There are a variety of reasons why we’re trending away from typical medical care and towards urgent care clinics. For one thing, no matter what kind of insurance you have, medical care can be expensive at times. Often times, health insurance is meant to cover the cost of major procedures — including major surgeries or long-term treatments like chemotherapy — but doesn’t help much with day-to-day ailments. Another issue people have with going to the doctor’s office or emergency room is the amount of time it takes out of their day. Even when appointments are made, the wait time makes them last much longer — it can be difficult to find a time with a doctor’s visit doesn’t conflict with work, and nobody wants to spend their day off waiting for medical care. With all of that being said, in the past people were unsure about trading in their doctor’s office for urgent care clinics simply because they had the wrong idea about the kind of treatment that urgent care clinics offer. In fact, a typical urgent care clinic offers much of the same treatments that you would get at your doctor’s office or medical center emergency room — and you will get the care you need faster and often at a much lower cost. Let’s look into some of the treatments and services you can receive at an urgent care clinic.
1. Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is something that could change the lives of many Americans suffering from chronic pain. It’s believed that by 2030, six out of 10 Baby Boomers will be suffering from chronic conditions, and already one out of 10 Baby Boomers report that their physical activity is limited to a few days out of every month. It’s estimated that 69% Americans have lower back pain that affects their everyday lives, but only four out of 10 Americans exercise to relieve this sort of pain. Many don’t exercise because they’re afraid of “doing it wrong” and further harming themselves — which is indeed a risk with this sort of condition. Luckily, a visit to an urgent care clinic can get you started on the path to a new life. Physical therapy can help people stimulate muscles that haven’t been use for a long time, and for that matter strengthen them. Many find that this kind of activity not only increases their physical abilities, but their health as well. It can be expensive to get involved with physical therapy at a hospital — to do so at an urgent care clinic makes it much more affordable.
2. Fracture Care
While some medical emergencies must be treated at a major hospital or emergency room, many can be cared for at urgent care clinics. Fractures are always painful, but they aren’t always life-threatening, nor do they always necessitate surgery. In fact, many fractures are relatively minor — whether this means fracturing your finger or cracking your ankle. Stress fractures in particular — which happen over time rather than at once — are often treated at urgent care clinics. Not all clinics offer fracture care, but it’s estimated that four out of five do. And when you can get something as painful as a fracture treated quickly and cheaply at an urgent care clinic, why not do so? It certainly beats waiting for — potentially — hours at an emergency room before being seen.
3. STD Testing
It’s important to be tested for a potential sexually transmitted disease or infection. Yet many avoid doing so either because of cost or embarrassment. Urgent care clinics are discreet, and often less public than a doctor’s office. They also provide cheap and accurate testing, and for that matter many offer treatments afterwards. While this kind of testing can be awkward, avoiding it can put your health and that of others at risk — so don’t hesitate. The fact that urgent care clinics offer this kind of service makes it much more accessible to all.