Get the Best Winter Activities
- Falling on your rear can present its own set of problems including a breakage of the tailbone (coccyx). This can be an extremely painful injury.
10 Tips to Avoid Ice-skating Injuries:
- Make sure your ice skates fit comfortably and provide strong ankle support. Poor fitting skates can cause blisters. Lack of ankle support makes ankles wobbly and can lead to injuries.
- Inexperienced skaters should learn some ice-skating basics, which include learning how to stop and fall safely, as well as basic safety rules.
- Always look where you are going, even when skating backward.
- Always obey rink rules, such as skating in the same direction as other skaters.
- Always be alert and aware of surroundings.
- Never wear earphones or talk on a cell phone while ice-skating.
- When possible and if circumstances warrant, wear a helmet. This is especially important for young children or beginner skaters.
- Consider wearing other safety equipment such as kneepads and wrist guards. This is especially important for young children and inexperienced skaters.
- Dress appropriately to avoid cold-related injury.
- Make sure you rest when you become tired or cold. More skating accidents happen when you're tired.
7 Pond and Lake Safety Tips:
- Never skate on an untested lake or pond.
- The ice should be a minimum of six inches thick to be safe.
- Never skate alone. Children should always be supervised by an adult.
- Only skate during the day or if the area is lit.
- Have a cell phone available to call for help if necessary.
- Never cross a frozen pond as a shortcut.
- Never go out on a frozen pond after an animal.
Dr. Attilio S. Pensavalle is the founder of OrthoBalance Physical Therapy located in Great Neck. The practice is dedicated to the care and treatment of orthopedic, neuromusculoskeletal and vestibular disorders for balance recovery and fall prevention utilizing state-of-the-art NeuroCom balance assessment and retraining technology. Dr. Pensavalle’s extensive experience spans a broad spectrum of professional areas, encompassing orthopedic clinical treatment, clinical education, advanced manual therapeutics and assessment and treatment of balance impairment, fall risk management, and injury prevention.
