To Take Safe Steps This Winter, Follow This Advice from WHS Orthopedics

By Andrew Wilson

Some people enjoy the winter weather and others dread it. No matter which category you may fall into, there is an increased risk of being injured in a fall on a sidewalk or driveway during the winter months due to snowy or icy conditions.

“Typically, we do see an increase in orthopedic injuries in the adult and elderly population during the winter months, especially when there is ice present on the roads and sidewalks,” said Colleen Harriger, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon for Washington Health System (WHS) Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.  “The majority of injuries we see in the office during the winter months occur in middle-aged to elderly patients. We do see some young patients as well, especially from skiing, snowboarding, snowmobile accidents.”

Dr. Harriger says that the injuries commonly seen at this time of year include hip fractures, wrist and proximal humerus or shoulder fractures, and ankle fractures. Many of these injuries are related to slipping and falling on snow or ice, which can occur when leaving the house, crossing the street, or walking to your car in a parking lot.

No matter the weather conditions, when an elderly person falls, it can be very serious, often resulting in broken bones and an extended recovery time. However, the chance of a fall increases exponentially in the winter months. What can be done to decrease the possibility of a fall?

“Making sure your stairs, driveway, sidewalk, and porch are clear of ice will greatly help prevent falls at and around your home during the winter months,” said Dr. Harriger.  “Walk where the ground has been cleared and salted. You can put rock salt or other chemical compounds on your own stairs, driveway, etc. Salt lowers the freezing point of ice/snow and therefore makes it harder for surfaces to freeze.”

While some of these ice-melting compounds work great to get rid of snow or ice, they may also cause problems for our four-legged friends, irritating their paws. If you have pets, Dr. Harriger advises to try to use salt labeled as pet friendly.

Additionally, Dr. Harriger has other tips for keeping safe in the winter:

• Using sand outside can provide added grip or traction but use caution because sand will not melt the ice or make it harder for ice to form.

• Make use of all handrails when they are available.

• Be sure to wear supportive shoes or boots that have a good tread on them and take shorter, slow steps.

• Try to limit distractions while walking so you can concentrate on taking careful steps and avoiding icy areas.

While winter injuries can be quite painful and may even involve some sort of physical rehabilitation during recovery, for the most part – outside of hitting your head during a fall – they are usually not life-threatening.

“Generally, there are more severe trauma injuries during the summer months,” said Dr. Harriger, citing more motorcycle, dirt bike, and ATV crashes, “but there can still be some severe car accidents during winter.”

To be safer while driving in wintry conditions, Dr. Harriger advises:

• Leave a larger distance between yourself and the car in front of you.

• If there is ice on the roads, give yourself a longer distance when stopping at traffic lights and stop signs.

• Be careful passing other cars on the highway or local roads. The snow/ice between lanes can sometimes cause your car to slide when changing lanes and the passing lane may not be as cleared/plowed/salted.

In spite of all the precautions that can be taken, minor injuries from slips and falls may still occur. Dr. Harriger recommends rest, ice, and elevation as the first steps to take after an injury.

“You can also use an Ace wrap or brace if you have one for some added compression if pain allows,” she said.  “If there is no improvement of symptoms with these modalities, one should seek further evaluation.”

Of course, major injuries like fractures or hitting one’s head during a fall are always a possibility, and if that happens, extra precautions should be taken.

“If you see someone else fall and they appear to lose consciousness, hit their head, or they are complaining of neck pain, it would be best to not move them as they may have a neck/spine injury,” she said.  “If there is an obvious head injury or fracture, call EMS to take the injured person to the hospital immediately. If the person is unable to put weight on their leg after a lower extremity injury, they may want to seek evaluation to rule out a less-obvious fracture.”

The Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeons at Washington Health System Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, are highly skilled in general orthopedics with a subspecialty in sports medicine, knee, hip and shoulder surgery. The goal is to accommodate patients promptly, in most cases with same day appointments, and provide the highest level of patient satisfaction. For more information, please visit whs.org/locations/orthopedics-and-sports-medicine or call (724) 206-0610.