We often see patients at Highland Physical Therapy who have injured themselves when shoveling snow. It's actually more common than you might think - so if you have, you're not alone!

You might experience aches and pains as you shovel snow, or it may become progressively more painful leaving you reliant on painkillers to get through the day and unable to sleep well at night. If you notice that snow shoveling leads to more back pain, wrist injuries, or if you're concerned about your fall risk, this blog shares some simple and effective ways to avoid injuries.

If you generally step more gently as you go down the stairs, hold the hand-railing a little bit tighter, and take careful note of where your feet land next… you’re not alone. The vast majority of us, whether consciously or subconsciously, fear the sudden jolt and feeling of vertigo related to taking a tumble – not to mention the pain that comes afterwards! Our worst fears are realized when we start to think about the horrendous consequences of a fall: hip fractures, muscle tears, back pain, even broken legs. Yikes! Is it any wonder that a common theme in nightmares is falling out of bed? In fact, a fear of falling is so common that most people don’t even know they’re afraid! That’s right – the fear isn’t consciously spoken about or acknowledged. Instead, it translates into minute, prolonged posture and gait (walking) abnormalities which, if left unnoticed, can wreak havoc on one’s mobility and self-confidence. That’s why this post looks at why most people fear falling, why many don’t even recognize that fear, and – thankfully – what we can do about tackling this problem.