Common Orthopedic Injuries During the Holidays

The holidays are a busy time even during a pandemic, and physical movement always carries with it a risk of injury. There’s also the colder weather, which can have a negative effect on your joints and the flurry of activity that comes with preparing, celebrating, and cleaning up during the holidays. Emergency rooms across the country see an increase in orthopedic injuries during the holidays. If you’ve sustained an injury that is non-life-threatening, you can visit an orthopedic urgent care center, where a specialist can get to you sooner and at a lower cost than in an emergency room.

Here are the most common orthopedic injuries during the holidays.

Falls

Fixing things around the house, putting together and taking apart the Christmas tree, and other holiday activities involve the use of a ladder. A top cause of orthopedic injuries during the holidays is falling from a ladder. Falls can also happen when slipping on icy pavement or when playing a winter sport. You could easily lose your footing and fall, which can result in a hip, knee, shoulder, elbow, arm, and wrist fracture.

Slips

The winter season are synonymous with ice skating, skiing, snowboarding, and sledding — ice or snow-centric activities that carry a very high risk of injury. You could fracture your foot or ankle when you slip on ice. You could also develop a sprain or strain. Skiing can cause hand, wrist, and finger injuries. A very common skiing injury is the skier’s thumb, where the thumb is bent so far back that it results in the tearing of a ligament. Other than winter sports, snowfall and melted snow can also produce slippery conditions which can result in slips and falls.

Overuse Injuries

Shoveling snow can cause aches and pains. Is it any wonder why many pay others to shovel snow? Since you don’t shovel snow all year round, your body isn’t used to the pressure. If you live in a region with frequent slow fall or find yourself shoveling for many hours at a time, you could develop an overuse injury. Rotator cuff injuries, as well as back injuries, are common after snow shoveling. When shoveling and lifting, you may forget to bend your knees, which can put pressure on your lower back and arms.

Common orthopedic injuries during the holidays can be prevented. See an orthopedic specialist with in-depth knowledge of how to prevent orthopedic injuries.

Advanced Bone & Joint — Superior Orthopedic Care in St. Peters and O’Fallon, MO

If you’ve sustained an injury from winter sports or activities, our orthopedic urgent care center is open, and we are ready to serve you. No need to call or wait, simply walk-in and you will be seen by an orthopedic specialist immediately. Our physicians can treat all manner of orthopedic injuries of the neck and back, shoulder, elbow, and wrist, hip and knee, as well as foot and ankle.

If you have questions about our urgent center or telehealth services, or if you would like to make an appointment with an orthopedic doctor, please call Advanced Bone & Joint at (636) 229-4222 or use our convenient online request form. We look forward to your call!