Acute pain conditions from surgery, injury, or a flare-up of a chronic condition can derail your life, making even simple tasks unbearable.
At Sunshine Urgent Care, our services include non-invasive interventions for acute pain symptoms designed to target its source, reduce reliance on opioids, and help you regain crucial quality of life safely and effectively.
We also specialize in managing cancer pain, referencing the World Health Organization’s pain relief ladder and emphasizing the importance of both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments in providing adequate relief.
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What Is Acute Pain?
Acute pain is sudden, intense discomfort that typically occurs in immediate conjunction with an injury or disease. Acute pain can transition to chronic pain if it persists for more than three months, or beyond normal healing time for any given injury or condition, reflecting the continuum between acute and chronic pain.
It is crucial to choose appropriate treatment modalities to treat acute pain effectively, balancing the need for adequate pain relief with the risks and side effects of various medications, especially in the context of the current opioid crisis.
In other words, if you bump your head and it smarts, then that’s acute pain, but if you’re experiencing recurring headaches without a clear cause or trigger, for months on end, then it’s likely a chronic issue.
Any source of pain can cause acute pain. The causes are far too numerous to list, but some common ones include:
- Post-surgical recovery
- Injuries (e.g., fractures, sprains)
- Migraines or nerve pain (neuropathy) flare-ups
- Conditions like shingles or kidney stones
- Severe acute pain, which often requires potent opioids when other treatments fail
Non-Invasive Pain Management Approaches at Sunshine Urgent Care
Here at Sunshine Urgent Care, prioritize minimally invasive treatments to address acute pain and ensure adequate pain relief without surgery or prolonged medication use, such as:
Physical and occupational therapy plays crucial roles in enhancing physical movement capabilities and improving daily task performances with minimal pain.
Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
Urgent care clinics often utilize medications to address acute pain swiftly and effectively. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen, are commonly prescribed to reduce inflammation and alleviate mild-to-moderate pain from conditions like sprains or headaches.
For muscle-related injuries, such as back strains or spasms, muscle relaxants may be recommended to ease tension and improve mobility.
Topical analgesics, including numbing creams or patches, provide localized relief for minor burns, abrasions, or superficial injuries by targeting pain directly at the source.
In cases of severe pain, such as fractures or significant trauma, clinicians may cautiously prescribe limited doses of prescription opioids, adhering to strict guidelines to mitigate dependency risks while ensuring adequate relief.
Injections & Nerve Blocks
When oral or topical medications are insufficient, injections offer targeted relief. These injections are particularly effective for managing acute postoperative pain, providing targeted relief for patients recovering from surgery.
Corticosteroid injections are administered directly into inflamed joints like the shoulder for bursitis or trigger points to reduce swelling and discomfort over days to weeks.
For immediate pain relief, lidocaine injections numb specific areas, such as fractured ribs or deep tissue injuries, blocking nerve signals temporarily. These interventions bridge the gap between initial care and long-term treatment, providing rapid comfort while minimizing systemic side effects.
Splinting, Bracing, or Wound Care
Stabilizing injuries is critical to treat pain effectively and prevent further damage while promoting healing. Urgent care providers apply splints or braces to immobilize sprains, fractures, or dislocations, reducing movement in affected joints or limbs.
For wounds, thorough cleaning and dressing minimize infection risks and manage pain from cuts, abrasions, or post-surgical incisions. This hands-on care ensures injuries heal properly while offering patients clear instructions for at-home recovery.
Diagnostic Imaging
Accurate diagnosis is key to effective treatment. Urgent care clinics use X-rays to detect fractures, dislocations, or bone abnormalities, while ultrasounds assess soft tissue injuries like ligament tears or fluid buildup.
These imaging tools provide quick, precise insights, enabling clinicians to tailor interventions whether it’s setting a broken bone or referring complex cases to specialists without delay.
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation
Beyond medications, urgent care emphasizes holistic pain management. Patients receive guidance on heat therapy to ease muscle pain, along with instructions on proper application. Treating acute pain according to clinical guidelines and systematic reviews that evaluate the effectiveness of various therapies is crucial for optimal outcomes.
For ongoing recovery, referrals to physical therapists or specialists ensure continuity of care, addressing underlying issues like joint instability or chronic inflammation through physical therapy.
This approach empowers patients to manage pain proactively while supporting long-term healing.
Benefits of Non-Invasive Acute Pain Management
At Sunshine Urgent Care, we prioritize treatments that relieve acute pain and enable faster recovery, allowing you to return to daily activities within days.
While we don’t perform complex surgeries, our non-invasive therapies – such as targeted nerve blocks, corticosteroid injections, or localized numbing agents avoid large incisions and general anesthesia, minimizing risks of complications like infections or prolonged downtime.
Many procedures, including wound care, splinting, or joint injections, are completed in the office, so you can go home the same day and resume work, family responsibilities, or personal goals with minimal disruption.
By focusing on precise, immediate pain relief, urgent care reduces reliance on systemic opioids, which carry dependency risks and side effects like drowsiness or digestive issues.
Instead, we use localized treatments (e.g., lidocaine injections for fractures, and anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen) to deliver relief directly to the injury site, often requiring smaller medication doses.
Our care plans are tailored to your specific condition and lifestyle, whether you’re a parent needing quick recovery to care for kids or an active individual managing a sports injury.
We combine therapies like heat treatment, bracing, and topical medication with referrals to specialists to ensure your treatment aligns with both short-term relief and long-term healing goals.
Urgent care bridges the gap between home care and the ER, offering efficient, personalized strategies to manage acute pain safely and effectively.
Acute Pain Treatment At Sunshine Urgent Care
If you’re battling acute pain, our urgent care clinics provide a quicker, more affordable alternative to emergency rooms for non-life-threatening pain, offering same-day diagnostics, prompt prescriptions, and immediate treatment.
At Sunshine Urgent Care, we’re dedicated to identifying the root cause of your pain and tailoring effective solutions that not only reduce discomfort quickly but also address underlying issues.
Our holistic approach means you receive compassionate, expert care that bridges the gap between primary care and emergency services helping you get back to your life faster.
Take the step towards relief, visit Sunshine Urgent Care today for expert treatment of your acute pain conditions.