Sports Injury? Urgent Care Could Be the Answer

Posted on October 26, 2023November 16, 2023 by Gabrielle Farnandez

You’re getting ready to make a winning pass when a sudden hit to your shoulder brings you face-to-face with the floor. Or maybe your morning run was cut short by a sharp and abrupt pain in your ankle. Either way, you’ve been sidelined by an unforeseen challenge. What happens next?

When you experience a sports injury, urgent care can provide the solutions you need to treat your condition. Carson Tahoe Urgent Care clinicians can make an accurate diagnosis and provide quick, effective care for sports injuries.

An urgent care center is an ideal option when:

• Your injury is not life-threatening.
• You need a same-day appointment.
• Your provider’s office is closed because it’s after business hours or on a weekend.

Is Your Injury Urgent or an Emergency?

After a sports-related injury occurs, embracing the no pain, no gain mentality can be tempting. However, not properly addressing injuries during sports events could lead to more serious problems. Common sports injuries that you may experience include:

• Achilles tendon injuries
• Broken bones or fractures
• Joint dislocations
• Rotator cuff tears
• Shin splints

The injuries above can vary in severity, and determining how debilitating each issue is will guide you to the appropriate type of medical treatment.

When a sports injury occurs, you should seek medical care at an urgent care center if you notice the following symptoms:

• Bruising, pain, or swelling that is severe
• Inability to put weight on an area or move it normally
• Intense weakness of a limb that has been injured

The Carson Tahoe Urgent Care team is equipped with the experience and tools needed to effectively treat and address a broad spectrum of sports-related complications. If your condition requires more specific care, urgent care providers will refer you to the right orthopedic specialist.

Step-by-Step Sports Injury Treatment

If you have a minor sports injury, you can try at-home options before visiting a medical provider. A treatment method known as RICE is often effective in easing pain and hastening healing. The acronym RICE stands for:

• Rest: Avoid using the injured area for a day or two.
• Ice: Four to eight times daily, apply a cold compress to the injured area for 20 minutes.
• Compression: Wrap a bandage around the injured area to reduce swelling. Be sure the wrap is not too tight, as you do not want to cut off circulation.
• Elevation: Prop the injured area up on a pillow, raising it above the heart to limit swelling.

If the RICE method is inadequate, and over-the-counter pain relievers are not helping your pain, visit one of the closest urgent care clinics. An urgent care provider can conduct a physical exam and perform tests, such as X-rays, to diagnose your condition. The urgent care provider might recommend options such as a brace, cast, sling, or a visit to an orthopedic specialist or physical therapy provider. 

In the Event of an Emergency

Convenience and cost often make urgent care centers the healthcare settings of choice for treating sports injuries. However, specific symptoms that could indicate serious complications, such as bad breaks or traumatic brain injuries, warrant an immediate call to 9-1-1 or a trip to the emergency room. These include:

• Difficulty breathing
• Excessive vomiting
• Inability to move, speak, or walk
• Loss of consciousness
• Open fracture where the bone pushes through the skin
• Severe headache
• Sudden confusion
• Uncontrollable bleeding

At the Carson Tahoe Emergent Care Center at Minden Medical Center, you can directly access the care you need as quickly as possible. As the only licensed, stand-alone emergency room in Nevada, the facility provides treatment for acute injuries, such as fractures and sprains.

Emergency care is also available at the Mallory Emergency Department at Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center.

Walk-In to Win

If you need a physical before taking the field or exam to investigate an ongoing ache or pain, you can turn to Carson Tahoe Walk-In Clinics. Locations at Eagle Medical Center and Minden Medical Center are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, and appointments aren’t required.

Need care now? Choose Carson Tahoe Health for same day care.