Ice and Snow Brings Slip and Falls

According to the national Floor Safety Institute, the average person takes approximately 8,000 steps per day.  But one misstep can cause lasting havoc. This can create back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, leg pain, sciatica, herniated disc­—any of these injuries can result in chronic conditions that could take weeks or months to fully recover. That is time spent away from work, family, and other activities that you do normally because of pain.

Depending on conditions that caused the slip and fall, a person can receive different types of injuries. Although the ground can play a part in the type of injury caused, it is the position in which you fell that will cause the most damage. For instance, if the surface is slippery, a person will typically fall backwards. If the surface is uneven, a person will probably fall forward or on their side. In both instances, a back injury is almost certain.

These injuries need to be treated as soon as possible as there is a high possibility of getting worse after every day that a person is untreated. Unfortunately, most people do not feel the full extent of their injuries until days after the accident. Although the fall may be painful, that pain may decrease over time, but the real issue is how the impact aggravated the body to create other conditions. A back injury that happens after a slip and fall can become very serious if a person ignores the painful symptoms with the hopes that they’ll fade after a while.

Some of the most common injuries that result from a slip and fall injury include:

• Neck Injuries – The neck is extremely fragile and it’s easy for vertebrae in the cervical spine to become dislocated or for a spinal disc to rupture.
• Tailbone Fractures – Slip and falls cause people to fall back and land on their buttocks. The impact could cause the tailbone to fracture, which usually cause other conditions.
• Herniated Disc – This injury can happen when a person falls awkwardly because the body puts more pressure on the vertebral discs, causing them to rupture during impact.
• Soft Tissue Injuries – These injuries can affect all soft tissues including muscles, ligaments, and cartilage that acts as cushion between joints.
• Whiplash – The neck takes the full force of this injury because the head will uncontrollably move one way and then whip back when the person makes impact with the surface.

Most people with minor back injuries will recover with suitable rest and anti-inflammatory drugs for pain. However, more serious injuries will need to be treated by a doctor who specializes in slip and fall injuries.

If you have suffered an injury from a slip and fall we might be able to help you recover from your injury. Call us to schedule an appointment for a consultation today.