Winter in Northeast Ohio can either strike fear in or bring joy to the hearts of its residents. For those who dread this season, the concern of slipping on the ice or sustaining a back injury while shoveling is a real issue. It’s no different for winter sports enthusiasts. While enjoying activities like skiing, snowboarding, skating, or sledding, there’s always that risk of getting hurt.
Obviously, our cold, snowy weather brings with it a wide range of potential bone, joint, muscle, spine and sports injuries. Fortunately, there’s Crystal Clinic QuickCare in Montrose, Green, Hudson, and Canton to provide specialized treatment for these orthopaedic conditions.
As you might expect, we see plenty of hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, and ankle issues after people have fallen on the ice. It’s also not unusual for skiers or snowboarders to come in with a broken collar bone or some type of knee injury. In addition to these typical winter injuries, we still see standard orthopaedic conditions such as arthritis, strains, and sprains.
QUICKCARE Advantages
One of QuickCare’s biggest advantages is that no appointment is necessary. And, because we specialize only in orthopaedic conditions, you won’t be exposed to other illnesses commonly seen in emergency rooms or urgent care facilities.
When you come in, we will do a full orthopaedic assessment to diagnose and treat your injury, and educate you on the appropriate care. If your injury requires ongoing treatment, we will schedule that appointment before you leave our office. Additionally, should surgery be needed, we have the ability, if necessary, to contact the physician that may perform the surgery and get things set up accordingly. It’s this ease of access to the best orthopaedic care that distinguishes us from typical emergency departments or general urgent care facilities.
Another great thing about QuickCare is that if you bring in X-rays from an outside facility, we are able to import that film to our system to view the image. We can use this as part of your assessment to treat your injury. If further X-rays are needed, or if you never had an x-ray and it was determined necessary at the time of your evaluation, X-rays are always available at Quick Care.
Fortunately, nonsurgical options are some of the most commonly prescribed treatments in orthopaedics. Perhaps, you have heard the term “R.I.C.E” before. It stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. These are key elements to conservative, orthopaedic treatments. Others include bracing/splinting, crutches, minor wound dressing, minor lacerations, and physical therapy, all of which we offer. In fact, most Crystal Clinic locations offer physical therapy services.
While winter injuries are often the result of accidents, there are preventive measures you can take to lower your risk of getting hurt. If it’s going to be icy out, salt your steps, ask a neighbor to help carry in groceries, or use a device to steady yourself on the ice, such as a cane.
For skiers and snowboarders, stretch and do a gentle warm-up before hitting the slopes. If you have had a previous knee injury, you may want to consult with your medical provider about using a knee brace for added support.
Shoveling injuries are a little trickier. If the driveway needs to be shoveled, consider hiring someone to help or invest in a snow-blower. Take breaks every 10 minutes. Be cautious if the snow is extra wet and heavy. Use a longer shovel so you are not bent down in an uncomfortable position for long periods of time.
Please be safe this winter, but know that Crystal Clinic QuickCare can care for any unexpected orthopaedic injuries that affect you.