Having access to urgent care locations allows patients access to medical care when they need it regardless of their ailments. Not all situations call for an emergency room visit and not all patients are comfortable going to an emergency room. There needs to be easy access to urgent care locations in order for people to decide what level of care is best for them.
Urgent care facilities provide access to doctors without a prior appointment. This is becoming more and ore popular as it is harder for patients to get in to see their primary care physicians while they are actually sick. Often times when you call for an appointment, it takes weeks or even months to get in. If you are ill, this defeats the purpose of going to the doctor at all.
Most schools require proof of a doctor?s appointment for a child to be excused for illness. This means the parents have to be able to get their child in to see a doctor on the day they miss school, which is another way urgent care locations have come in handy.
Parents aren?t the only ones in need of this type of care. According to one study, six out of ten baby boomers are currently being treated for a chronic disease, which makes daily access to doctors highly important. Further, one in 10 baby boomers state their physical activity is limited to only a few days a month. A lack of adequate exercise can compound already growing health problems, as well as lead to new health problems.
Another study showed a high prevalence of degenerative disc disease (DDD) among people. DDD cause constant and increasing pain starting in the lower back and gradually moving up into the middle and upper back. Some days an individual with DDD may be unable to even move due to spasms caused by the disease. These spasms cause pain to shoot through the back and legs causing muscle weakness and pain. This is yet another reason, patients need daily access to doctors.
One study states that as much as 70% of people report that lower back pain negatively impacts their daily lives. Four out of ten people report trying exercise as a way to relieve lower back pain. While exercise can in some case help relieve lower back pain, some exercises can make it worst, which is why it is essential to not do anything without doctor approval.