Sports are a great way to stay fit, build character, and have fun. But sometimes, they can lead to injuries. Whether you’re a professional athlete, a weekend warrior, or a physically active individual, it’s essential to receive the right treatment quickly when you get injured. This is where orthopedic urgent care comes into play.
Orthopedic urgent care centers specialize in treating injuries related to bones, joints, muscles, and ligaments. These facilities provide immediate attention to sports injuries, ensuring athletes receive the specialized treatment they need.
Let’s learn more about orthopedic urgent care to understand how it can help in treating sports injuries.
Orthopedic Urgent Care
Orthopedic urgent care is a specialized healthcare service that focuses on providing immediate care to patients with musculoskeletal injuries. Unlike regular urgent care centers, orthopedic urgent care facilities have emergency medicine physicians on staff who specialize in diagnosing and treating acute injuries and conditions related to bones, joints, muscles, and ligaments, including:
- Breaks and fractures (minor)
- Dislocations (minor)
- Concussions
- Dehydration from heatstroke or overtraining
- Sprains and strains
- Sudden joint injuries
- Torn ligaments or tendons
- Work-related injuries
It’s worth noting that the urgent care providers at orthopedic urgent care centers do not offer care for severe trauma injuries, such as open wounds and complex fractures.
What to Expect at Orthopedic Urgent Care Centers
When you visit an orthopedic urgent care center with a sports injury, you can expect a comprehensive and systematic approach to your treatment.
Evaluation
The first step in your visit is an in-depth evaluation of your injury. An emergency medicine specialist will conduct a thorough physical examination to understand the nature and extent of your injury.
This could involve checking your range of motion, strength, and pain levels. The emergency medicine specialist may ask you questions about how the injury occurred, your medical history, and any symptoms you’re experiencing. This comprehensive assessment allows them to gather all the necessary information to make an accurate diagnosis.
Diagnosis
Once the initial evaluation is complete, the next step is diagnosis. At orthopedic urgent care centers like Patient Care Now, emergency medicine specialists use advanced imaging techniques, such as X-rays, to accurately diagnose your condition.
These techniques allow them to visualize the internal structures of your body and confirm the type and severity of your injury. This precise diagnosis is crucial to developing an effective treatment plan.
Treatment
After a thorough diagnosis, a personalized treatment plan is designed specifically for your injury and recovery goals. This could include a variety of treatments such as medication for pain management, IV fluids to treat dehydration, and immobilization with durable medical equipment (DME) such as crutches, walking boots, slings, etc.,to promote healing.
In more severe cases of concussion, emergency medicine physicians perform an initial assessment and refer the patient to a neurologist or orthopedist for further evaluation and specialized treatment.
The goal of the personalized treatment plan offered at orthopedic urgent care centers is to alleviate your pain, restore function to the injured area, and prevent future injuries.
Follow-Up
The care you receive at an orthopedic urgent care center doesn’t end when you walk out the door. Urgent care providers recommend patients follow up with their orthopedic doctor to monitor their progress and ensure that the treatment plan is working.
During yourfollow-up visits, your orthopedic doctor will assess your recovery, make any necessary adjustments to your treatment plan, and provide guidance on how to avoid future injuries.
If you do not have an orthopedic doctor, the emergency medicine specialists at orthopedic urgent care centers will refer you to one.
Orthopedic Urgent Care in Fairless Hills, PA
Sports injuries, if not treated correctly and promptly, can lead to serious complications. Orthopedic urgent care provides specialized, immediate care for such injuries, ensuring athletes return to their game as quickly and safely as possible. Remember, the key to successful recovery from sports injuries lies in seeking the right treatment at the right time.
At Patient Care Now Urgent Care, we have over 20 years of experience in treating all kinds of acute conditions and injuries, including sports injuries. We have a dedicated team of board-certified medical providers skilled in providing efficient, compassionate, and accessible urgent care services to patients of all ages.
At our orthopedic urgent care center, we offer a variety of services. These include X-rays, splinting, casting, and even stitching lacerations. Our highly trained and compassionate emergency medicine physicians also provide referrals to orthopedic surgeons when necessary.
To learn more about us or to schedule a consultation, call us today at (267) 202-6433 or walk in at any time. We look forward to serving you!
