reduced range of motion isn’t always a cause for concern, you should see a medical professional if it lasts for over a day.

You Feel Less In Your Knee

Though knee pain can be jarring, feeling absolutely nothing in your knee is also a sign that you require urgent care. Numbness in the legs can signify nerve damage, sciatic nerve pain, and a variety of other conditions that should be checked out sooner rather than later.

You Can’t Support Weight

Have you noticed that holding your own weight, or picking things up, adds to existing knee pain? This isn’t something to take lightly, as your condition can worsen quickly and your knee will probably need some time to heal. Seek help from a doctor as soon as you notice this in order to gain an understanding of how serious the problem is and what action you can take to get on the path to healing.

Don’t wait to see if your knee pain will subside. If you find yourself suffering from one or more of the signs listed in this article, get in contact with a doctor or urgent care today. You wouldn’t be alone in seeking help for your injury. According to Hcup-us.ahrq.gov, 20% of the 144.8 million ER visits in the US in 2017 were because of an injury. The professionals at Care Station Medical Group will help you diagnose and treat your knee pain.