Orthopaedic surgeons present tricks to defend bones and joints earlier than heading outdoor

ROSEMONT, Ill., Dec. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Participating in winter sports activities and outside actions is a standard approach to enhance each one’s bodily and psychological health throughout the coldest months of the 12 months. However, these pastimes additionally carry distinctive dangers of accidents resulting from cumbersome tools, slippery surfaces and frigid temperatures. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) encourages winter athletes of all stripes to train cautionary measures to make sure sturdy musculoskeletal well being all through the season.

“Participating in sports always presents an increased risk of orthopaedic injury, but colder weather and icy areas compound the issue,” stated orthopaedic surgeon and AAOS spokesperson Catherine Logan, MD, MBA, PT, FAAOS. “Winter sports require their own strategies, such as properly fitting helmets and mindfulness of which trails have been prepped for activities like snowboarding and skiing, to ensure safety.”

Winter sports activities accidents are preventable, particularly when armed with information about widespread pitfalls and how one can keep away from them. Understanding the most typical of those accidents and the explanations they happen is step one in avoiding them.

Causes of Winter Sports Injuries
More than 110,000 folks have been handled at hospitals, docs’ places of work, and emergency rooms for accidents associated to winter sports in 2021, in keeping with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. This determine contains:

• 57,000 accidents from snow snowboarding and snowboarding (51.44%)
• 17,000 accidents from ice hockey (15.49%)
• 17,000 accidents from sleds, toboggans and snow discs (15.45%)
• 14,000 accidents from ice skating (12.64%)

Tips to Reduce Risk for Winter Sports Injuries
According to Dr. Logan, there are various methods to cut back your danger for winter sports activities harm. She notes that whereas collisions and falls represent a good portion of trauma, extreme pace, hostile situations, overconfidence or lack of worry are additionally widespread. Consider the next:

• Warm up completely earlier than enjoying or taking part. Cold muscle tissues, tendons, and ligaments are weak to harm.
• Wear applicable protecting gear, together with goggles, helmets, gloves and padding.
• Wear a number of layers of sunshine, free and water- and wind-resistant clothes for heat and safety. Layering lets you accommodate your physique’s always altering temperature. Wear correct footwear that gives heat and dryness, in addition to ample ankle help.
• Take a lesson (or a number of) from a professional teacher, particularly in sports activities like snowboarding and snowboarding. Learning how one can fall accurately and safely can cut back the danger of harm.
• Pay consideration to warnings about upcoming storms and extreme drops in temperature.
• Seek shelter and medical consideration instantly in case you, or anybody with you, is experiencing hypothermia or frostbite. Make positive everyone seems to be conscious of correct procedures for getting assist if accidents happen.

For extra details about winter sports activities harm causes, signs and coverings, go to OrthoInfo.org. Additional suggestions for stopping cold-weather accidents, together with correct snow-shoveling methods, are additionally obtainable.

About the AAOS
With greater than 39,000 members, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is the world’s largest medical affiliation of musculoskeletal specialists. The AAOS is the trusted chief in advancing musculoskeletal well being. It supplies the best high quality, most complete training to assist orthopaedic surgeons and allied well being professionals at each profession stage to finest deal with sufferers of their day by day practices. The AAOS is the supply for info on bone and joint situations, remedies and associated musculoskeletal well being care points; and it leads the well being care dialogue on advancing high quality.

Follow the AAOS on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

SOURCE American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons