Athletes are more prone to injury than the average person. They know that when they enter the sport, but that doesn’t mean anyone ever wants to be injured. When an injury occurs during a game or practice, it’s important to stop everything and take it seriously, even if it seems minor. Continuing to play on an injury can cause worse injury to occur. Let’s discuss the best ways to assess and treat an athletic injury.
Initial Assessment
When an athlete is injured, tell them to stop what they’re doing and stay still until someone trained in first aid can come take a look. A couch or other trained person should be present during all games and practices in the event of an injury.
The area that has been injured should be stabilized. If the athlete is bleeding, firm pressure can be applied to help encourage clotting. The injured area shouldn’t be touched any more than necessary, especially if it’s an open wound.
Diagnosing an Injury
Once the player has been stabilized, they need to be checked out by a medical professional. Taking an athlete to an urgent care center is the best way to get them seen quickly and get comprehensive care at an affordable rate. The urgent care staff will assess the injury and, if needed, take X-rays. Once an injury has been diagnosed, it can be treated.
Treating an Athletic Injury
Urgent care centers are equipped to treat all types of athletic injuries. scrapes and cuts will be disinfected and covered to keep it clean. In some cases, the athlete might need stitches. For sprains and strains, the athlete will be given a brace to help stabilize the area and may be asked to minimize use of the area for a certain period of time. If a player is suffering from a potential concussion, they’ll be assessed and treated depending on how severe the concussion appears to be.
Overall, urgent care staff are prepared to diagnose and treat nearly any athletic injury. Urgent care centers stay open late so even if a game has run into over time before an injury occurs, we’re here to help!
Visiting an emergency room will lead to hours spent in the waiting room and waiting to see a primary care provider risks a worse injury. Utilize your local urgent care center to keep athletes safe and get them back in the game quickly!
Telemedicine Urgent Care for Mild Injuries
As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, it is important to ensure that patients have the absolute best access to medical care. That is why AFC Urgent Care West Long Branch is proud to provide telemedicine urgent care visits for patients!
Simply get care and consultation for your minor injuries through a virtual visit on your phone. Providers can then reccomend next steps for treatment and determine if it is nessecary for you to leave the house!
