Back pain is one of the most common complaints that urgent care centers, orthopedic specialists, and primary care physicians hear about. Your back is the foundation of your musculoskeletal system and supports you every time you move. Because of this, your back is at risk for acute injury and chronic diseases related to the spine, intervertebral discs, spinal cord, spinal nerves, and more. Back pain can also be a sign of a more serious condition, so it’s important to never ignore back pain. Instead, get the right diagnosis and pain relief with an orthopedic urgent care doctor.
Causes of Back Pain
Back pain may come on suddenly or it may develop gradually but persistently over days to weeks. Common causes of back pain include:
- Muscle sprain
- Car accident (whiplash)
- Sustaining a fall
- Work-related injury (from heavy lifting or workstations with poor ergonomics)
- Sports Injury
- Nerve impingement
- Arthritis and other degenerative conditions, including ruptured discs
While back pain can occur anywhere in the spine and even extend to the buttocks and legs, the most common form of back pain is lower back pain (lumbar spine pain).
Mild cases of back pain may resolve on their own in a few days. However, if your pain persists for more than a few days and is accompanied by fever, urinary incontinence, numbness and tingling in the lower extremities, or sudden weight loss, this may indicate an infection, which can lead to paralysis if left untreated. Therefore, it is important to see an orthopedic urgent care doctor as soon as possible after experiencing back pain.
How an Orthopedic Urgent Care Doctor Can Help
At Patient Care Now, an urgent care doctor is available right away to review your orthopedic symptoms and to provide a hands-on examination of your back and entire musculoskeletal system. On-site X-rays deliver clear images and multiple views of the painful back areas and help the doctor rule out certain conditions and confirm a preliminary diagnosis.
For back strains, sprains, and minor fractures, the urgent care team can provide durable medical equipment, such as a back brace, to stabilize the injury while it heals. In addition, they will provide you with a care plan for pain relief including medication, heat/cold therapy, and more.
For more complex back injuries and conditions, the orthopedic urgent care physician may refer you to a trusted orthopedic specialist or neurologist for further evaluation and treatment. Because back pain can be linked to other health conditions, sometimes further assessment and treatment outside the urgent care center may be necessary to address your back pain most comprehensively and effectively as possible.
Orthopaedic Urgent Care in Fairless Hills, PA
At Patient Care Now Urgent Care, our board-certified physicians–Drs. Kidwell, Ball, Ruocco, and Alban–get to the source of back pain or any urgent pain so patients feel better and get the accurate treatment options they deserve. We pride ourselves on providing top-quality orthopedic care in Fairless Hills, PA.
To learn more about our orthopedic urgent care services, call us at (267) 202-6433, or walk in at any time during our business hours. You can reserve a spot online by completing our convenient online check-in form.
We are open seven days a week and 365 days a year, so we are ready to serve you and your family any time the need arises. We look forward to caring for you!
