Orthopedic Urgent Care vs. ER for Bone Fractures

A lot of Americans seek medical care for bone fractures every year. In sports, it’s a very common injury. Bone fractures happen either due to a forcible impact, stress, or bone diseases, such as bone cancer and osteoporosis. No matter what the cause is, there are specific doctors who treat bone fractures.

But isn’t the emergency room (ER) the perfect place to get treatment for fractures? Not necessarily! Orthopedic urgent care centers are a better option to get bone fracture treatment. Let’s look at the key differences between orthopedic urgent care centers and emergency rooms.

Emergency Room for Broken Bone Fractures

Emergency room treatment is perfect for life-threatening situations. Anytime you feel your life may be at risk, it’s good to go directly to an ER. However, emergency rooms are not necessarily the only place to go if you have a fracture. This is especially true if your broken bone has not come out from the skin.

Emergency room doctors are educated, trained, and experienced in treating all types of medical emergencies. This includes fractures. So, if you suffer from a fracture, you can certainly get medical care for it. However, keep in mind that the focus of an emergency room is to save lives. Most fractures, fortunately, are not life-threatening. This can mean that you will have to wait for a longer time to get medical care at an emergency room than you would at an orthopedic urgent care center.

Additionally, although emergency room physicians are highly experienced and capable doctors who can treat fractures, they are by no means orthopedic experts. While they can certainly give you immediate medical care following a fracture and help you find relief, they are not specialized in the long-term care of the musculoskeletal system. For this, you will need the advice and care of an orthopedic physician – which you will find at an orthopedic urgent care center.

Orthopedic Urgent Care for Bone Fractures

Orthopedic physicians specialize in the treatment of all types of musculoskeletal system injuries, conditions, and diseases. Urgent care centers are designed to quickly treat non-life-threatening injuries and conditions. While most fractures are not life-threatening, they do require immediate treatment because of the significant pain and symptoms they cause. It is not advisable to wait a few days to see an orthopedic physician by appointment for fracture treatment. The sooner you get treatment for a fracture, the easier the treatment will be. Therefore, an urgent care center dedicated to orthopedic health is the perfect place for fracture treatment.

Which One Should I See?

Orthopedic urgent care centers have orthopedic physicians and surgeons on board who are ready to treat emergencies like fractures. They have specialized education, training, and experience treating issues like fractures and can offer expert care and advice when it comes to the topic. They understand how to treat a fracture in the best way possible so that in the long-term, you see the best possible results. Therefore, getting fracture treatment from an orthopedic physician or surgeon in an orthopedic urgent care setting is recommended.

Orthopedic Urgent Care Center in St. Peters & O’Fallon, Missouri

If you believe you have a bone fracture, visit Advanced Bone & Joint’s orthopedic urgent care clinics in St. Peters or O’Fallon. Our orthopedic physicians provide urgent orthopedic care when you need it – without the need for an appointment.

For more information, please call us at (636) 229-4222. We look forward to helping you find relief from your orthopedic emergency.