When you or a family member is injured, heading to the local hospital emergency room is likely to be your first instinct. And there are times when a visit to the ER is the best decision. If the injury is life threatening, the patient is unconscious, or they have a severe head injury, there’s no question that the hospital is the place to go.
But what about those times when the injury isn’t quite as severe? There are times when a visit to orthopedic urgent care in Raleigh, NC, is the better option. From sprains and strains to suspected fractures, joint injuries, and more, the orthopedic experts at EmergeOrtho’s Orthopedic Urgent Care have the specialty training and experience to treat the most common injuries.
Choosing urgent care over the ER can save time and money, while still ensuring the highest level of orthopedic treatment. Here’s how to decide when it’s the better option for you.
Orthopedic Urgent Care or ER: How to Decide
One Florida hospital system created a series of billboards to help patients decide when to choose urgent care over the emergency room. They used stark comparisons like mouse vs. bear trap to show the difference in the levels of care, letting people know that the ER is best for life-threatening and extreme situations.
These billboards, while humorous, reflected the fact that a visit to the ER isn’t always necessary. All too often, though, instead of scheduling a visit with their primary care provider, or visiting an urgent care center, patients visit the ER for all manner of minor illnesses and injuries. This often means long waits and big bills—not to mention, many orthopedic injuries require an additional follow-up with an expert even after emergency care.
With that in mind, knowing when to seek orthopedic urgent care in Raleigh, NC, instead can save you time, and in many cases, also save you money and ensure that you receive the care needed for optimum recovery.
EmergeOrtho Urgent Care: Here When You Need Us
EmergeOrtho’s orthopedic urgent care centers are located throughout the greater Triangle Region, and offer patients efficient, comprehensive, and affordable urgent care services.
Orthopedic Urgent Cares are designed to accommodate a wide range of ailments, including musculoskeletal pain and injuries, postsurgical pain and complications, fracture reductions, and minor wounds.
To help you decide whether to head to an orthopedic urgent care location instead of the ER, refer to following chart:
|
Can Be Treated at Orthopedic Urgent Care |
Emergency Room Treatment Required |
| Sprains | Non-orthopedic-related injuries/conditions |
| Strains (including neck and low back) | Head and/or facial trauma |
| Broken bones | Full or partial amputations |
| Closed fractures (the bone has not broken the skin) | Open fractures (the bone has broken the skin) |
| Sports-related injuries | Initial visit following a motor vehicle accident |
| Joint problems (pain, swelling, etc.) | Chest injuries |
| Cuts, lacerations, and wounds | Diagnosed shoulder dislocations |
| Dressing problems associated with a cast or wound | |
| Foot and ankle injuries | |
| Hand and wrist injuries |
Advantages of Orthopedic Urgent Care Versus an ER Visit
One of the major advantages of seeking care from an EmergeOrtho orthopedic urgent care is that our Apex, Burlington, Durham, Raleigh, and Smithfield locations are open seven days a week. The Dunn, Fuquay-Varina, and Wilson locations are open six days a week, making it easy to get urgent orthopedic treatment when you need it most.
Choosing an Orthopedic Urgent Care near Raleigh, NC, also offers additional benefits, including:
- Affordable visit/treatment options (especially compared with those of an ER)
- Shorter wait times
- Expert care from board-certified orthopedic specialists offered outside of normal business hours
Another spectacular advantage of EmergeOrtho’s orthopedic urgent care centers is the availability of 16 convenient locations within the Triangle Region:
- Apex *open seven days a week
- Brier Creek
- Burlington *open seven days a week
- Chapel Hill
- Clayton *Saturday hours available
- Dunn *Saturday hours available
- Durham *open seven days a week
- Fuquay-Varina *Saturday hours available
- Mebane
- Oxford
- Raleigh *open seven days a week
- Roxboro
- Smithfield *open seven days a week
- Southpoint
- Wake Forest-Wakefield
- Wilson *Saturday hours available
Get the Orthopedic Care You Need, When You Need It
No matter what type of injury brings you to one of our orthopedic urgent care centers, know that EmergeOrtho is committed to ensuring a safe, comfortable, and comprehensive patient experience.
Our ultimate goal is to help you Emerge Stronger. Healthier. Better—without a major impact on your finances.
If you need orthopedic urgent care, you can reduce your wait by reserving a spot online before you leave home. You can also learn more about the orthopedic urgent care Raleigh, NC, patients depend upon, including details about all of our orthopedic urgent care locations, by calling us any time at 919-220-5255.
