How To Tell if Joint Pain is Serious and Requires Urgent Care

Your joints support the movement of your bones and muscles. Hence, injured or diseased joints can cause severe pain and other adverse outcomes. For example, a dislocation or sprain can make it difficult to accomplish simple everyday tasks, while arthritis or cancer results in chronic joint pain, affecting one’s mental health.

Joint pain can be brief or persistent, mild or debilitating. Of course, you will seek urgent care if the pain is unbearable. But if your joint discomfort is not severe, how do you tell the difference between something that requires immediate attention over something you can treat at home?

The Joint is Misshapen, Swollen or Hot

Swollen and heated joints indicate infection or significant injury. A deformity can signal a severe trauma such as dislocation. In that instance, home care alone will not fix the joint, and you need urgent care.

The Pain is Chronic

Persistent pain is not a good sign for any situation. It is a sign of an underlying problem. Furthermore, living in discomfort for a week or more and waiting until your regular doctor can see you is not ideal. That is why urgent care exists: to get you treated fast when you need it. If you suffer joint discomfort for more than a few days, you can visit Clear Immediate Care for immediate medical attention.

The Pain Comes and Goes

A doctor’s visit may seem unnecessary at first. Perhaps, the pain was only an ache that went away after a simple ice treatment and some rest, leading you to ignore it. However, if the pain returns and becomes consistent, you should see a doctor and an urgent care center is the most practical solution. You can come to us exactly when the pain resurfaces.

The Pain Gets Worse

Home therapies will not help if your joint hurts more over time even after you iced the joint, propped it up for a few hours and took some ibuprofen. You probably have a more severe injury than you initially believed, which requires a professional’s diagnosis.

Urgent Care Joint Pain Treatment in Chicago

If you are in one of these circumstances, the best and safest thing to do is get medical help right away. Joint discomfort can drastically disrupt your life and restrict you from doing activities you love.

If joint pain impacts your mobility, CLEAR Immediate Care offers tailored treatment plans to improve your quality of life. Find relief by visiting one of our clinics or making an appointment now.