So this post comes at a time where I'm dealing with this exact issue right now. There is a constant debate between athletic trainers and athletes about injuries and whether or not it is something that needs attention. I believe there is a HUGE difference between being hurt and being injured. And injury is something you cannot play through. It has a definitive diagnosis and causes too much pain and discomfort to do any activities. Being hurt, on the other hand, I believe is something that your body is going through, but you can play through it - like sore muscles or maybe some kind of "tweak". There could be a definitive diagnosis or not. But if you can play through it, you will be ok. As found in the article posted below, being hurt means having a sense of pain, mentally or physically, and being injured is to cause or do harm, like a sprain, strain, etc. Perception of pain has a lot to do with the difference as well. How well a person handles pain might determine if they are hurt or injured. Athletes will play through some kind of physical pain, dubbing them "hurt". There is not stuctrual damage or long term effects of playing hurt. An injured athlete, on the other hand, will have long term effects or damage if they continue to play.
So now that we know the difference, how to we deal with athletes that are constantly saying they're injured but are just hurt, and vice versa? I have constantly had athletes come to me complaining of every little thing that hurt, telling me they cannot play, and yet can workout at the gym and do other activities. And on the other hand, I have had athletes that could barely walk because of how much pain they're in and how unstable a joint it, yet they are trying to tape up and get out on the field. Let's start with the latter, because I think those are easier cases. If an athlete is trying to play while being injured, telling them the long term effects of what can happen when they are playing injured will be enough for them to take a look at what they're doing. Let's say a football player has a sprained MCL, grade 1, not torn, but definitely lax. You can warn them that if they do not take the proper time to heal, that ligament could tear because of the compromised state it is in and they will be out for a longer period of time. I think athletes do not want to hear they would have to be out longer, so it convinces them to rest up and heal. Convincing an injured athlete, who wants to play, to STOP playing because it will make things worse is an easier task than talking to hurt athletes that don't want to play and convincing them they are ok. The talk is much different. It's hard to tell these athletes to "suck it up", but you kind of have to. For example... a baseball player gets hit by a pitch, gets a bruise, and decides he can't play and takes himself out of the game. How do you talk to that athlete? I have found it difficult. The athlete doesn't want to play, and has now given himself an excuse not to. We as athletic trainers need to figure out how to tell this athlete he is ok and can in fact play in the game. Especially when they are doing other activities that lead you to believe they're not in as much pain as they are letting on. Situations like these are testy and you need to know how to approach it. Maybe you have to get them a doctor's appointment to show them they're ok. Maybe you have to explain that they can play through certain things and to come back if it doesn't go away in a week. I have yet to find a good way to approach this situation. It's a tough one.
Have you had to deal with either of these kinds of athletes? How do you handle situations? Leave some comments below!
http://www.differencebetween.net/language/difference-between-injured-and-hurt/
https://dagunshow.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/sports-distinction-between-playing-hurt-injured/
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