Have you ever experienced the sudden pain of a joint popping out of place?
Dislocations are not only painful but can also cause long-term damage if not treated properly and swiftly. When faced with a dislocation, the natural question arises: where should you seek care?
While many people rush to the emergency room, urgent care centers offer a faster, often more efficient option for non-life-threatening dislocations. Urgent care centers have become an essential part of the healthcare system, handling millions of visits each year.
According to recent statistics, around 139.8 million visits are made annually to urgent care centers in the U.S., with musculoskeletal issues like sprains, fractures, and dislocations making up a significant portion of those visits.
But why choose urgent care over other options?
Discover why urgent care centers are a smart choice for treating dislocations.
- Immediate Access to Care
Urgent care centers are intended for quick access, which means that patients will not be subjected to long waits like in emergency rooms. When dealing with pain and anxiety stemming from a dislocation of a certain limb, time is of the essence.
Most ERs attend to patients with critical conditions, while patients with stable conditions can be detained for hours. However, urgent care centers focus on treating conditions, such as dislocations, which enable patients to be attended to without a prior appointment.
In fact, according to recent data, the average wait time at 69% of urgent care facilities is 20 minutes or less, compared to over 2 hours in emergency rooms. This means that if you experience a dislocation, you can get prompt evaluation and treatment, reducing your discomfort and the risk of further injury.
- Expert Diagnosis and Treatment
Some people believe that urgent care centers are not professional enough to treat patients as compared to hospitals; this is not true at all. These facilities are staffed with skilled medical personnel such as physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, and most are trained in emergency medicine.
They are fully equipped to identify and manage dislocations with the aid of diagnostic and imaging techniques like the X-ray. Since urgent care centers are staffed with experienced professionals and equipped with diagnostic tools, they are in a position to determine the seriousness of your dislocation, realign your joint, and manage pain.
Urgent care centers can also determine whether the injury is more severe than it seems and recommend you to a specialist if that is the case, ensuring your treatment is as comprehensive as it would be in a hospital.
- Cost-Effective Care
Emergency room visits are very costly since medical expenses tend to accumulate very fast. Another factor that makes people opt for an urgent care center is the cost.
The cost of treating a dislocation at an urgent care center is less expensive than the cost of treating the same condition in a hospital emergency department. Moreover, most of these centers have embracive insurance policies to cater to the financial strain of medical care.
Urgent care allows you access to quality treatment at a much lower price than an emergency room, benefitting patients facing high deductibles or those with no health insurance.
- On-Site Treatment Options
Urgent care centers are not just an interim solution; they offer a full spectrum of services available on-site, making dislocation treatment simple and efficient. Most of the urgent care centers are prepared with x-ray equipment, splinting items, and necessary medicines for managing cases of dislocation and other related problems such as sprains or fractures.
It implies that you can have your diagnosis, treatment and medication all in one place. For instance, in the case of a dislocation, a medical team at an urgent care center can fix the joint dislocation, offer analgesia, and stabilize the area using a splint.
- Convenient Hours and Locations
Another benefit of urgent care centers is their accessibility. In contrast to a primary care office, which may be accessible only during the working week, an urgent care center is open most of the time during evenings, weekends, and even holidays.
These centers serve an essential role when it comes to patients who have dislocations during the evening, late at night, or during the weekend when primary care options cannot be obtained.
Besides being available for more hours, there are over 9,000 urgent care centers throughout the U.S., often located in convenient areas like neighborhoods or shopping centers.
Therefore, whether you have sustained an injury while playing sports over the weekend or at night, chances are there is an urgent care center within your vicinity that will attend to your needs.
- Reduced Risk of Complications
Urgent care centers are well prepared to address dislocations and can prevent the long-lasting effects that can be caused by untreated or badly treated injuries. If a joint stays out of place for a long time, there is a greater probability of damaging surrounding nerves, blood vessels, or ligaments.
Any delay can lead to long-term complications such as chronic pain, restricted movement or sometimes even permanent damage to the affected joint.
Moreover, urgent care providers can provide recommendations on follow-up care, including rest, use of ice on the affected area, and appropriate bracing of the injured extremity, which can help expedite the process of healing.
Conclusion
Dislocations are always painful and may lead to complications if not treated timely; however, this doesn’t necessarily imply that one needs to get to a hospital emergency unit. Urgent care centers are convenient, affordable, and professional establishments that can help to spare your precious time, money, and stress.
Since urgent care centers offer patients immediate care, consultation with professionals, low prices, a wide range of available services, and convenient accessibility, they are prepared to manage dislocations successfully.
Therefore, the next time you or your family experiences a dislocation, opt for the urgent care solution for quick relief and recovery.
