Would you go to Urgent care for an X-ray if your wrist got hurt?

[Ginevra]

I think it’s sprained and doubt it is fractured or torn. But I hurt it yesterday trying to stabilize the Turkey pan and bringing from the bottom oven. It hurts like a dull pain but hurts more with rotation or weight. It is not swollen or bruised. 
 

I don’t know if it’s worth going for an X-ray or just wrap it up and keep it protected. 

[Pawz4me]

I wouldn't.

ETA for clarification: I'd try to go easy on it today, maybe take some NSAIDs. And if it didn't improve in a day or three then I'd maybe consider going. But I'm really (really) bad about just doing self care even for really bad (swollen, discolored) sprains, so possibly I'm not the best person to be offering advice. 😉 

 

Edited November 24, 2023 by Pawz4me

[Kassia]

I wouldn't either if it's not swollen.  Can you use it at all?  I think I'd just keep it wrapped and rest it as much as possible and see how it is after the weekend is over.  

[Katy]

Depends on the level of pain and how much time I have. 

[regentrude]

I wouldn't. If it's not swollen or visibly distorted, I would wait a week and see if it improves on its own.

[Ginevra]

14 minutes ago, Kassia said:

I wouldn't either if it's not swollen.  Can you use it at all?  I think I'd just keep it wrapped and rest it as much as possible and see how it is after the weekend is over.  

Yes, I can use it, but I prefer not to. I have it wrapped in a compression bandage for now. 

[Faith-manor]

I would probably do a wait and see. If it was broken, you probably would be in more pain. Also, I don't know about your urgent care, but ours does not do x rays. You have to go to the E.R. or wait until business hours of your physician who can order one at the hospital or imaging center without going through the E.R. we have to pay out of pocket entirely for the E.R. if we are not admitted. So something like this would cost us $2500.00 vs an office call on Monday and a non emergency x ray which is about $150 if they don't have to take a ton of images.

[Ginevra]

4 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

I would probably do a wait and see. If it was broken, you probably would be in more pain. Also, I don't know about your urgent care, but ours does not do x rays. You have to go to the E.R. or wait until business hours of your physician who can order one at the hospital or imaging center without going through the E.R. we have to pay out of pocket entirely for the E.R. if we are not admitted. So something like this would cost us $2500.00 vs an office call on Monday and a non emergency x ray which is about $150 if they don't have to take a ton of images.

Gosh that’s awful! I’m pretty sure the UC I would go to does do X-rays because I remember them doing X-rays on my son once. But yeah, I would definitely not be interested in going to the ER unless I was in terrible pain and felt certain it was broken. 

[Bambam]

I'd wait. I'd do the NSAIDs, ice, rest, maybe wrap it (for me this helps me remember not to use it, those little wraps at the drug store or Walmart are fairly inexpensive), more ice (10 minutes every hour that I'm awake).  If I  keep rotating it (making it hurt), I might consider getting a brace at the drug store instead of a wrap. 
 

[Katy]

Ok, if it’s bad enough you don’t want to use it and you felt you needed to wrap it, I’d go to UC. ETA: actually, go to an orthopedic urgent care if you have one near you. 

Edited November 24, 2023 by Katy

[Corraleno]

As long as it's not swollen or bruised, I'd just wrap it up and rest it. 

[KSera]

It would depend on the financials to me. It doesn’t sound like even if it’s broken that it’s a break that would be hazardous to delay diagnosis on, so I would be comfortable waiting. Not because lack of swelling or bruising would reassure me it wasn’t a break though. We’ve had multiple fractures in our house that had no bruising and minimal swelling. Sprains have been more swollen and bruised. Most of our fractures have been missed the first time they were seen in urgent care and then diagnosed later on repeat visit. Which is why waiting wouldn’t make me nervous. Also, the mechanism of injury seems to be one less likely to be fracture. Sprains can sometimes be more painful and take longer to heal than breaks. I’m sorry you’re experiencing it, whatever it is!

[theelfqueen]

It would appear that the answer is no. I fell and royally screwed up my elbow a couple of months ago. I considered the issues I was having to be tied to swelling and thought they'd disappear once the swelling went down. It improved do I kept saying "if it doesn't get better soon" The swelling went down and my elbow is still not right. And I have still not consulted medical advice. ... don't be me. 

Edited November 24, 2023 by theelfqueen

[TravelingChris]

i broke my wrist early on a Friday like 1 AM.  I knew it was broken but waited until Monday morning to go into an orthopedic urgent care because it takes a while to see a greenstick fracture,

[Ginevra]

6 minutes ago, TravelingChris said:

i broke my wrist early on a Friday like 1 AM.  I knew it was broken but waited until Monday morning to go into an orthopedic urgent care because it takes a while to see a greenstick fracture,

What is a green stick fracture? I’m not familiar with that term. 

[pinball]

I’d go.

I’d rather know than not know.

Wait and see is not a concept I subscribe to for emergent injuries

[SKL]

I would make an appointment with my chiropractor.

[Ottakee]

I would check your local orthopedic office/sports medicine office to see if they have walk in appointments or an urgent care.   Most likely a regular urgent care or ER would send you to an orthopedic doc for follow up anyway….so we just skip that step…and additional costs

[regentrude]

Adding to my previous post: on a *holiday weekend*,  I would only seek medical care for an actual emergency. I would expect urgent care and ER to be understaffed and overwhelmed and wait times long.

[Kassia]

removed because I need to stop posting incorrect info.  Sorry!  

Edited November 24, 2023 by Kassia

[regentrude]

2 minutes ago, Kassia said:

I'm guessing she meant recent?  I could be wrong, but sometimes it does take time for a fracture to show up on x-ray.  

No, a greenstick fracture is one where the break is incomplete and the bone is partially broken and partially bent. Like when you try to break a green branch - it doesn't break all the way like a dry one.

[Kassia]

10 minutes ago, regentrude said:

No, a greenstick fracture is one where the break is incomplete and the bone is partially broken and partially bent. Like when you try to break a green branch - it doesn't break all the way like a dry one.

lol, after I posted that I realized I should have kept out of it since I had no idea.  This is the second time in just a few days I posted something incorrect!  I'm so sorry!  I'll go back and edit my post.  Good grief - I need to stop posting unless I know what I'm talking about.  Thanks! 

[Ginevra]

1 hour ago, SKL said:

I would make an appointment with my chiropractor.

Really?? I would never think of a chiropractor for a wrist injury

[*****]

3 hours ago, Bambam said:

I'd wait. I'd do the NSAIDs, ice, rest, maybe wrap it (for me this helps me remember not to use it, those little wraps at the drug store or Walmart are fairly inexpensive), more ice (10 minutes every hour that I'm awake).

I'd do what Bambam said and keep it elevated as much as you can (even though there is no swelling). I crunched a few fingers very badly this summer and thought I'd be heading to the ER.  But I got home and nothing was broke, I could move fingers although 1 looked wonky.  I kept elevated from the start which I think was key, and applied ice, etc. It took a few months for everything to look fine again, but I'm glad I didn't rush in.  All is fine.  I hope this will be the best for you too. Sounds like something I've done recently too with cooking and all is well.

[busymama7]

I have had or known close friends/family who have had breaks missed at urgent care. I would recommend just going straight to orthopedic if you can.   

[Kassia]

2 hours ago, busymama7 said:

I have had or known close friends/family who have had breaks missed at urgent care. I would recommend just going straight to orthopedic if you can.   

The ER missed my broken wrist at first, but then the hospital called me a day or two later when the regular radiologist looked at the films and told me there was a fracture.  

[freesia]

19 hours ago, Bambam said:

I'd wait. I'd do the NSAIDs, ice, rest, maybe wrap it (for me this helps me remember not to use it, those little wraps at the drug store or Walmart are fairly inexpensive), more ice (10 minutes every hour that I'm awake).  If I  keep rotating it (making it hurt), I might consider getting a brace at the drug store instead of a wrap. 
 

This is what I would do, too.  

[Tenaj]

I fell on my wrist about 4 weeks ago.  Waiting a few days, went to an urgent care who refused to X-ray because of no bruising or swelling.  I still don't have full strength or rotation in that hand.  I think it's getting better but am pretty sure something was fractured or torn.

The "quack" as like to call him told me it couldn't be broken and that if I wanted sympathy I should wrap it or wear a brace.  To be honest I was so annoyed at him I could hardly speak let alone advocate for myself by the end of the appointment.  Really!  I just came because I wanted sympathy.  Nevermind I couldn't push the volume buttons on my phone with my thumb.  Grrr . . 

[Kassia]

57 minutes ago, Tenaj said:

I fell on my wrist about 4 weeks ago.  Waiting a few days, went to an urgent care who refused to X-ray because of no bruising or swelling.  I still don't have full strength or rotation in that hand.  I think it's getting better but am pretty sure something was fractured or torn.

The "quack" as like to call him told me it couldn't be broken and that if I wanted sympathy I should wrap it or wear a brace.  To be honest I was so annoyed at him I could hardly speak let alone advocate for myself by the end of the appointment.  Really!  I just came because I wanted sympathy.  Nevermind I couldn't push the volume buttons on my phone with my thumb.  Grrr . . 

That's awful.  Drives me crazy that we have to pay for such bad service.  
I've had medical professionals tell me so many times that I didn't have something that I actually did - fractures, twisted intestines, trigger finger...  It's incredibly frustrating.  I hope you have a full recovery.  😞 

[2squared]

I would go to an ortho urgent care or wait for an ortho walk in clinic on Monday. Broken bones aren’t considered emergent, in our experience. 

Three weeks ago my 17yo broke his arm on a Saturday. We went to the ER where they took X-rays and confirmed it was broken. We had to wait until Monday to see an ortho, and surgery would have been on Wednesday. At 8:00am on Monday we went to a walk-in ortho clinic attached to an ortho specialty hospital, with our X-rays, and he was able to get surgery late afternoon on Monday. 
 

[kbutton]

18 hours ago, Ginevra said:

Really?? I would never think of a chiropractor for a wrist injury

Many do, some don’t.

I had one that I thought didn’t do ankles and feet. When I went to the orthopod for a sprained foot that was getting worse and worse (and was looking like it was going to make it not possible for me to walk on vacation), the doctor verbally abused and belittled me and eventually kicked me out of the office ( @Tenaj, quack is kind of you to say after you were abused; I called mine something…spherical and muscular…until he got his just desserts and was removed from the practice for too many lawsuits). When I had my next chiropractor appointment, I asked him if he thought he could do anything for it, and he adjusted my foot. Within fifteen minutes the swelling was visibly going down, and I was almost pain free—just a little tender, and I could walk on it without it getting worse.

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by kbutton

[ktgrok]

The only reason I'd go to an urgent care for an ortho issue is if i needed pain killers or needed a splint to stabilize it. I do NOT trust regular Urgent Care for ortho stuff - especially wrists which are REALLY tricky to see on xray. I'd only trust a radiologist or Orthopedic doc to know anything about wrist injuries. 

So I'd go to an orthopedic walk in place, or wait until Monday when regular places are open, but would NOT use it until then. 

[Tree Frog]

I would go because it hurts to rotate it. That indicates something more than just a sprain. My concern would also be a green stick fracture.

 

[KSera]

How does it feel today? Pain on rotation would still be consistent with a sprain, so I wouldn’t rule a sprain out based on that. 

[Katy]

A break can absolutely be an emergency. Typically when it’s impeding circulation. Which doesn’t seem to be the case here. But yes, an orthopedic clinic is more likely to spot a minor fracture than a walk in clinic. 

ETA: I once badly sprained my ankle and when the doctor couldn’t do anything I went to the chiropractor. He wasn’t sure he could help, but it did immediately. The pain was about 80% gone. I went back for him to crack it again the next day and the pain was 100% gone. It was still weak for weeks but the pain was gone. 
 

ETA2: Not sure a chiropractor should touch it until you’re sure it’s not fractured though!

Edited November 25, 2023 by Katy

[ktgrok]

Repeating - until you get it checked and/or it is better, do NOT use it!! there are all sorts of tiny bones in there, and if you DID fracture something small you do NOT want to keep using it and end up displacing it and making it worse. Trust me! 

[Ginevra]

8 hours ago, KSera said:

How does it feel today? Pain on rotation would still be consistent with a sprain, so I wouldn’t rule a sprain out based on that. 

It feels better today. I kept it wrapped all night and all day today. I do think it is just a sprain. I think it’s going to be okay. 🙂 

[Kassia]

That's great, @Ginevra!