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Sports Injuries: Should An Urgent Care By My First Visit?

Staying healthy is very important. Wouldn’t you all agree?

That’s the reason why sports are not limited only to the youth. Sports and physical activity have been proven important in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Therefore, it is highly recommended that the elderly engage in physical activity as well. Being fit is valuable for all ages, whether young or old. 

After all, engaging in regular physical activity prevents several chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, and obesity. Plus, it builds strength and stamina, prevents loss of bone mass, and improves balance. It also helps prevent muscular problems.

Studies also show that sports help improve the feeling of happiness and well-being. Being physically active also addresses some psychological disorders like depression. 

 

Injuries are inevitable when it comes to sports.

However, try as you might, eventually, you will experience injuries in the course of playing a sport. Sports-related injuries may be attributed to poor training practices, inadequate warm-up or stretching before the actual game, inappropriate footwear or incomplete safety gear for the activity, overtraining, and last but not the least, accidents.

Some muscle soreness after is normal, especially if you play a certain sport regularly. However, lingering pain is not. 

 

What are the types of injuries that you may experience?

Most injuries fall into two categories: acute and chronic injuries.

 

Acute Traumatic Sports Injury 

These types of injuries or traumas occur suddenly. For example, a basketball player accidentally runs into the elbow of an opposing player or a teammate. Some examples of these are sprains, fractures, concussions, and lacerations. 

Common symptoms of acute traumatic sports injury are sudden severe pain, swelling, visible dislocation, and the inability to move normally. If the injury is internal, the symptoms may not be obvious. Internal injuries require the use of machines like ultrasound, CT scan, and X-ray to get an accurate diagnosis.

 

Chronic Sports Injury

These are also known as “overuse injuries.” They are caused by repetitive training. They usually occur after you play a sport over an extended period of time using repetitive moves or motions. 

This is usually experienced by players who are into endurance-type sports like running, cycling, swimming, and tennis. The pain is normally felt during the activity and even when at rest.

Some examples of overuse injuries include stress fractures, tennis elbow, and shin splints.

 

Is it time to seek Union City urgent care?

Now say, for example, you experience muscle strain. Do you immediately look for urgent care for your muscle strain? Or would it be better to visit the emergency room instead?

Well, here’s something you need to know: a lot of injuries can be treated at home using the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). That means you don’t necessarily have to head over to the hospital at once.

In fact, it might be better to access telemedicine in Union City first. That way, you can get the opinion of your doctor before you start Googling “urgent care clinic near me.”

Now, if the pain persists even after you have rested for a few days, it’s probably a signal that you need to seek medical help. Waiting for the pain to subside for too long may worsen the injury and discomfort.

 

When should I go to urgent care in New Jersey?

What type of injuries should prompt you to Google “sports urgent care near me”? Here are the following instances:

 

Your injury causes you to experience intense swelling.

A lot of sports result in swelling of a knee or elbow however, if this is accompanied by bruising, tenderness, or a deformed limb, then it may be a sign that you’ve broken a bone.

 

You have lingering pain.

If you suffer a sudden trauma, it’s always a good idea to rest your body for a week to give it time to heal. If the pain still persists, it’s best to see a doctor.

 

You feel numbness or tingling in a body part that has experienced trauma.

If you feel some sort of numbness or tingling sensation in your arms or legs or any other part of your body that was subject to trauma, this can be an indication of possible nerve damage due to a dislocated joint or bone fracture. These conditions put pressure on the nerves which causes the pins and needles sensation to spread to the limbs.

 

You cannot move or bend a joint.

If you are unable to move a joint like your elbow, wrist, or knee, then the cause is likely an orthopedic injury. This is typically caused by overuse and the most common of which is a tennis elbow. A tennis elbow restricts the movement of your forearm and wrist because of the inflammation of the tendons in the elbow. 

 

You cannot support your weight on the affected area.

Let’s say you hit your foot while playing. If for example, you try to walk, but the pain just shoots up your foot, your foot does not have the ability to support your weight. You may have dislocated something or even broken your foot.

 

When should you go to an emergency room?

Remember, an emergency room visit means that the injury is possibly life-threatening. That means you no longer have time to Google “urgent care near me.” You or the person who has been injured has to be treated immediately.

This usually applies to a person who has lost consciousness or seems disoriented and confused. That means that person has likely experienced a concussion. You will know it’s a serious injury if that person is also experiencing nausea, vomiting, and slurred speech.

Also, if a person is noticeably pale and has unsteady breathing or an unsteady pulse, bring that person to the emergency room at once.

 

Visit Diligent Urgent Care for your sports injuries.

Looking for sports injury urgent care in Union City or nearby areas?

Diligent Urgent Care is here to provide you with exceptional care when you need it the most. We are open 365 days a year and will even extend working hours just to meet your needs. We even bring hospital emergency room skills to patients in need of immediate medical treatment without the long lines and big ER bills.

Look no further than us! Schedule an appointment for urgent care with us by giving us a call or leaving your details on our website. Walk-ins are accepted but it’s best to set an appointment first. 

We are open from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 10 pm, and on weekends from 9 am to 7 pm. Our address is 3807 Bergenline Ave Union City, New Jersey 07087. 

A telemedicine visit is also viable as long as you have a smartphone, tablet, or computer with an internet connection. Once your appointment is booked, you will be provided a link to connect at the time of your appointment. Our virtual visit platform is convenient, safe, secure, and user-friendly!

Our team at Diligent Urgent Care will be very happy to provide you with comprehensive emergency and injury care whenever you need it. 

Don’t delay and call us immediately for any of your sports injury-related concerns. We look forward to helping you!