Yes Urgent Care Really can Treat Your Bone Injury

Urgent care centers are becoming more and more popular with almost 3 million people visiting one each week. When people need quick treatment and don’t want to wait hours then it is a convenience for them to know they can go to an urgent care center since 85% are open seven days a week and about 20,000 physicians who work in urgent care medicine. When an injury happens it is always nice to know that there are other options besides heading to the emergency room, especially since it is an urgent matter but not necessarily a life threatening one. Most urgent care centers 80% are properly equipped to treat fractures, so keep reading to see why choosing one of these clinics can provide the same results for bone injuries as the emergency room with half the wait time and most likely half the cost.

Injuries

Breaks and sprains are common bone injuries that many parents see especially around the time that school starts. Many children are playing sports, and sometimes coming back from summer vacation, their bones and muscles aren’t properly prepared for the physical demands the sports require. Without proper stretching you could easily see pulled muscles and sprains or strains. Pulled muscles can happen almost anywhere on the body, but sprains are more popular around the knee, ankle and arm. No matter what injury you or your child is dealing with, chances are urgent care can treat them and get them going on their way.

Sprains and Strains

A sprain is an injury to the ligaments surrounding the joint. There are three different types of grades of sprains, but no matter which grade is experienced urgent care centers are equipped to properly treat them all. Grade one sprains stretch the ligaments and involve minor swelling and tenderness, minor pain when moving or walking on the joint. Grade two sprains involve more pain and swelling because they involve an incomplete tear to the ligament. This can make moving the joint very painful. Grade three sprains involve completely one or more ligaments of the joint and this causes intense sever swelling and moving or walking could be almost impossible. strains are similar to sprains except instead of a ligament being injured it’s a tendon and muscle. Typical sprains and strains recover with rest, compression, ice, over the counter pain medicine and sometimes walking devices such as crutches to keep weight off the joint until it’s healed. No matter what grade of strain or sprain you experience, the staff at an urgent care facility can treat it, ease the pain and help make you more comfortable.

Broken Bones

Broken bones are never a good incident, but getting quick diagnosis can help with the healing process. A fracture is a term used for a broken bone and there are varying degrees of them. A fracture that involves a displaced bone means the break is severe and the bones are no longer aligned. A fracture that is non-displaced means the bone is broken, but the bones are still aligned properly. A compound fracture is used when the broken bone protrudes through the skin. Treatment varies including setting the bone, immobilizing the bone and sometimes surgery depending on the break. A facility that provides care in urgent situations can diagnose and stabilize a broken bone to provide pain relief. Slings, crutches and splints will be used until a bone doctor can appropriately see and address the break.


Dislocations

Another common injury, especially with children playing sports, is a dislocation. A dislocation requires immediate medical attention. Shoulder dislocations are the most popular and present themselves with swelling, pain and noticeable deformity. Medicine will be provided based upon pain level, and the bones will be maneuvered back into place. Immobilization is necessary afterwards as well as rest until the injury is fully healed.

Next time an injury related to a bone strikes you or your family rest easy knowing that the emergency room is not the only option. Urgent care facilities can provide the same treatment with experienced doctors. Don’t overlook the convenience they provide even for bone injuries.