When wintertime comes, people dust off their sleds, skis, and skates, and enjoy the crisp air while engaging in their favorite activities on the ice and snow. This season brings joy and adventure amid the winter chill.
But winter sports bring the possible risk of accident or injury. These especially tend to happen due to a lack of warming up beforehand and pushing yourself beyond your physical capabilities. After all, your muscles and joints will become stiff quickly in the cold weather if you don’t actively keep them warm and moving.
Let’s talk about some of the most common winter sports injuries and where you can go for an evaluation and treatment, as well as where you can receive advice about preventing injuries this winter.
Skier’s Thumb
When you ski, you use your hands and wrists in such a way as to potentially getting skier’s thumb. This injury affects the ulnar collateral ligament at the base of the thumb, and it occurs when the thumb is bent away from your fingers or hyperextended.
Falling while holding onto a pole while skiing tends to lead to this condition. Symptoms of skier’s thumb are pain, swelling, bruising, and discoloration of the thumb area.
Knee and Ankle Sprains
When you twist your knee or ankle when playing winter sports, you may pull or tear a ligament in the joint, which is a sprain. The symptoms include swelling, pain, and bruising. You may sometimes also hear or feel a popping sound coming from the joint when the ligament is sprained.
Hamstring Strains
Pulling or twisting your lower leg muscle while playing winter sports can cause muscle strain. A strain can also happen to a tendon, which is the tough tissue that connects a muscle directly to a bone.
Because a strain is a tear or a stretch of the muscle or tendon, this injury can make it difficult to move the area. Symptoms include pain, redness, and swelling.
Winter Sports Injury Treatment in Watertown
Sports injuries can occur in any season, but ice-skating injuries are very different than basketball injuries. When they do happen, be sure to seek orthopedic medical care so that you can heal quickly and prevent ongoing complications.
If you have a musculoskeletal injury of any kind, our board-certified orthopedic surgeons at North Country Orthopaedic Group are here to provide a speedy and accurate evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment. From sports injuries to arthritis, we know how to provide efficient healthcare that helps you get back to the lifestyle you enjoy.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment with one of our orthopedists here in Watertown, contact our friendly staff today by calling us at (315) 782-1650 or fill out our easy-to-use appointment request form online now. We look forward to helping you stay active, healthy, and strong this winter and all year long!
