While many people hunker down inside the warmth of home during the winter months, others revel in the crisp air and anticipate long days on snowy slopes. If winter drives you outdoors, be aware that there are inherent risks to common winter activities. But you can avoid the common sprains, tears, and breaks of winter with these activity-specific pointers.

Skiing and Snowboarding: From the first snow of the season well into spring, skiers and snowboarders are ready to hit the slopes. It might seem rather benign to float across the snow during cross country or anticipate the inevitable downhill falls into powdery drift, but ski-related injuries are common and can be severe. 

During preparation for ski and snowboarding season, vary your pre-season exercise training. Lift weights, do yoga, and continue cardio with a variety of sports such as racquetball, basketball, or dance. Work to improve flexibility, core strength, mobility, agility, and balance so when you hit the slopes your body is primed for the impact and twisting motions required. Also do a warm up and some stretching before getting on the chair lift. Cold muscles are susceptible to damage, even those used in working out at the gym. And as always, make sure your bindings are set to your appropriate weight and skill level. 

Hiking and Snowshoeing: Hiking is both energizing and calming any time of year. During the winter months, you might take on snowshoeing as another option for hitting the trails. Either way, keep injuries at bay with basic safety precautions like wearing the right footgear, using a walking stick, and being mindful while you traverse the trail.

Mountain Biking: Hitting the trails is a great way to spike the adrenaline and get the heart pumping year round. Winter brings its own challenges with rain, sleet, ice, and snow so choose your route and gear carefully. Broken collar bones and AC joint sprains are common injuries caused by mountain biking so maintaining a strong core and balance are critical to safety. Also essential is a proper setup of your bike. Choose the right frame size and seat height for your body type. Make sure the petal depth doesn’t allow your knee to overextend at the bottom of the rotation. Also adjust your handle bars to you’re not hunching over too far (strains the back) or pushing down on the bars (hard on wrists, hands, and forearms). 

Ice Skating: Especially in areas of the country that don’t have regular access to skatable ponds, ice skating is a novelty shared by many during the winter months. Avoiding injury is a challenge since falls are almost inevitable. Protect yourself with the proper gear and thick clothing that will help pad a fall. Stay close to the edge if you’re in a rink so you can grab on to soften the impact. When selecting skates, choose figure skates over hockey skates as they are a more stable option. When it comes to the slow-motion fall, keep your arms tucked in as much as possible. Bend your elbows to protect your more vulnerable wrists and if you fall backwards, try to land on the side of your buttocks where there is more cushion and fewer bones. 

Sledding: Snow and sledding are ubiquitous signs of the season. Don’t let injuries damper the squeals of delight. Instead, insist on a safety protocol. Look for any obstacles in the path–and well beyond the distance you think it’s possible to travel on a sled. Avoid any slope with trees, stumps, or large rocks. Also be wary of ditches. Walk the area before sledding to check out the landscaping. Place a pad under your buttock to help with the impact from bumps. It’s best to select sleds with handles to keep you in place, but make sure to avoid entangling wrists in ropes.

Of course if you’re not looking for high-octane activities, opt for less physically demanding options like building a snowman, constructing an igloo, or making snow angels. If you have any questions about how to manage your physical therapy requirements with the activities you love in winter, just ask the team at Encore Physical Therapy. We’re happy to help.

Pain centered around the elbow that may or may not radiate down or up the arm could be a condition commonly known as tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow. Ironically, while it is a common ailment of athletes, it can also be caused by any repetitive motion so it is often seen in professional painters, those who work at a computer, construction workers, cooks, etc. Typically pain is felt or is increased up to several hours following the offending activity.

The condition is more technically known as epicondylitis and although it does involve the inflammation identified by the “itis” in its name, there is more to it. Your doctor may also refer to it as tendonitis, which is an inflammation of the tendon. That is often the case, however, a more accurate diagnosis identifies the overuse of the tendon. This overuse and repetitive motion results in microtears of the tendon, a condition called tendonosis. 

While we’re busy defining terms, there is a difference between tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow even though they both cause pain of the elbow region. Tennis elbow is lateral epicondylitis, meaning it affects the outside of the elbow. This pain is felt throughout the elbow, forearm, wrist, and sometimes even parts of the hand. Golfer’s elbow, on the other hand, is medically referred to as medial epicondylitis and affects the inside of the elbow, also radiating down the forearm and wrist or up to the upper arm.

Epicondylitis is most common in people ages 35-50. Those under age 35 showing symptoms may be evaluated for growth plate issues or other causes. Those over 50 could have other causes as well, such as misalignment. For this reason, it’s important to be diagnosed by a medical professional. 

Epicondylitis can often be treated with rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory medication. Sometimes these efforts alone will reverse the problem within a few days, or it could take up to one year. 

Adding physical therapy to your toolbox of remedies can reduce healing times and make your recovery more comprehensive. Physical therapy can help increase strength, improve flexibility, and rejuvenate healing blood flow. The first step of treatment is evaluation. This involves a discussion of your work and leisure activities and a physical evaluation of your movement and use of muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the elbow area. Your therapist may also identify seemingly unrelated problems such as misalignment in the shoulder, upper back, or neck regions.

If your therapist thinks it is too soon to initiate strengthening, he or she might start with techniques to reduce inflammation and pain. These may include E-stim, massage, ice, tape, straps, braces, relaxation, or shockwave and laser therapy.

Once your therapist decides you’ve reached the right level of healing, it’s time to introduce new exercises to improve flexibility and strengthen muscles from the tips of your fingers up your arm. These will likely include stretching of the hands, wrists, and forearms. Your therapy will also include customized exercises to strengthen muscles that work in conjunction with your tendons. Since epicondylitis is caused by repetitive motion, your physical therapist can help you retrain your body towards different movements to resist future occurrences. 

With the proper evaluation, therapy, and training, epicondylitis can completely heal, leaving you to crush that golf drive or smash the squash shot. If you think epicondylitis is holding you back, call Encore Physical Therapy to set up an appointment today.

You may have heard of it; you may have suffered from it. Plantar Fasciitis (PLAN-tur fas-e-I-tis) is a very common condition defined by an inflammation of the tissues that run along the bottom of the foot, connecting the heel to the toes. Pain is typically felt in the front part of the heel and arch of the foot. The pain is common when rising in the morning or after long bouts of inactivity. It can also strike as a result of long periods of standing or following exercise, making it a common complaint of runners and other athletes. 

Our bodies naturally try to avoid pain so without realizing it you may be changing your running style, working stance, or walking gait. This can result in strain to other body parts like your knees, back, or other parts of your foot. Continued trauma to the plantar fascia can also cause heel spurs, tiny calcium deposits that develop on the heel bone. If the condition has progressed to heel spurs, you will likely feel the pain of the calcium deposits stabbing into the padding of your heel. There are also ways to prevent Plantar Fasciitis and especially the continuation of the problem into heel spurs. Wherever you’re at in your relationship with Plantar Fasciitis, an experienced physical therapist can help alleviate the problem. Here are some quick pointers to get you started. 

Home Care

Rest is a critical part of the solution. Avoid standing for long periods whenever possible and give your feet frequent breaks regardless of your activity level.

Maintaining a healthy weight benefits your entire body, including your hardworking feet. While rest and losing weight don’t always go hand in hand, try taking up a low impact option like water aerobics or yoga to stay active sans the impact of running or walking.

Exercising or not, invest in supportive shoes for your type of foot. High arches and flat feet are particularly susceptible to irritation. Make sure your footwear has a thick, cushioned sole and good heel support. Also check into orthotic inserts that can provide the right support and cushion to aid in optimal foot health as well as body alignment. Use over the counter pain relievers to reduce both pain and inflammation. 

Ice will also help reduce the inflammation, but note that Plantar Fasciitis can take six months to one year of recovery time. Use a wrap made specifically for holding the ice in the right position while offering a protective layer between the ice and your skin. You can use a frozen bag of peas wrapped in a thin towel for the same effect. Alternately, place your heels into a tray of ice water, keeping your toes above the water level. 

How Physical Therapy Can Help Plantar Fasciitis

Early intervention is the key to a quicker and more complete recovery. If you are having early symptoms of heel or arch pain make and appointment right away and start working towards a solution. 

Your physical therapist will evaluate your condition and recommend exercises to alleviate the inflammation and aid in recovery before the condition worsens. Exercises will likely include stretches that target mobility for your calves, Achilles tendon, and the bottom of your foot. The focus will equally target strengthening the lower leg and foot muscles that provide support. Your PT may also use athletic tape and offer shoe inserts to change support. Likely, treatment will also include exercises that focus on your body alignment.

Although Plantar Fasciitis is a common condition, each person’s situation is different so it’s important to be evaluated by a medical professional who can set you on the right path towards recovery. Call Encore Physical Therapy today to see how we can help.