Embracing the thrill of snow sports makes the cold winter a little more tolerable and fun for those who live in snowy climates. However, amidst the joy and adventure of snow sports, the inherent risks of injuries loom, reminding enthusiasts of the importance of safety and preparation. 

For many injuries that happen from snow sports, they require adequate care and therapy to fully recover. This blog will talk about potential injuries that can happen during winter activities, and what you can do to prevent those injuries. 

Common Injuries from Snow Sports 

Winter sports often lead to injuries that may necessitate physical therapy for effective rehabilitation. Common injuries requiring physical therapy in the context of winter sports include:

Sprains and Strains: Ligament sprains and muscle strains, prevalent in activities like skiing or snowboarding, often require physical therapy to restore strength, flexibility, and stability.

Fractures and Dislocations: Recovery from fractures or dislocations, commonly occurring in sports like ice skating or snowmobiling, may involve physical therapy to regain mobility and strength after immobilization.

Knee Injuries: Winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding are associated with ACL tears. Physical therapy is crucial for rehabilitation, focusing on strengthening surrounding muscles, improving range of motion, and enhancing stability.

Concussions: Head injuries, including concussions from falls or collisions in high-speed sports like snowboarding, often necessitate a gradual return-to-activity program under the supervision of a physical therapist.

Post-Surgical Rehab: Surgeries for injuries like fractures, ligament reconstructions, or joint repairs may require postoperative physical therapy to ensure optimal healing and functional recovery.

Overuse Injuries: Repetitive motions in winter sports like cross-country skiing or ice skating can lead to overuse injuries such as stress fractures, tendinitis, or muscle strains, often requiring targeted physical therapy interventions.

Hip Injuries: Activities like snowboarding or ice hockey can contribute to hip injuries, and physical therapy is crucial for regaining strength, flexibility, and addressing any imbalances.

Spinal Injuries: High-impact falls in sports like skiing or snowboarding may result in spinal injuries, necessitating physical therapy for rehab and pain management.

Physical therapy plays a crucial role in the recovery process, helping individuals regain strength, flexibility, and function after winter sports-related injuries. A tailored rehab program, overseen by experienced physical therapists, aims to optimize recovery and facilitate a safe return to activity.

6 Ways to Prepare to Prevent Injuries

To mitigate the risk of injuries during winter sports, individuals can take proactive measures before the season starts:

1. Conditioning Exercises

Engage in pre-season conditioning exercises that target specific muscle groups used in winter sports. Focus on strength, flexibility, and balance training to enhance overall fitness and reduce risk of injuries.

2. Cardiovascular Fitness

Improve cardiovascular fitness through activities like running, cycling, or aerobic exercise. This helps build endurance, crucial for sustained performance during winter sports.

3. Sport-Specific Training

Participate in sport-specific training drills to familiarize the body with the movements and demands of the chosen winter sport. This can include agility drills, balance exercises, and skill-specific practice.

4. Flexibility Training

Incorporate regular stretching routines to enhance flexibility, reducing the likelihood of strains and sprains. Focus on areas prone to tightness, such as the hamstrings, quadriceps, and hip flexors.

5. Proper Gear Inspection

Check and ensure that all winter sports equipment, including skis, snowboards, helmets, and bindings, is in good condition. Replace any worn-out or damaged gear to minimize the risk of equipment-related accidents.

6. Balance and Proprioception Training

Enhance balance and proprioception through specific exercises. This type of training helps individuals maintain stability and react effectively to uneven or slippery surfaces encountered in winter sports. 

By taking these proactive steps, individuals can significantly reduce the likelihood of injuries and ensure a safer and more enjoyable experience when participating in winter sports. These preventive measures can also be practiced throughout the season to maintain good health and prevent injuries.

Physical Therapy for Snow Sports Injuries

In addition to getting your body ready for the upcoming winter season, physical therapy also plays a crucial role in the recovery process if you happen to sustain injuries. In the unfortunate event of a severe injury requiring surgery, a physical therapist at Wasatch Peak Physical Therapy can offer both pre- and post-operative care. 

During your sessions, your physical therapist will thoroughly review your health history and inquire about the specifics of your injury. Subsequently, they will conduct a comprehensive examination to create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. If any adjustments are deemed necessary for your treatment plan, the physical therapist will promptly make them.

The objective of physical therapy is to assist you in regaining strength, restoring mobility, and facilitating a full recovery, allowing you to confidently return to the slopes at your best. Contact us at Wasatch Peak if you want to prevent injuries this winter season, or you need professional help in recovering from an injury.

With winter conditions quickly approaching, you may be remembering the inconveniences of winter. One of the biggest concerns of winter is icy roads, sidewalks, and driveways that can lead to potential injury. Walking on slippery surfaces can be stressful, but there are steps you can take to avoid slipping on ice and keep yourself healthy this winter.

1. Avoid Icy Surfaces

Preventing slips on icy surfaces requires a mindful approach to your surroundings. While the most apparent strategy is to minimize exposure to icy areas, it is crucial to recognize that ice may be deceptively smooth and thin, making it less noticeable at first glance. To enhance traction and reduce the risk of slipping, opt for walking on rougher surfaces whenever possible.

For example, if faced with an icy sidewalk, consider walking on the adjacent grass, which typically offers a textured and more stable footing compared to the smooth surface of the sidewalk. This precautionary measure can significantly reduce the likelihood of accidents during icy conditions.

2. Wear the Right Footwear

Footwear plays an important role in preventing falls on ice. Footwear with more traction is better, as it grips the ice and prevents shoes from slipping. If you live in a place where it frequently snows or has ice and you walk outside, you may benefit from using spikes on your shoes. Spikes can be used in situations as simple as walking down a street. Spikes work by fitting over your regular shoes and piercing into the ground as you put weight on each foot, which improves traction and grip. Spikes offer more grip than a standard shoe, so you may consider these if you need more.

If you choose to forego the spikes, wearing boots or shoes with good grip should usually do the trick. Avoid wearing footwear with flat bottoms because these will slide around much easier than footwear with bumps and grooves.

3. Modify Your Walk to Avoid Slipping on Ice

It is natural to modify your walk when you are uncertain about the surface you are walking on, and ice should be no different. You can modify your walk by taking smaller strides to walk more flat footed. Walking flat footed means your center of gravity is over your feet rather than starting a stride by landing on your heel and pushing off your toes. Walking flat footed will help you avoid slipping on ice. Along with this is simply walking at a slower pace. Fast strides make it harder to get a good grip, so walking slower will help distribute your weight evenly and avoid slipping.

4. Keep Hands Free

A big part of what keeps you balanced when you walk is your arms. As you walk or run, your arms naturally sway, which is the body’s natural balancing technique. If you are walking on ice, it is important to keep your hands free to help you balance on the slippery surface. Try to avoid carrying groceries or other items on ice, along with keeping your hands out of your pockets. This will promote better balance and help you catch yourself if you have a slip.

5. Fall Safely

One of the most important ways to avoid injury if you slip on ice is safely falling. It may surprise you to know that there are bad ways to fall, but there are ways of falling that make you more susceptible to getting injured than other ways. Protecting your head is the most important measure to take if you fall to avoid a serious head injury. It can be uncomfortable to land and get a bruise, but hitting your head can lead to neck problems, concussions, or other more serious injuries.

It also helps to avoid landing on your hands to brace yourself, as that can cause a painful break or sprain in the wrist. You can avoid this by trying to land on a fleshier part of your body which can reduce the amount of impact. By trying to land on your bottom, you protect the more vulnerable parts of your body.

If You Get Injured

Unfortunately, there are scenarios where you may get hurt no matter what preventative measures you take to avoid slipping on ice. If this happens to you, Wasatch Peak Physical Therapy is here to help you recover and get back to your regular activities. We offer physical therapy for all types of injuries including back, hand and wrist, neck, and head injuries. Contact us to schedule an appointment and get started on your journey to feeling better and healing.

Back-to-school season involves so much preparation and work, among the most important of which is ensuring that you are helping your child avoid common back-to-school injuries. Or, if you are in university or a post-graduate program – helping yourself avoid said common injuries. Here is what you need to know about common back-to-school injuries and what can be done in order to prevent them. Let’s get into it.

#1. Be Mindful Of Backpacks

If you’ve been worried about how that heavy backpack may be impacting your child’s back, you’ve a right to be. If backpacks are too heavy or carried improperly, this can result in poor posture, back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, and more. 

Your back compensates for weight over time in a variety of ways, such as: 

• Causing the person to lean forward, thus affecting their balance
• Leading to rounded shoulders
• Distorting the natural curvature of the back, leading to muscle strain and irritation to spinal joints and the rib cage
• Carrying a backpack on one shoulder causes muscle strain due to uneven weight, and can result in muscle spasms, back pain, and further back problems later on in life

Fortunately, you can save your child’s back (or your own) by selecting the correct backpack and using it correctly. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that backpacks should not exceed 20% of your child’s weight. Heavier items should be packed towards the back with lighter items in the front. If your child is leaning forward while wearing their backpack, this likely means that it is too heavy for them. 

You must also emphasize the importance of using backpacks correctly. While it may be easy to sling a backpack over one’s shoulder, it’s far better for your body to use both straps, with both straps being secure and tight. This allows for even weight distribution and decreased likelihood of back, shoulder, or neck problems. 

#2. Create Ergonomic Homework Spaces

Is your child hunched over their homework on the floor or slouching with their laptop on the couch? Doing homework in positions and spaces that don’t encourage a neutral spine can result in back pain, neck pain, hand and wrist pain, and elbow conditions. Encourage your child to use an ergonomic homework space. Making it as comfortable as possible is more of an incentive to do homework there, rather than sprawled out on their bed.

What this looks like includes the following:

• Computer on a table or desk with the monitor just below eye levels
• Forearms parallel to the floor
• Straight wrists
• Using a chair with lower back support
• Sitting up straight, with your feet either on the floor or on a footrest

#3. Stay Active

During the school year, kids spend a lot of time sitting down, either in classes or doing homework. However, it’s important to stay active. Physical activity reduces risk of injury when performed properly by helping you stay healthy, strengthening muscles and bones. It’s also good for your brain, as it can result in increased attention spans, concentration, memory, and improved mood. 

Even just a quick little walk around the block can help schoolwork become easier by getting your blood pumping. Just like adults, children need to take care of their bodies in order to stave off injury, and staying active is an excellent way to help with this. 

If your child is sedentary, they are at increased risk for all sorts of health problems, from depression and anxiety to being more likely to injure themselves to developing conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. Many kids are involved in sports, but some hate them. Helping your child find a physical activity they enjoy can reduce their risk of common back-to-school injuries and help them live a healthier, happier, life.

#4. Get Enough Sleep

This is easier said than done, especially for those involved in difficult coursework or lots of extracurricular activities or both. However, sleep is the human body’s superpower. It is essential to get enough sleep in order to be able to concentrate in classes and learn as best you can. Insufficient sleep can impact your overall health, making you more prone to injury and illness.

Some of the ways you can help your child get enough sleep include:

• Encouraging a consistent bedtime routine
• Setting a consistent bedtime
• Keeping the house as quiet and calm as possible leading up to bedtime
• Having your children turn in/turn off their electronics at least an hour before bedtime
• Understanding how much sleep your child needs

While homework demands may infringe upon your child’s sleep hours, knowing how many hours of sleep your child should be getting can help you help them get enough sleep. This can be challenging with teenagers, since teenagers typically are very busy, but also need a lot of sleep. Doing what you can to help your child get enough sleep can reduce their risk of back-to-school injuries and help them have better days.

When Back-To-School Injuries Occur, Contact A Physical Therapist

Even if you’re the most cautious, prepared person in the world, you can’t always control whether or not you get injured. Physical therapists most often see back pain from backpacks, cervical/spinal/neck pain from poor posture, and injuries related to sports. Treatment can help your child recover so that they can resume their life. 

Wasatch Peak Physical Therapy is here to help you or your child recover from injuries. Contact us today or stop by one of our multiple locations in Northern Utah in order to learn more about our physical therapy services.