Can I Go To Urgent Care With Second Or Third Trimester Health Issues
If you experience any of the above health concerns during the second or third trimester of pregnancy, you can still go to urgent care. However, the further along you are, the more serious symptoms can potentially be. Here are the issues you can go to urgent care for. In the following section, well talk about when you should go to the ER during pregnancy.
How Do I Treat A Muscle Strain
In most cases, a muscle strain can be treated at home using the RICE method. This stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation.
The best thing you can do after straining a muscle is to rest for at least a few days. This is especially important if moving causes you pain.
After two days, its smart to slowly begin moving the impacted area again to prevent weakening of the muscle.
You should also place ice on the affected muscle as soon as possible after your injury to minimize swelling. Be sure to wrap ice in a towel or use an ice pack instead of placing the ice directly on your skin.
The ice should stay on your muscle for about 20 minutes and be repeated hourly for the first day. Ice should also be applied every four hours for the next several days.
In order to keep swelling to a minimum, its a good idea to wrap the strained muscle with an elastic bandage until the swelling goes down. Wrapping the area too tightly can reduce circulation of the blood, so be sure you can place a finger underneath the wrap.
Finally, try to elevate the injured muscle as much as possible. This means keeping the muscle above the level of your heart.
An over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen can help to keep the pain and swelling down.
Abdominal Pain With Acute Back Pain
Lets say you have a sudden onset of acute back pain but you havent done anything strenuous lately. If its coupled with abdominal pain as well, you need to go to urgent care for back pain.
The reason these two symptoms together are so alarming is that they could be symptoms of an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Your aorta is the main artery of the body. It runs from your heart through your abdomen. When it ruptures, youll feel as if you have an intense stomach ache.
A ruptured aorta is life-threatening. Dont waste time asking should I go to urgent care for back pain?, just go to a walk-in clinic.
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When To Go To Urgent Care For Back Pain
Certain back pain symptoms may not require immediate attention on the same day of occurrence but may need medical assessment as early as possible. When an appointment with a primary care physician or specialist is not available within a week, visiting an urgent care facility may be recommended to evaluate these symptoms:
- A recent increase in back pain that does not subside with over-the-counter or prescription medications
- Back pain associated with nausea and/or vomiting
- Back pain that becomes severe with specific movements, such as while coughing, bending forward or backward, or during twisting movements
- Back pain that travels down the hip and/or leg
- Recent onset of back stiffness
While an urgent care facility may not be equipped for a complete evaluation and diagnosis, the physician can help identify any hidden red-flag symptoms. An urgent-care physician can also prescribe medication to help control the symptoms in the short-term and offer referrals/guidance for further evaluation or treatment.
How Long Will You Sit In The Waiting Room
The length of the average ED visit for back pain is around 5 hours. Depending on the other cases that come in that day, you may sit for three hours without being seen by a medical provider.
For someone with back pain, sitting for that amount of time feels uncomfortable, worrying and frustrating.
We know pain is increased by fear, worry and uncertainty. If you suspect something bad is going on and no one can reassure you otherwise, it is very hard to relax and move normally. This guarding and compensation is very normal to see in people with back pain, and unfortunately it can cause your pain to feel worse.
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Seeking An Explanation: Will You Get Scans And Tests
If you go to emergency, you may have blood and urine tests, because theyre a good way to rule out anything nasty. They can quickly detect markers that tell doctors if you are fighting an infection, or theres a significant change to any of the systems that keep you alive, and if thats why youre hurting. They are there to rule out an emergency.
People almost always expect that they will get a scan or x-ray. The expectation that these tests will explain your pain, and why its severe today is not correct. Unless youve had a fall, a car accident, or some other trauma, or there are red flag symptoms present, you likely wont get scans, and probably wont gain much from a trip to the ED.
Emergency departments have limited resources, like MRI scanners, and they need to be available for emergencies. If someone comes into the ED with a possible stroke, and the scanner is being used by someone with back pain, theres a 30-60 minute wait for someone who is in a life and death situation.
What scans and x-rays tell doctors about pain is usually minimal. Its unusual for someone with back pain to have something thats found on a scan that changes the treatment and advice we usually give people.
Questions To Ask Your Doctor
Whether you’re seeing your primary care doctor or sitting in the emergency department, a clinician is going to tell you what they think is the best path for your treatment. They might suggest certain diagnostic tests, medication, or action steps based upon their understanding of the issue. But it’s important to remember that health care is a team effort requiring the participation of the patient: you. MCG experts highly suggest that you ask questions so that you and your clinician can make empowered, informed decisions together. Here are some questions that you can bring with you to your clinic or hospital visit:
- What is this test for?
- How many times have you done this procedure?
- When will I get my results?
- Why do I need this treatment or drug?
- Are there any alternatives?
- Will this medicine interact with any meds I’m currently taking?
- When and how should I take my medicine?
- What should I do if I miss my dose?
- What are the possible complications or side effects?
- What can I do to help manage my care?
- What should I avoid doing to prevent my back pain from getting worse?
- What should I do if my symptoms start?
- Where and when should I get help if I get worse?
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list so if there are any questions that come up for you before, after, or during the appointment, don’t be afraid to ask. Back pain is frustrating, but you don’t have to suffer alone.
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When To Contact An Urgent Care Doctor
Visit an urgent care doctor or contact your primary care doctor if back pain is not better after 3-4 days of self-treatment, if you have severe or recurrent back pain, new unexplained symptoms, or treatment side effects. If you are still having pain after 4 week, you may want to discuss other treatment options with your doctor. These may include electrical nerve stimulation, acupuncture, or chiropractic. Surgery is very seldom the best treatment choice but there are some cases in which it is recommended.
Seek immediate medical assistance if you are numb in the groin, are running a fever, have difficulty going to the bathroom, or lose bowel or bladder control.
We can help. We have five convenient MedHelp locations in the Birmingham area. No appointment needed for most visits.
Why You Need To Go To Urgent Care If You Have Back Pain
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Back pain is often caused by a repetitive movement from lifting cargo in the warehouses, stores, or trucks. This repetitive movement causes you to strain back muscles and ligaments. This causes back pain after work or training. It leads to problems performing tasks at work or home. Sports injuries often cause back pain as muscles and ligaments are stretched and worked to an extreme. Other causes are chronic conditions, deformities, poor posture, weight problems, and infections. When the pain interferes with your daily tasks it time to visit an urgent care walk-in clinic, hospital emergency room, or make an appointment with your doctor.
Traditional treatments for lower back pain are medications, pain killers, narcotics, anti-depressants, physical therapy, injections, and surgery. Some other treatments are regenerative medicine therapy known as stem cell therapy. A doctor will inject live cells from bone marrow into the area where the pain and tissue damage occurs. Sometimes radio frequency is used to stop pain signals by using a needle and radio waves. Another treatment is implanting nerve stimulators under the skin to block pain. Abdominal cramps back pain may be serious when symptoms do not subside but persist.
Persistent lower back pain is a sign that you should go to the walk-in clinic or doctor. The best way to cure back pain depends on the diagnosis.
Burning back pain causes
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Signs Of Severe Back Pain That Must Be Treated At An Emergency Room
Visit your nearest emergency room if you are experiencing one or more of the following signs or symptoms:
- You suffered a direct injury to your back or spinal cord.
- You have severe lower back pain, motor weakness, sensory loss, pain in one or both legs and you are unable to control your bladder or bowels. These could be signs of Cuada Equine Syndrome and could lead to permanent paralysis if left untreated.
If youre experiencing severe back pain, the skilled specialists at Getwell Urgent Care can help you in less time than it typically takes to get treated in an emergency room. Our facility is fully equipped and can relieve your back pain with the medical attention and treatment you need.
Frequent Causes And Effects Of Neck Pain
Severe and prolonged pain in the neck could be a sign of a serious condition. Poor posture or osteoarthritis could cause discomfort and irritation. A car or bike accident, or a sports injury, could damage the neck muscles as well. These pains can limit the person’s range of motion or even make routine tasks difficult. Sometimes, the feelings can radiate into the person’s arms, hands, legs, or feet. The sources of this pain can be anything from a pinched nerve or herniated disk to arthritis, meningitis, or cancer.
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Can I Go To Urgent Care If I Have Preeclampsia
Preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication related to high blood pressure, occurs most often after the 20th week of pregnancy. It can be life-threatening, so the symptoms shouldnt be ignored. However, not all preeclampsia symptoms are severe or need emergency treatment. If you have the following mild symptoms of preeclampsia, you can go to urgent care:
If you begin experiencing severe headaches, blurred vision, severe abdominal pain, or severe shortness of breath you should go to the emergency room, not urgent care.
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When Should I Go To The Er For Sciatica Pain
When someone suffers from a pinched sciatic nerve, it can be tormenting. Sciatica sufferers often deal with back pain or leg pain, and sometimes even weakness, tingling, and numbness join in. It frequently starts as achiness in the lower back, then the pain spreads towards the buttocks, and down through the back of the leg. The streak of pain usually affects only one leg.
Sciatica is not a medical diagnosis but rather a symptom of an underlying medical problem. Here are some possible causes or conditions that stem sciatica from happening:
- Neck or head injury
- Lumbar disc treat or herniation
- Degenerative disc disease
- Tumors growing on the nerve roots of the spinal cord
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Back Pain Remedies You Can Do From Home
Your back may not be something you think about much, but lower back pain can hinder your ability to do just about anything. Despite being incredibly common, most people do not know simple back pain remedies that can provide relief.
Back pain can occur for several reasons. Common physical activities like exercising, yard work or other kinds of physical labor, or poor sleep habits can all contribute to back pain.
At Live Urgent Care, we work with those experiencing back pain on two fronts. First, we focus on alleviating the immediate pain through exercises, simple remedies, and, when needed, the proper medications. Second, we provide a plan that helps prevent back pain from returning. These services are available through a virtual visit with Live Urgent Care.
Below are seven simple back pain remedies you can do from home. By using one or combining multiple techniques, you can begin to experience relief from back pain sooner.
What Pain Meds Can Urgent Care Prescribe
There is a wide range of pain medications that urgent care facilities can prescribe, from over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen to more potent drugs like opioids. The specific medication that is prescribed will depend on the severity of the pain and the underlying cause. In most cases, urgent care providers will start with a less potent medication and increase the strength if necessary.
Almost every patient seeks medical attention due to chronic or acute pain. Understanding the various pain syndromes, as well as their pharmacology and analgesic potencies, will aid in their safe and effective use. Many urgent care physicians prefer the term opioid rather than narcotic due to the less negative connotation of both terms. If you have pain, it could be a sign that you are in danger of having a medical or surgical emergency. Acute pain is defined as sudden and severe pain that does not go away. Chronic pain is a chronic pain syndrome that has been ongoing for a long time. Fibromyalgia has been accused of being a waste of time by some people who believe it is a waste of time to seek a diagnosis for unexplained pain.
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Treatments For Back Pain
Early treatments for benign back pain include simple things that can be performed at home. Try to rest, reduce activities, rotate ice and heat pack applications, and take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen or Aleve®. These things may provide some relief and give a chance for strained muscles or ligaments to heal.
If pain continues or becomes unbearable, other treatment options are available including:
- Physical therapy
- Neurostimulation therapy
- Prescribed and managed pain medication
Additional therapies may help to relieve your back pain such as chiropractic care, acupuncture, massage, or myofascial release therapy. Muscle strengthening exercises are excellent for relieving pain and yoga-style exercise can also help with ongoing pain control.
Muscle Spasms That Do Not Respond To Self
Muscle spasms can make the neck feel stiff, reducing mobility. The neck muscles tighten, and hard knots might form. Patients can use ice, heat, and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications to alleviate the symptoms. If symptoms persist after a day or two or if the spasms prevent patients from sleeping, it is time to visit a doctor. They can determine the cause of the neck pain and provide the appropriate treatment.
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When To Visit An Urgent Care For Chest Pain
If youre experiencing any type of chest pain, here are a few things to consider before heading to the emergency room. If any of the below factors apply to you, you can get proper medical care faster, and more affordably, at your local urgent care clinic:
If youre worried about chest pain that is persistent, severe or otherwise concerning, then you should always seek immediate medical attentioneven if you think its related to anxiety or a panic disorder. Visit Emerald Coast Urgent Care for chest pain because you shouldnt have to wait to feel better. Walk-ins are welcome 7 days a week.
Sudden Onset And Wont Go Away
Again, some people have experienced minor back pain for years. But sometimes it can appear suddenly and rapidly. This is often a bad sign, especially if a couple of days pass and the pain is not any better.Lets say you are at the gym doing some squats, and pull a muscle, or you hurt your back doing yard work. These things can cause your back to hurt a lot even though your back was fine before that incident.If the pain persists for more than a day without showing signs of improving, then come to Emerald Coast Urgent Care.
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If You Have These Symptoms You May Require Emergency Care
Lower back pain, which can occur anywhere from your rib cage to your buttocks, is often the result of lifting, reaching, twisting and stretching. Upper and middle back pain, in most cases, does get better with time and rest. If your back pain is unrelenting and not relieved by rest, you should immediately visit the closest emergency department. If the pain is accompanied by any of the following symptoms, you should also seek emergency care:
