How to stay safe and injury-free this winter
by Dr. Carly Catanese, PT, DPT
Worried about how to stay safe and injury-free this winter?
As the temperature drops and chances of ice or snow increase, we start seeing more people seeking physical therapy for injuries related to falls. From ankle sprains or fractures from slipping on black ice or ACL tears from wiping out on the slopes, therapy is often the next course of action.
How can you prevent these injuries? While not every injury is preventable and accidents will happen, we did compile some tips to help you reduce your risk of injury.
- Wear shoes with traction and/or ankle stability—for instance, today I wore my hiking boots and brought my work shoes to change into at the office.
- Buy salt to have on hand if you need it for your sidewalks and/or driveway.
- If you’re a runner, you might want to consider running on an indoor track or treadmill on inclement days to decrease the likelihood of wiping out on the road.
- If you’re a biker, you might want to consider taking public transportation, driving, or carpooling until the conditions get better.
- Parking is no easy task in Seattle, but if you can help it, try and park as close as possible to your final destination.
- Most people train for their sport, but how many people train to ski?
- Before you hit the slopes, incorporate some drills working on your spine and hip mobility to help your performance and reduce the risk of injury.
- Work on strength and balance exercises to allow for increased ease of movement and decreased stress to your joints.
If you have concerns about a fall-related injury or any other injury, feel free to set up a 30 min FREE screen to see if PT is appropriate for you or schedule an evaluation.
[mkdf_button size=”” type=”” text=”Book a PT evaluation” custom_class=”” icon_pack=”font_awesome” fa_icon=”” link=”https://movemend.as.me/Pt-new-eval” target=”_blank” color=”” hover_color=”” background_color=”” hover_background_color=”” border_color=”” hover_border_color=”” font_size=”” font_weight=”” margin=””]