Winter sports are a lot of fun, but you’ve got to make sure you do all you can to stay safe while out and about skiing and snowboarding – or you could find yourself dealing with an injury, if you’re not careful.
New research from Aviva has found that the most common winter sports injury is a broken leg, followed by a broken arm, head injury, pelvic injury (the most expensive to resolve!) and back injuries.
Having fun safely is absolutely key at this time of year, so make sure that you use the right equipment for the sport you’re participating in, only attempt slopes that match your skill level and make sure that you carry a fully charged mobile phone just in case something happens and you need to call for help.
Do you need physio for a broken leg?
It can be difficult to tell if your leg is broken (although if it’s a severe case the bone may protrude through the skin). Symptoms include pain, swelling and bruising, as well as difficulty moving the limb. It may look shorter, twisted or bent and make a grating sound when you try to move.
Depending on the severity, you may need to have a cast to keep the leg still and hold the bones in place while they heal. Surgery may also be required for serious breaks.
Once the cast is removed, you may also find that you need physiotherapy to help with muscle weakness, joint stiffness, any nerve damage and issues with tendons.
The specific treatment programme will depend on what we uncover during our initial assessment, but typically it will include:
- -Soft tissue manual therapy
- Stretching exercises to encourage full range of motion and mobility
- Progressive strengthening exercises
- Balance and control work
- Gait reeducation (where necessary)
If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with the Clear Physio team today.
