With the winter sports season upon us, there are bound to be plenty of snowboarding, sledding and skiing-related injuries – hopefully none of which are too serious. Are you doing anything to take precautions against sports injuries?
Do you know what to do if an injury does occur while you’re engaging in these activities?
And how do you know when a sports injury is severe enough you need to seek treatment from a doctor?
What To Do First
First, I just want to say if you do experience an emergency – a broken bone at the time of injury, nonstop bleeding or unbearable pain. Call 9-1-1 and get the care you need.
If the RICE method isn’t helping and you are experiencing pain and discomfort from your injury, it might be a good idea to see an orthopedic surgeon.
What to Expect
Just because they are called orthopedic “surgeons” doesn’t mean you’re going to need surgery to treat your injury. Most orthopedic surgeons will try to exhaust all other options for treatment. For example, physical therapy, medications, injections, etc., before ever suggesting surgery.
The most common injuries from winter sports, like ankle sprains, knee injuries and dislocated joints can usually be treated in the office and with a combination of time, medication and physical therapy.
When Surgery is Necessary
If your injury is severe enough common treatment options are not reducing your pain, that’s when an orthopedic specialist will likely suggest surgery. Sometimes, injuries are severe enough they require immediate surgery – and if you didn’t seek emergency services, your doctor will let you know if this is the case.
Reasons that you might need surgery include:
- Consistent joint swelling
- Unstable joints
- Decreased range of motion that physical therapy won’t fix
- Broken bone or other deformity
Prevention Practices
When possible, it’s always best to avoid getting an injury in the first place. There are plenty of precautions you can take to ensure your best chance at preventing sports-related injuries.
- Start exercising beforehand to get your body acclimated to the new ranges of motion it will experience with your sport.
- Stretch and warm up prior to engaging in any physical activity. Make sure to do a cool down afterward as well.
- Condition your body to prepare for your sport. Weight train, stretch, and practice endurance to strengthen your body.
- Your level of physical fitness and your age play a huge role in your chance of getting an injury, so plan activities accordingly.
Maintaining overall health with a good diet and exercise regime as well as drinking plenty of water will also help you maintain good fitness levels so you can continue doing the sports you enjoy. Always make sure you know where your strengths and weaknesses lie too, so you can make the best decisions and take the proper care to make sure you have fun and avoid injuring yourself.
When you wake to the first real snow, and everything is blanketed in white, it can seem pretty magical. What isn’t so magical however are power outages, black ice and many other not-so-fun-things that accompany winter time and snow.
However, there are precautions you and your family can take to make sure wintertime stays fun. And everyone is safe and warm all winter long. Here are five things you and your family can do this winter to stay safe, especially since most of us don’t have the option to hibernate and only come out once spring arrived.
