With the winter recreation season in full swing, many people are at increased risk for injuries from skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports and daily living activities like snow shoveling or slipping and falling on icy surfaces.Whether your goal is to hit the slopes or simply to get back up on your feet again, proper injury management is essential for complete recovery from these injuries.Potential injuries from slips and falls can be devastating due to the limitations in function that can occur with improper management. A slip or fall could cause wrist fractures, rotator cuff tears, hip fractures and ankle fractures.Common injuries that occur on the ski slope include ACL tears, meniscal tears, joint dislocations and arm or leg fractures. Sprains and strains can also occur. A sprain is any injury to a ligament, and it can range from mild to severe. Strains are injuries to the muscle or tendon and can range from mild to severe.Emergency care for suspected fractures would include transportation to the emergency room/urgent care for X-ray diagnostics to confirm or rule out the injury. If you think you may have a fracture, get it evaluated by a physician immediately so that immobilization can occur as soon as possible to avoid delayed healing time.If dislocation of any joint has occurred, you need to seek medical attention by a physician immediately. The sooner a joint is properly relocated, the better chance of healing. Also, there is increased risk for a repeat dislocation, so rehabilitation by a licensed physical therapist is essential.For any minor injury (bruises, sprains, strains, etc): apply ice for 20 minutes every one to two hours for pain and inflammation. Keep the injured body part above the level of your heart as much as possible.If severe swelling of a joint is present, you may want to consider evaluation by a physician or physical therapist to rule out severe ligamentous injury, including an ACL tear or ankle sprains. Proper care of severe joint injuries requires a team – patient, physician and physical therapist. Together, the team can achieve total return of function.Rehabilitation by a licensed physical therapist or occupational therapist is especially important after any surgical procedure (ACL repair, rotator cuff repair or surgical fixation of any fracture). Only a PT or OT can completely rehabilitate a ligamentous injury by addressing joint mobility, swelling, range of motion, strength function, and preventative/protective techniques.For more information, visit www.nlm.nih.gov; www.consumerreports.org; www.mercola.com or call Falcon Physical Therapy at 719-495-3133.
