I hurt my shoulder and I'm not sure how to adult this

February 16, 2018 6:27 AM

So I was carrying a heavy basket and leaned over to put it down. My shoulder, which always had felt loose/flexible/double jointed sorta.. Felt slidy. This was late Tuesday. Wednesday night it hurt some, but thursday night it hurt enough to wake me up. How I adult here?

So yeah, probably a doctor visit. I don't have a current general practitioner. I have a couple paramedic friends I could visit. I can drive. I can move the arm, but the shoulder blade seems to be protruding slightly and it hurts a mid-grade amount. 4-5 on the pain scale, maybe. And stiff along the collarbone area and neck.

Dislocated? Torn? Consumed by a evil demon?


Let my paramedic friends try to pop it into place? Find a gp? Hospital? Emergency clinic?

Ty

posted by Jacen to Health & Fitness (6 answers total)

Best answer: I'd go to an urgent care clinic, if they have those by you. CVS' MinuteClinic website say they treat strains/sprains, but generally urgent care clinics have X-Ray abilities that a CVS won't, just in case.
posted by Fig at 6:36 AM on February 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: If you don't have a doctor right now, I'd go to urgent care (not ER) to get the immediate pain and other issues assessed and perhaps some general recommendations. What do you need to do to see an orthopedist? Make that happen.
posted by annabear at 6:37 AM on February 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

+1 on the orthopedist. If your insurance allows you to go directly without a referral from a GP, then start calling to see if you can find one that can see you today. Look in your insurance website provider list to find out who to call.

If you have to see a GP first, go to urgent care and ask them.

(On preview, yes, you can use the nurse line on your insurance card to ask them for advice).
posted by CathyG at 6:50 AM on February 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Okies, being intakes at an urgent care. Intook? Intaken-en?
posted by Jacen at 7:31 AM on February 16, 2018 [3 favorites]

Have you taken anything for it ? (tylenol/advil/alleve etc)

I have a wonky ankle (from tripping down stairs 15 years ago), and every 2-3 years it decides to go on the fritz, swell up and knife stabby pains (with out having done anything). Clears up in a week of regular dose of advil.
posted by k5.user at 7:33 AM on February 16, 2018

Urgent care is generally not high-quality health care. Since you're asking about being adultey - is there a reason you don't have a general practitioner? Why isn't this a great time to get one? FYI, lots of non-profit family practice clinics are pay what you can, if that's part of the problem at all.
posted by nosila at 1:21 PM on February 17, 2018