Slip and Falls: Common Injuries and How to Prevent the OUCH!
January 25, 2022
I want to start off this blog by telling you what inspired me to write it. The other day around 6am I was getting ready to workout. And while my morning coffee was brewing, I decided to take a long, twenty-step walk to the mailbox to check the mail.
I’m sure you can guess what happened next…
I made it ten steps out the door, and like Joe Pesci slipping on the stairs in the movie Home Alone, I felt like I was three feet in the air, slowly falling uncontrollably right onto my right buttock and wrist.
While I was picking up the pieces of my ego off the driveway, I knew right then my workout plans were over, and the management of a sore wrist and backside was just beginning.
Fortunately, I avoided a severe injury, and this blog is dedicated to helping you avoid pain and injury as well.
What are the most common slip and fall injuries?
Whether a result of icing conditions or just losing control, falls are no laughing matter. According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of death in individuals over the age of 65¹.
“…In 2014 alone, older Americans experienced 29 million falls causing seven million injuries and costing an estimated $31 billion in annual medicare cost, according to a new report published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in this week’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)” ²
Common Injuries can include:
• Sprained ankle or wrist
• Whiplash
• Concussion
• Broken Bones
• Shoulder Dislocations
• Contusions
Helpful Tips to Prevent Injuries From Slip and Falls
Listen, at some point, we are all going to bite it. Whether we slip and fall on the driveway, miss our footing on a curb, or the hundred other scenarios that life can and will throw at you.
The goal is not to prevent a fall. The goal is to prevent the injury as a result of it. It might be best to think about your health as a savings account.
You put money aside for a rainy day (or snow day in this case) because you never know what can happen and what unexpected expenses come up. Think of the following strategies as an injury prevention savings account.
Wrap your mind around the fact that one day you will bite it, and like me, let’s hope the only thing that is broken is your ego.
Exercise Tips:
- Balance daily. You have three systems that control balance: visual, vestibular, and somatosensory. If one system is disrupted due to such things as poor vision, vertigo, and previous injury, your sense of balance will most certainly be disrupted.
- Practice exercises that require you to get up and down off the floor. Unlike children, adults seem to have a fear of the floor. Maybe it’s because we are taller and we can lose our mobility with age. Whatever the reason, we can’t fear the floor because one day we are going to be intimate with it. A great exercise to incorporate into your exercise repertoire is the Turkish Get Up. It’s one of the most well-rounded exercises ever created, and I challenge anyone to dispute that.
- Step-Ups. The best way to protect your pelvis from injury is to load your musculoskeletal system with exercise (along with a proper diet). The step-up is a fantastic exercise to challenge your single-leg strength, balance, and coordination.
Practical Tips:
- Have your eyes checked annually by a Doctor?
- During Icy conditions, walk on grass or gravel whenever you can and wear shoes with plenty of traction.
- Avoid distractions. Falls tend to happen when we are distracted, like looking away or on your phone. Keep your eyes on the prize when you are traversing uneven or slippery terrain.
In Conclusion
Create an injury prevention saving account. The best way to prevent an injury around falls is to prepare for them. I hope these recommendations help you.
That said, if you have suffered an injury from a slip or fall and you live in the Seattle or Portland area, we recommend scheduling an appointment with one of our amazing Doctors right away. We’ve been one of the top practices in Seattle for over a decade because we listen to you, provide an uplifting and positive experience, get you out of pain and give you the tools to live a life free of limitations.
Don’t wait any longer. Schedule an appointment today.
Sources:
