Should You Go to an Urgent Care for Muscle spasms
Muscle spasms are very common in both adults and children. In most cases, minor muscle spasms go away on their own within a few days or weeks. However, if you have frequent muscle spasms or your muscle spasms do not go away, then it may be time to consider seeking medical treatment for them. Muscle spasms are often treated by a physical therapist. If your doctor believes that your pain could be caused by a more serious condition than simple muscle strain, he or she may refer you to an urgent care center instead of referring you to an emergency room right away.
You’re probably going to get a different answer to that question depending on who you ask. A gastroenterologist might advise against it, for example, because your symptoms are consistent with an intestinal disorder and an urgent care facility is typically not staffed with specialists. On the other hand, if you walk into an urgent care center and tell a doctor that your muscle spasms are so bad that they’re waking you up at night or preventing normal function in another way, then chances are high that she will recommend treatment—in fact, it would be very negligent of her not to do so. As always: Get a second opinion before making any decisions!
Muscle spasms are usually benign, but they’re often quite painful. You might think that going to urgent care is a good idea—but it probably isn’t. Most muscle spasms are benign and will go away on their own with no treatment. If yours haven’t gone away after two weeks, though, or if they just won’t stop, see your doctor. In most cases (around 90 percent), these muscle spasms stem from an inflamed muscle or strain that eventually heals itself. But some muscle spasms occur as a result of serious underlying conditions—like MS, tumors, infections or autoimmune disorders—that require treatment by a medical professional who has experience in diagnosing and treating these issues.
Muscle spasms are one of those things that can feel good in a painful way. That is, until it turns into hours upon hours of unrelenting pain. If your muscle spasms are an isolated incident, it’s probably nothing to worry about. However, if they come on suddenly and get worse with activity or rest, you might have a more serious issue on your hands.