Sports injury statistics are staggering not just here but in many areas worldwide where people like to be physically active. In fact, if you look at statistics they’re quite alarming.

The Canadian Institute for Health Information reported that more than 5,600 Canadians are seriously injured every year due to winter sports that require at least one night’s stay in hospital. That number does not reflect those who just go to an emergency department or to their doctor. Where complete data is available, the winter of 2010/2011 saw a staggering 45,270 people injured; that’s about 285 people per day.

In the U.S. about 3.5 million children and teenagers are injured every year with a third of those being sports-related.

Snow Shoveling and Gardening Injuries

For something as relaxing as gardening it’s really hard to think that an injury can occur. Gardening is exercise; after all there is a lot of bending, squatting, kneeling and twisting. Our bodies get an amazing workout when gardening however improper gardening techniques can cause repetitive strain injuries. It can also cause wear and tear on muscles and joints and most common, strain on the lower back due to improper posturing.

Improper snow shoveling techniques has caused thousands to have lower back problems. Here is something really interestingly from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety to keep in mind. An average shovel weighs about 1kg. Add 5kg of snow onto that shovel every (on average) 5 seconds you’ll move over 70kg of snow per minute. Do that for 15 minutes and that’s 1,000kg of snow you’re moving around. This can be very hard on the back and on the heart.

Snow shoveling is a known trigger for heart attacks. There is not a doubt that emergency departments gear up for more patients when the snow comes down and especially wet snow. For many people who shovel rarely, shovelling snow is a tremendous workout for a person who is not physically fit. This puts a massive strain on the heart and if it is really cold outside, this can boost blood pressure or interrupt blood flow to the heart creating the perfect condition for blood to form clots.

Outdoor Activity Injuries

No matter what outdoor activity we participate in sprains and strains seem to top the injury list. All these injury statistics that are conducted on a regular basis are inevitably higher because how many times have you or a person you know, sprained or strained an ankle or wrist and did not seek medical treatment? More often than not the simple act of walking has caused thousands of ankle sprains or strains. Unless the person is immobilized they generally hobble along causing further trauma and an injury that can come back to haunt them.

This is not an attempt at instilling fear about the great outdoors but a reminder that participating in some form of physical activity on a regular basis and maintaining good posture is essential in preventing an injury from happening. Children are not exempt from this advice. Schools no longer have physical education classes the way they used to be or as frequent as they once were. Playing outdoors at recess has so many restrictions nowadays that many schools have become nothing more than “Nerf” zones. More than ever getting children involved in physical activities is so important in helping to keep them fit and healthy.

Chiropractic Help

With all these injuries happening how many of these are properly healed so that the rate of injury recidivism is reduced? Injury recidivism is a serious problem that burdens the health care system and there is a need to work towards prevention in order to reduce these numbers.

Chiropractic care is a logical step in preventing injury recidivism and in supporting outdoor activities. A chiropractor uses a multitude of non-invasive treatments which include balance training, stretches, and strengthening exercises to not only help you prevent injuries but from helping an injury from reoccurring.

Eating proper foods and getting essential nutrients is part of healing and maintaining health. This is something that is totally overlooked by many physicians yet is so critical. For example, bromelain is an enzyme found in pineapples and this reduces inflammation and swelling. Vitamin C and beta-carotene are essential in the creation of connective tissue.
If you are concerned about your physical well-being be sure to call Chiro-Med today!

Established in 2007 by Dr. Behfar Sanjari, Chiro-Med Rehab Centre has been committed to providing quality health care services to the Greater Toronto Area for a decade. Chiro-Med Rehab Centre has qualified professionals who can help you come up with a personalized plan to help you prevent injuries from occurring. We have clinics located in Richmond Hill and Newmarket, call 905-918-0419 or 905-235-2620 for more information.

Sources:

http://www.cihi.ca/en/types-of-care/specialized-services/trauma-and-injuries/more-than-5600-canadians-seriously-injured

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-624-x/2011001/article/11506-eng.htm#a4

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/pediatrics/sports_injury_statistics_90,p02787/

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/sprains-and-strains

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/protect-your-heart-when-shoveling-snow-201101151153

https://injepijournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40621-016-0071-x