Why People Hide Injuries
Physical therapists are experts in dealing with injuries, but your PT can't help if they don't know about your injury. You might wonder who would keep an injury secret, the answer is lots of people. Athletes like football players or baseball pitchers often come to mind first, but they aren't the only ones. Performers like dancers keep injury secrets too, and so do workers in all types of jobs.
Stigma and Fear of Loss
Although there have been big improvements in the culture around sports, performing arts, and workers' comp, some people still hold onto the old “no pain, no gain” attitude. To some, reporting an injury feels like an act of weakness or a way of letting the team down, and there can be external pressure from coaches, parents, teammates, supervisors, or fans to keep playing or working.
There's also fear of loss. With the focus on head injuries in recent years, athletes who get hit in the head know that reporting concussion symptoms means coming out of the game. Workers who get hurt on the job fear losing pay or their position, and performers who get hurt might worry that their replacement will outshine them on stage.
Competitive Advantage
This reason is specific to athletes: if an opposing team knows a player is injured, and what the injury is, they might take advantage of it. For example, if a football team's running quarterback has an ankle injury, it changes how the opposing defense plays.
Report It, for Everyone's Sake
These reasons all make some sense, but they're also shortsighted. Finishing a game, dancing tomorrow night, or working one more shift is never worth your long-term health, and hiding a minor injury can turn it into a major one. It's never weak to report an injury, and doing so doesn't let your teammates or coworkers down, if you're not at your best, you owe it to the people counting on you to let them know. Letting a healthy player, performer, or worker take your place is the right thing to do.
If you're injured, don't hide it. Let the right people know, then get to the right doctors for help, your physical therapists at Tribeca Physical Therapy.