Megan Navarro
BUDA — Winters in Texas are a little bit different from the traditional white Christmas or ski paradise that can be found in the northern states. However, the state still gets its fair amount of freezes or random cold weather snaps — something that people should keep mindful of with slip and fall injuries, explained Dr. Jordan Handcox, who specializes in orthopedic surgery at Baylor Scott & White Health.
Texas weather can change at the drop of a hat, Handcox said — as temperatures were in the 30s earlier in the month, but will be closer to what is seen around the summertime for Christmas. These freezes can catch people off guard and they bring unexpected walking or driving conditions, hidden ice and more, according to Handcox, leading to an increase in injuries.
“Here in Texas, we're not really used to dealing with winter weather, adverse weather and so, when we have cold spells or cold freezes, we're much less prepared to deal with the ice and the snow than other places might be. So, we'll see a lot of people slipping and falling on patches of hidden ice that weren't there a day or two before,” she noted. “Then, we also see a lot of kinds of winter sporting injuries. We don't have much skiing here, but a lot of our patients will travel for the holidays, travel for the winter, go participate in winter sporting events and then, unfortunately, we see increases in injuries from that as well during the winter.”
These slip and fall injuries can be anything from broken bones, hips, wrists and trying to catch oneself when falling on ice, along with that from winter sports, such as ACL tears and dislocations.
While these types of injuries can occur, there are some practices that people can do to help prevent them, Handcox shared.
She explained the importance of checking with a primary care doctor to ensure a good baseline bone health and calcium and vitamin D intake, as well as not overexerting to participate in activities.
“Sometimes, in winter, people try to go beyond their typical activity level, whether it's with winter sporting activities or enjoying something new on the holidays. So, again, it’s important that you have that baseline strength and mobility to enjoy all the activities that you want to try to do and don't try to do something that's out of your wheelhouse or maybe out of your capacity,” Handcox advised. “We see a fair amount of injuries of people trying to do things out of the ordinary that they really wouldn't do any other time of the year, things like climbing taller ladders to hang Christmas lights [or] if we do have a freeze, trying to shovel your sidewalk when you don't usually do something with that much physical exertion, lifting something heavy, trying to lift a heavy gift in or out of your car, things that you wouldn't normally do.”
Handcox also encouraged people to: wear the correct footwear for whatever activity they are participating in; stay mobile, active and strong in the colder weather months; and ensure proper hydration.
If somebody has an injury with some pain, but is still able to walk around and do what they need to do, they can do some at-home treatments before seeking outside care. Handcox said they can try icing the injured spot in the beginning for 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off for a couple of times a day, ensuring they are protecting the skin from the ice, but then use heat later on once it has healed up. People can also take anti-inflammatory medication as well, but check with their doctor prior to doing so, and use a compression sleeve if it’s a knee or ankle injury.
However, Handcox said, if somebody has an injury and their wrist or knee, for example, is not bending or straightening like it should — especially if they are unable to walk — then they need to seek medical care immediately.
Additionally, if anyone does have an injury and they are nervous about their symptoms, they can use the “Help Me Decide” tool within the MyBSWHealth app that allows them to talk to a live person and figure out what the best care options would be.
More information about the tool can be found at bit.ly/3Y5oTxN.
