The Urgency Room

Filling the gap between crowded emergency rooms and doctor appointments you have to schedule far in advance is The Urgency Room. Our three standalone locations in Eagan, Woodbury and Vadnais Heights are your convenient solution to urgent medical needs around the Twin Cities. From Minneapolis to St. Paul, The Urgency Room is well-equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to help you with a vast range of medical needs.

Whether you’ve been experiencing some lingering symptoms or you have obviously urgent medical needs, The Urgency Room is your perfect solution. Open 365 days per year, including holidays, from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM, we are a convenient medical care option for when you need it most. While your typical emergency room is crowded and laden with illness, germs and long waits, your experience with The urgency Room will open up an entirely new world of urgent care for you.

 Our friendly staff is standing by for when you need medical care fast—especially for when you have broken bones, dislocated joints, and sprains or strains. Schedule an appointment at any of our three locations, open 365 days a year, including holidays, from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Our telehealth services are available from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Situated in Woodbury, Vadnais Heights, and Eagan, The Urgency Room is the quick and convenient alternative to overcrowded and understaffed emergency rooms for residents throughout the Twin Cities.

What’s the difference between broken bones, dislocations and sprains/strains?

If you’ve ever experienced one or all of these medical situations, you may be aware of their individual telltale signs. However, there are many times when it may be difficult to determine if a bone is broken or if you have a sprain or strain. Broken bones, dislocations and sprains/strains may have similar symptoms such as soreness, swelling and inability to function as you normally would with that afflicted body part. However, these are completely different injuries that require urgent care and specific attention.

When a bone is broken

Whether it’s called a break or a fracture, it’s a broken bone. However, it isn’t that simple. While bones allow some flexibility, they are still rigid. When bent or impacted beyond its flexibility, a bone will break. There are different types of break and the severity usually depends on the type and extremity of the impact the bone endured. 

Different types of breaks include:

-       Stable fracture: A bone that is broken so that the broken ends are still aligned

-       Open, compound fracture: When the broken bone pierces the skin and may or may not be visible in the wound

-       Transverse fracture: A broken bone that has a horizontal fracture

-       Oblique fracture: A broken bone that has an angled fracture

-       Comminuted fracture: A broken bone that has shattered into three or more pieces along the fracture

Your bones exist to give your body structure—they hold you up, help you function and protect your organs. It’s no wonder they’re incredibly strong. It’s estimated that a rib bone can withstand up to 740 pounds of force while the average femur can take nearly 900 pounds of force. While these are solid estimates, the amount of force your bones can endure before breaking relies on several factors such as:

• The type and severity of trauma it experienced
• If you have a pre-existing condition that weakens bones such as osteoporosis
• Overuse often leading to stress fractures

When you break a bone for whatever reason, you may experience symptoms such as swelling, bruising or deformity if the break is severe enough that it has shifted portions of your body. Most commonly, a suspected break will be examined via X-ray. More serious or difficult to see breaks, though, may require magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Treatment for a broken bone varies depending on the break, its severity and where it’s located on your body. Many breaks or fractures require a cast—whether it be plaster or fiberglass—that will hold the broken pieces together and allow new bone to “knit” the ends back together. In severe cases, broken bones will need to be fixated while healing through the use of metal plates and screws applied either internally or externally.

It can take anywhere from several weeks to several months for broken bones to heal. To help prevent them altogether, it’s a good idea to improve your diet and increase your exercise. By building muscle, you’re increasing the strength of your bones, thus helping prevent further or more serious breaks in the future.

Dislocations

While breaks can happen at the end of a bone, on a joint or somewhere in between, dislocations can occur only at joints. A dislocation is an injury that causes the ends of your bones out of position within a joint. Common dislocations include ankles, knees, shoulders, hips, elbows, fingers and even your jaw.

Don’t hesitate when it comes to dislocated bones. Not only is a dislocation generally very painful, but it can also cause further damage to nerves or tendons if not addressed immediately. Your nearest Urgency Room is equipped to care for you and treat your dislocation in the best way possible in the least amount of time.

Symptoms of a dislocated bone may include swelling, bruising and pain. When a dislocation occurs, you’ll often be able to see the bone “out of place.” Once you come to the Urgency Room, our experienced physicians will be able to assess the severity of your dislocated bone and treat it accordingly.

Dislocation treatment may include repositioning the bone in the joint, a prescription for painkillers or anti-inflammatories, a sling or a splint, and possible rehabilitation treatment. If your dislocation is severe, it may take longer than the usual 2–3 weeks to return to full movement. After dislocating a bone, however, be wary as that bone is more prone to dislocation in the future. Many athletes who dislocate knees or ankles may wear special supports or elastic braces in the future to prevent additional dislocations.

What is a sprain/strain?

A break is a broken or fractured bone, a dislocation is when a bone moves out of its joint, and a sprain/strain is the stretching or tearing of ligaments or tendons. While they may seem similar enough, a sprain and a strain are two different injuries. 

Sprain: A sprain involves the ligaments, otherwise known as the fibrous tissues that connect two bones together in your joints.

Strain: A strain is the stretching or tearing of the tendons, otherwise known as the fibrous tissues that connect your muscles to your bones.

Both a strain and a sprain are commonly less severe injuries than breaks or dislocations. However, a trip to the Urgency Room is still a good idea to rule out any fractures or breaks that could cause further pain and damage if left untreated. Also, if a sprain or strain is severe enough, surgery may be required to repair extremely damaged ligaments or tendons.

The usual treatment after getting your sprain or strain assessed is R.I.C.E. or rest, ice, compression and elevation. With proper care and diagnosis by your local Urgency Room physician, your sprain or strain should dissipate in a few weeks, leaving you good to go and back on your feet.

What’s next?

Whether you live in Minneapolis, St. Paul or anywhere around the Twin Cities, heading to your nearest Urgency Room when you need medical attention is the cost-effective solution that could save you valuable time. Call or stop by one of our three locations any time to learn more or experience the best urgent care available.

If you’d like to see all that our state-of-the-art facilities offer, take our virtual tour or peruse the types of equipment we offer or the variety of ailments we can diagnose and treat on-site. And once you leave our facilities, the care doesn’t stop there. The Urgency Room has put together a large video library of after-care and at-home videos for your personal use. At The Urgency Room, your care is our priority.