Skip to main content

Sprain, strain and joint pain treatment

Find care

Services are available at MinuteClinic (virtual care also available)

Walk-ins welcome — no appointment necessary!

Insurance and pricing

Most insurance accepted. Check your coverage or estimate the cost of your visit if you’re uninsured or prefer to pay out-of-pocket.

Pre-check coverage

Need to know more about tick bite treatment? We’ve got you covered.

What are sprains, strains and joint pain?

Sprains, strains and joint pain are common problems. Each has its own list of causes and treatments, but they all fall under the umbrella of “musculoskeletal injuries” or “soft-tissue injuries.” Sprains and strains may also seem to be similar to each other, but there is a key difference between these two types of injuries. Sprains involve damage to ligaments (the tissue that connects bones to each other), and strains involve damage to muscles and tendons (the tissue that connects muscle to bone).

What symptoms can occur with a sprain?

Common sprain symptoms include:

  • Bruising
  • Feeling or hearing a pop when you sprain a ligament
  • Pain
  • Swelling
  • Trouble moving a joint

What are sprains, strains and joint pain?

Sprains, strains and joint pain are common problems. Each has its own list of causes and treatments, but they all fall under the umbrella of “musculoskeletal injuries” or “soft-tissue injuries.” Sprains and strains may also seem to be similar to each other, but there is a key difference between these two types of injuries. Sprains involve damage to ligaments (the tissue that connects bones to each other), and strains involve damage to muscles and tendons (the tissue that connects muscle to bone).

Getting help

  1. You may have to answer a few questions about symptoms to help us prepare for your visit prior to scheduling your appointment.
  2. Check-in varies depending on how you scheduled your appointment:

    If you made your appointment online:
    Check in using the email or text message we sent to confirm your appointment. If you prefer to check in using the electronic kiosk, make sure you have your confirmation code.

    If you made your appointment in the clinic:
    Sign in at the electronic kiosk.

    If you made a MinuteClinic Virtual Care® appointment:
    To join your virtual visit, use the link in the email or text message we sent you to confirm your appointment. Please join 15 minutes before your scheduled visit time. You will need your date of birth and zip code to join the visit.

  3. When it's time for your appointment, a provider will call your name.
  4. Your provider will conduct a thorough examination based on your reason for visit, presenting symptoms and health history. Charges will be based on examination and services provided during the visit.
  5. At the end of your visit, you are provided with a visit summary, receipt and educational material about your diagnosis. At your request, we can send your primary care provider information about your visit.

Nicotine is very addictive. Thousands of chemicals are added to cigarettes to make it easy for people to start smoking and hard to stop. 8 out of 10 people who try to stop smoking will start again after just 1 week.

Quitting is also hard because the habit of smoking becomes soothing. Finding ways to replace the habit can help make it easier to stop smoking.

Just because you have not been successful in the past does not mean you will not be successful now. The average smoker needs 7 attempts to quit. With help, millions of people have quit smoking.

When you quit smoking, your health will improve, and your body will heal. Here’s how your body recovers after you stop smoking.

  • First Week: Lower blood pressure
  • 1 to 6 Months: Breathing gets easier, Walking gets easier, Risk of diabetes returns to normal
  • 6 to 12 Months: Risk of heart attack starts to go down, Risk of stroke starts to go down
  • 1 to 5 Years: Risk of lung cancer starts to go down, Risk of stroke returns to normal
  • 5 or More Years: Risk of tooth loss returns to normal, Risk of heart attack returns to normal, Risk of lung cancer returns to normal, Risk of death from smoking-related disease returns to normal

  • Anger
  • Anxiety
  • Headache
  • Intense cravings
  • Problems with memory
  • Sadness
  • Trouble sleeping

None of these symptoms are dangerous, but they can make it hard to quit.

Your MinuteClinic provider can work 1-on-1 with you to build a realistic plan to quit smoking as part of the START TO STOP® quit smoking program. This plan provides ongoing coaching and support. Your provider will help you track your habits and milestones as you go smoke free. If needed, your provider will decide which medicine and nicotine-replacement solutions are best for you.

Smoking causes, symptoms and treatment

Smoking shortens a smoker’s life by 10 to 14 years. If they stop before age 40, smokers reduce their risk of dying from smoking-related diseases by 90%.

Quitting smoking can be hard, but there are good reasons to stop. Fortunately, there are also ways to make quitting easier. Proof that you can quit comes from the fact that there are more former smokers than current smokers living in the U.S. today. MinuteClinic can help you find ways to quit smoking once you decide it’s time. The sooner you stop smoking, the sooner your body can begin to heal.

Smoking prevention

Smoking increases the chances of developing 50 different diseases. It is the number 1 cause of preventable death in the world. Tobacco users are at higher risk of:

  • Asthma
  • Bleeding in the brain
  • Breathing problems
  • Cancer (smoking causes 90% of all lung cancer)
  • Diabetes
  • Heart attack
  • High blood pressure
  • Impotence (difficulty getting an erection)
  • Infections
  • Nerve damage
  • Stroke
  • Tooth loss

IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ: This material is for reference only and should not be used to determine treatment for specific medical conditions. Please visit a health care provider for evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of any symptoms you may be experiencing. If you're experiencing a medical emergency, please dial 911 or visit your local emergency department.

 

REFERENCES USED AS SOURCES FOR THIS PAGE: