Winter is a season filled with snow, ice, and injuries, if you’re not careful. We have all had the occasional slip on the ice, but for some individuals, slipping on the ice can be dangerous. Eric Turner, Co-Owner of Jet Physical Therapy, tells individuals about the precautions to take if you are outside, “Well first I think people need to know their limitations and their boundaries. Some individuals based on their physical abilities just shouldn’t be outdoors when it’s icy, slippery, with deep snow those kinds of things. Secondly, kind of planning ahead. Maybe if they need to go somewhere that you go a little bit earlier so you don’t have to be in a hurry. Often times, under slick slippery conditions, when you’re more likely to be rushed, or if you are in a rush, you’re more likely to have a fall. So being able to take your time, shorten up your steps in slippery conditions. It may not make it foolproof, that a fall doesn’t occur, but it certainly can help reduce the risks.”

Turner suggests that individuals do some physical activities inside, such as stretching, before going outside to get the body prepared for the cold. While injuries occur all the time, Turner says many of his patients during the later winter months are dealing with achy muscles and joints because of the lack of movement, “But we also see a great deal of conditions related to reduced activity. In the months we’re not out and about as much, we are more sedentary, sitting, not outdoors walking in the nice weather, or working in the yard. As those weeks build up on top of one another later in the winter time like February, early March you start to see more conditions related to back pain, neck pain, just because the joints are becoming stiff. Muscles are tight and that’s starting to leave different conditions. Those things are pretty easy to take care of. So, we’d like to be able to prevent those by finding ways to be more active during the winter.” If you were injured during your daily snow shoveling or slipped on the ice, call or visit JET Physical Therapy.