There are several ways to treat an injury, depending on the type of injury you have. Some minor injuries can be treated at home, others will require medical attention through your primary care physician or an urgent care clinic, and still others will require emergency treatment through a hospital emergency room. Minor to moderate injuries are best treated through your family doctor or an urgent care clinic, leaving the emergency room to deal with life-threatening illnesses and injuries. Injuries can include cuts, burns, sprains, fractures, bites, rashes, aches and pains. Treatment can vary from a simple cleaning in the case of some minor cuts and burns or rest for sprains, aches and pains, to needing stitches for larger and deeper cuts or a cast for fractures. Minor cuts, scrapes and burns, as well as some bites and rashes can be treated with the use of creams and ointments available over the counter at any pharmacy or in a standard first aid kit, and covered over with a bandage or gauze dressing to keep the area clean. Minor aches, pains and sprains can also be treated at home through using the RICE method – rest, ice, compression, elevation. You can also take over the counter pain killers such as an anti-inflammatory or NSAID to help control any pain. In the case of minor injuries where the at home methods aren’t going to do the trick or if the condition has been ongoing for a few days and not getting any better, it’s best to seek out medical attention as soon as possible to ensure that the injury heals correctly. Injuries like sprains and fractures have very similar symptoms, although they are very different injuries. An untreated fracture can lead to chronic pain and a higher risk of re-breaking the bone in the future. Deep untreated cuts or serious burns can lead to a higher risk of infection below the surface of the skin.

Minor injuries is a broad term used for a wide variety of injuries that are either internal or external to the body. Injuries can include cuts, burns, sprains, fractures, bites, rashes, aches and pains. Minor cuts may or may not need stitches, depending on the length and depth of them. At minimum they will need a good cleaning and most likely a bandage. Sprains, strains and fractures can have very similar symptoms, and should be diagnosed by a doctor to properly identify the type of injury so it can be treated accordingly. Bites will need to be closely monitored for an allergic reaction and should be checked by a doctor when there is swelling and redness for an extended period of time at the site of the bite. Rashes can be the result of an allergic reaction that can be treated with an over-the-counter antihistamine but should be monitored and checked by a doctor if symptoms persist or get worse. Most aches and pains will rest and possibly ice and painkillers, however if the pain is in certain areas of the body, like the back, it is a good idea to get them checked as soon as possible, particularly if the pain came on suddenly without a specific cause.

Urgent care can absolutely treat minor injuries and they are set up to be able to treat even moderate injuries if needed. Some urgent care clinics will have additional services such as x-rays which are needed to accurately diagnose a sprain or fracture. They also have the ability to stitch wounds and cast fractures if needed. Urgent care clinics generally employ general practice doctors who are broadly trained in many facets of acute and chronic illnesses and injuries, making them the perfect choice for treating patients in an urgent care setting. Doctors with specialized training, such as orthopedists may rotate on shifts at an urgent care clinic to pick up additional hours or further be able to serve patients. We serve patients from Alexandria VA, Ruther Glen VA, Bagdad VA, Athens VA, Balty VA, and Doswell VA.