Injuries on the Ice

by Anna Elliott
Chartered Physiotherapist
BSc (Hons) MCSP
Clinical Specialist & Corby Practice Manager

Ice - love it or hate it you are going to face plenty of it every year in the temperate climate of the United Kingdom. In 2014/15 (which wasn't even a cold year!) the hospital episode statistics recorded 2919 admissions to hospital from injuries related to falls on snow and ice. So if you are one of the unlucky one's what should you know?

With the turn in the weather and the drop in temperature it’s occasionally looking a little like Narnia outside and quite magical, however with that comes the hazards and risks of slipping on ice and causing injury.

For some a slip on the ice may just leave a bruise and a dented ego, for others it could be a more serious injury with some long term effects.

Common Ice Related Injuries

Back & neck injuries – falling straight down onto your back can involve a lot of force and at worse lead to a compression fracture of the vertebrae.

Concussion /head injury- a bang of the head on the ice from falling backwards can be painful and in some cases very serious. If there was no loss of consciousness then most likely all is ok, however if someone was knocked out then they should get checked urgently to see if a CT scan of the head is necessary. If they are over 65 then there is greater risk of internal bleeding and likewise if they are taking anti-coagulants to thin the blood such as warfarin, clopidrogel & aspirin.

Fractures from a fall are most common in wrist from an outstretched hand, or the hip or pelvis, ankle sprain or fractures are also common from twisting when slipping on ice. Less often seen are elbow fractures but this can depend on the way a person has landed. The force or pressure on an arm could also lead to dislocation, most commonly of the shoulder joint.

These injuries can be all ages from children to pensioners and if possible care should be taken to try and avoid falling on the ice.

Simple Rules to Follow

Allow plenty of time to travel both when walking and driving.

If walking on ice is unavoidable then bending the knees more and taking shorter strides can lessen the risk of slipping.

Wearing sensible footwear preferably with good traction, or even better wearing grippers or spikers on your shoes will give more grip. Leather soled shoes should be avoided as they’ll have no grip and add to the slip!

Wear warm clothing that allows freedom of movement – being restricted can affect balance by lessening the use of your arms. Remove items from pockets that could cause further injury.

Avoid carrying heavy loads in the ice.

If falling try to roll by curling up and rolling into the fall and so avoiding putting pressure onto an outstretched arm. Easier said than done when a slip happens quickly!

Sledging

Some of these ice related injuries seen in A&E at this time of year are also caused by sledging – a fun and exhilarating activity for most! The majority of injuries from sledging happen to youngsters under 14 and so to make sledging fun and safe follow these tips:

Wearing a helmet is much safer and helps prevent head injury.

Adult supervision makes sure children don’t collide at the end of the slope and helps avoids heading towards obstacles or hazards at the end of the slope.

Sitting on the sledge facing forwards is safer than lying down head first where there is little control and you can’t use feet to help with steering.

Plastic sheets also are hard to steer and can be pierced by sharp objects on the ground causing injury.

Sledges with a steering mechanism or rope are safer to sledge on.

Only sledge in designated areas not near roads or on streets, only sledge in the dark in well lit areas and wear lots of layers for warmth and padding.

With nearly everyone owing smart phones nowadays there is absolutely no reason for anyone not to have a life saving app installed somewhere. We are so keen to help push this message that we insist that our physiotherapists download one of these on their devices for their own use. Just remember that if you ever have to carry out CPR it is most likely going to be on a close friend or relative - being prepared by simply having an app is not a big deal in comparison with the alternative.