If you are someone you know has ever experienced a sprain or fracture, you likely know how painful it can be! When an individual experiences a minor fracture, such as a twisted ankle or an injured wrist, it is imperative that he or she takes a visit to an urgent care center to ensure that they receive the proper treatment! Considering that sprains and fractures are common among Americans – with nearly 6 million people in the United States breaking a bone in a given year – knowing the difference between a sprain and fracture, as well as the treatment options (i.e. physical therapy programs at your local urgent care clinics), can ensure that you or your loved one make a full recovery! Keep reading below for best practices on caring for your body!

Tips for Caring for Minor Fractures and Sprains

1. Identify whether or not you are suffering from a sprain or fracture.

When it comes to bones, there are two distinct things that can happen – you can break a bone or you can fracture one. That said, the two instances are very different,
as one is more serious than the other. Specifically, a spraining ankle or wrist means that you stretched or tore a tendon or ligament in your body. Comparatively, a fracture means that you broke a bone, which is generally considered to be more serious than a sprain. Regardless of which injury you’ve experiences (either a sprain or fracture) reaching out to an urgent care center in your community will help identify the issue and get you the care you need!

2. Don’t be afraid – you’re not alone when it comes to sprains and fractures!

When it comes to injuries, it is far more common than you may think. For example, consider that 25,000 Americans suffer from an ankle sprain each day. Note, that that is just calculating ankle sprains a day, not wrist sprains or fractures! The idea of a sprain or fracture can be scary, as it is an injury that requires proper care and treatment to ensure a full and speedy recovery. That said, given how common an ankle injury is, you should take comfort in knowing that local urgent care clinics will have the tools and resources to care for you in the event of injury. All in all, take comfort in knowing that when it comes to a sprain or fracture, you are not alone!

3. If you’ve been told you have a sprain or fracture, find the right facility to care for you!

If you’ve been told that you are in fact suffering from a sprain or fracture, it is imperative that you reach out to local urgent care clinics to help you with your course of treatment! Keep in mind, that four out of every five urgent care clinics have the ability to provide fracture care. This is important, as it is more likely than not, that if you are suffering from an injury you will be able to find a facility nearby that will specialize in proper care and treatment. Thus, as mentioned above, if you’ve been diagnosed with a sprain or break or if you suspect you may have an injury and are simply nervous about your treatment options, don’t be afraid to call your local urgent care clinics to ensure that you can get the help you need and start your journey to recovery!

All in all, if you feel that you are suffering from a sprain or injury or if you have been told you’ve fractured a bone, be sure to follow the tips above to ensure you received the proper care and treatment. Specifically, identify whether or not your injury is a sprain or fracture, as the two are distinctly different. Second, know that you are not alone, so don’t be scared to seek help from local health centers or doctors! Lastly, know that local urgent care clinics are more likely than not to have the resources to help treat you and get you back to your healthy self!