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Can You Go To Urgent Care For Back Pain

When To Go To Urgent Care For Back Pain

Back Pain: When Should You Go to Urgent Care?

By Coastal Urgent Care Baton Rouge

Its a sad fact that 54% of adults have had back pain for five years or even longer. Everyday back pain can range from manageable to needing constant care.

That kind of back pain needs medical attention but doesnt necessarily need immediate attention. Mostly things like stress cause this kind of everyday ache.

Were talking about sudden, strong pain that may point to a more long-lasting injury. Were talking about when to seek urgent care for back pain. Keep reading to know the symptoms and what you can do.

Back Pain: When Should You Go To Urgent Care

Dr. Eric B. Laxer

The pain from many back injuries can be managed independently at home with modified activities and over-the-counter medications. There are, however, some symptoms and scenarios that suggest your pain should be addressed right away.

Dr. Eric Laxer of OrthoCarolinas Spine Center specializes in seeing patients with spine ailments. He recommends seeing a back specialist immediately if you are experiencing symptoms that go down your legs like pain, numbness or tingling.

Also, dont hesitate to call someone immediately if youre experiencing a change in bladder or bowel function like loss of control or numbness.

Need care now? OrthoCarolina offers multiple orthopedic urgent care locations with same-day care available on weekdays, weeknights and weekends. No referral needed. Hours vary by location.

Have back pain that doesnt require an urgent care visit?Read Dr. Laxers recommendations for treating pain at home. If your back pain doesnt improve in a few days, schedule an appointment with a spine specialist at an office location near you.

Have Peace Of Mind And Relief

The back is a complicated part of the body, so its no wonder that many people are unsure about whether or not they should visit urgent care for their back pain. If you have any of these four signs, we recommend any of our Arizona Urgent Care locations as soon as possible! Its fast, simple, and friendly, so you can get back to living your life pain-free.

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When To Call The Professionals At Fastmed

If self-care measures taken over a period of a week do not alleviate your symptoms or if your pain increases in severity, its time to visit a healthcare professional.

At FastMed, we work hard to get you in and out of our clinic as quickly as possible. Each of our clinics are equipped with on-site labs and X-ray machines, saving you time and energy if more advanced diagnostics are required.

While we strive for speed and convenience, we also provide each of our patients with quality care. Visit our website today to find the FastMed nearest you. Dont suffer from sciatic nerve pain any longer!

Can I Go To Urgent Care If I Have Preeclampsia

Back Pain: When Should You Go to Urgent Care?

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:

  • Headaches

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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Other Types Of Back Pain

There are lots of other types of back pain, maybe you’ve lifted something, you’ve got a back strain or a sprain, maybe you’ve got a herniated disc. We do see lots of people with chronic back pain where it flares up. These are all things that could probably be treated through your primary care doctor or even through an urgent care. But in terms of the things that are really serious, those are the things I recommend watching for.

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Urgent Care For Back Pain In Portland Or

Any type of back pain, discomfort or abnormal symptoms should be taken seriously. If you were recently in an accident your injury symptoms may not appear until several hours or the next day. Dont ignore mild back pain or assume it will resolve on its own visit Portland Urgent Care to receive your diagnosis and treatment. Many back injuries require only short-term, temporary treatment — our healthcare team at Portland Urgent Care and Portland Wellness Care provides examinations, physiotherapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture and massage therapy.

How Can We Help You?

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Signs Of Severe Back Pain That Can Be Treated At An Urgent Care

Visit your local urgent care center if you are experiencing one or more of the following signs or symptoms:

  • Back strain or a sprain from overuse or lifting something the wrong way.
  • Pain, numbness or weakness in an arm or leg, and you suspect a herniated disc.
  • You have chronic back pain and are experiencing a flare-up.
  • You have persistent pain in the middle of your back as well as pain while urinating, fever, chills, nausea and vomiting. These could be signs of a bladder infection.
  • You have a sudden onset of acute back pain along with abdominal pain. These two symptoms together may be symptoms of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Dial 911 Immediately For Any Medical Problem That Appears To Be Life

If Your Back Pain Does This- See Dr. NOW! Emergency

Proper care will be provided at the closest emergency room . Remember, ER visits are necessary for true emergencies, such as chest pain and severe injuries. Minor injuries and illnesses will be examined by our urgent care physicians. If greater care is needed, our staff will direct patients to the proper healthcare provider, or, if it is a true emergency, we will transfer patients directly to a hospital emergency room for further treatment.

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Evaluation Of Symptoms And Correlation With Anatomy

Patient evaluation begins with characterization of the pain to establish the diagnosis. It should be noted that before presenting in the urgent care setting, many patients will have already tried non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications and heat or cold packs. Patients often report pain radiating to the leg but pain radiating below the knee is a more important sign of true radiculopathy than that radiating to the thigh.7

Visit The Spine & Rehab Group Ny For Your Back Pain

Urgent care allows doctors and specialists to monitor patients for illnesses and conditions that are not necessarily life threatening. If you want to be absolutely sure that your back pain is not a cause for concern, visit The Spine & Rehab Group.

Our doctors are board-certified spine and pain specialists with over 15 years of experience. We aim to provide our patients quick, accessible, and excellent care to help them with their pain. Schedule an appointment with us at any of our New York clinics today.

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An Urgent Care Approach To Low Back Pain

Urgent message: To better evaluate and treat patients with low back pain, urgent care providers need a good understanding of the anatomy of the back and they must be vigilant for red flags that signal a potentially serious condition.

SHAILENDRA K. SAXENA, MD, PHD, MIKAYLA SPANGLER, PHARM D, BCPS, and SANJEEV K. SHARMA, MD, MBA

Introduction Acute low back pain is a common condition often seen by urgent care providers. An episode of acute low back pain is usually of short duration and many patients will recover without any therapeutic intervention. The challenge for a provider is to manage low back pain effectively while limiting diagnostic evaluations and providing adequate conservative treatment. At the same time the provider needs to be vigilant about red flags associated with low back pain that may require further work up and referral to a spine specialist. This article is a comprehensive review of evaluation and treatment of low back pain and red flags associated with it. It should be noted that red flags may not necessarily indicate serious pathology, but providers should rely on a comprehensive clinical approach to evaluation of the condition.

What To Do If You Dont Have Insurance

Why You Need To Go To Urgent Care If You Have Back Pain ...

Many adults will opt for the emergency room for a minor condition when they or their children or other family members do not have health insurance and need medical attention because ERs cannot turn you away or refuse treatment, regardless of your ability to pay. We understand this logic completely, but, for those without insurance, we offer this guide to help you navigate your coverage options.

Please take the time to research your coverage options. Having insurance saves you time, money and frustration in the long run, while keeping ERs open and available for those who need it most.

Read Your Guide to Health Coverage: Getting the Care You Need here.

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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.

Secure Your Spot In One Of Our Urgent Care Facilities Or Emergency Rooms

Acute pain occurs abruptly and is a physical symptom of an injury, such as an ankle sprain, or an infection, such as strep throat. Although it doesn’t typically last long, it can be quite severe and uncomfortable, leading patients to seek relief quickly.

But should that pain relief be sought in the emergency room? Here’s how to assess whether to visit an ER for acute pain.

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When To Go To The Er For Back Pain

An ER visit is recommended when back pain indicates a medical emergency. An emergency is characterized by the probability of a serious adverse event or an incident that may result in a permanent disability. For back problems, the red-flag symptoms and signs that may indicate an emergency typically start suddenly and include some combination of the following:

  • Sudden loss of sensation in one or both legs, the groin and genital area, and/or the anal region
  • Inability to walk or stand
  • Inability to control bowel movements
  • Difficulty in passing urine or uncontrolled bladder movements
  • Sudden, intolerable pain in the lower back and/or leg
  • Back pain that radiates to the abdomen in front
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Back pain that follows a trauma, such as a fall, sports injury, or car accident
  • Sudden back pain with known risk factors for a fracture, such as osteoporosis

Many of these symptoms relate to spinal cord and/or cauda equina problems in the lower back, severe damage to a spinal nerve, or organ-related damage, or a possible fracture. It is important to evaluate and treat these symptoms and signs urgently to avoid permanent tissue damage and disability.

If any of the above symptoms are experienced, visiting the ER right away or calling 911 for assistance is advised.

Youre Injured Now What

How to get immediate relief of low back pain

Determining whether your back pain requires medical attention will depend on the severity of your injury. Since back injuries can occur at any moment, your primary physician may not be available to provide aid when it strikes.

Urgent care facilities can help you with your back pain. Those like the clinics that are part of UrgentMED can perform x-rays of the c-spine, l-spine, and t-spine in order to diagnose how severe your back pain is. If your back pain requires further medical attention, each of our clinics is closely connected with top rated specialists in the Southern California area. Additionally, we have two physical therapy centers attached to our West Los Angeles Urgent Care and West should your injury require rehabilitation.

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How Does Urgent Care Work

At University Urgent Care, we have a team of ER physicians ready to treat patients quickly. Urgent care clinics usually offer extended office hours that enable patients to walk in for treatments without an appointment and are generally less expensive than the ER. Our knowledgeable and experienced team at University Urgent Care does not replace your primary care physician who is familiar with your medical history and can manage long-term care.

What does urgent care treat?

  • At University Urgent Care, we treat many medical conditions, including:
  • Allergies
  • Ear, nose, or throat issues
  • Flu
  • Minor to moderate abdominal pain
  • Pink eye
  • Minor cuts or burns
  • Sprains

Never delay medical care as it can lead to increased pain, illness, or other health problems. When you need medical care, visit our urgent care clinic as soon as possible.

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.

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Can Muscle Strains Be Prevented

  • Avoid sitting in one position for too long.
  • Find a chair that offers good support for your lower back.
  • Practice good posture whenever you sit or stand.
  • Always bend at the knees and push with your legs when lifting heavy objects.
  • Whenever available, use handrails on stairways.
  • Stay off slippery surfaces.

Back Pain Paired With Leg Weakness

Why You Need To Go To Urgent Care If You Have Back Pain ...

Nobody likes back pain, but if that pain is paired with other symptoms, it is even worse. After a trauma, some people also experience leg problems. This can include numbness or tingling, or even severe pain in your legs, even though you didnt injure your legs. In extreme cases, people are even unable to walk.If the pain is spreading, or affects other areas of your body, its important to get your back checked.

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When Can You Go To Urgent Care While Pregnant

Whether youre expecting your first child or your third, pregnancy can make you feel a bit, well, delicate. Every cramp, fever, or chill may put you on high alert. The reality is that many pregnant women head to the ER for non-emergency situations. In fact, research done on the overcrowding of emergency rooms found that less than 3% of ER visits required vital intervention. Essentially, this means that the majority of people including pregnant women can be treated at urgent care, instead of the emergency room.

Thats not to say you shouldnt go to the ER for serious symptoms during pregnancy but knowing where to go and when can save you time, money, and a lot of hassle. Heres an overview of when a pregnant woman should go to urgent care during each trimester of pregnancy.

When Should I Go To The Er For Pregnancy Issues

There are some situations during pregnancy that call for an immediate visit to the emergency room, instead of urgent care. If any of the following occur, you should head to the hospital right away:

  • You have severe abdominal pain
  • You think youre having a miscarriage
  • You have signs of preterm labor in your second-trimester
  • You have severe headaches, especially if accompanied by blurred vision
  • Heavy vaginal bleeding
  • Any other situation that seems as though it could be life-threatening

If youre experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

When youre pregnant, your top concerns are the health of you and your precious baby. When a health concern comes up, sometimes you just cant wait to see your primary care physician or ob-gyn. In many cases, urgent care is a great option for pregnant women. Not only is it far less expensive than the ER, youll also be seen a lot faster many patients wait an average of 8 minutes when they book an urgent care appointment online with Solv.

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How Can Urgent Care Help With Back Pain

Do you need Help with Back Pain?

If youre experiencing back pain, youre not alone. Back pain is one of the most commonly experienced medical problems in the United States and not just with athletes. Everyday tasks such as gardening and housework are common culprits of spinal injuries, along with improper posture or age. Back pain can take many forms. Sometimes it appears as a sharp and sudden pain while on other occasions be a constant dull aching.

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