Injury Care

Slip and Fall Injuries

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Individuals involved in slip and fall accidents lead to around 9 million emergency room visits a year. Recovering from a severe injury suffered in a slip and fall accident requires extensive medical care and physical rehabilitation. Older adults are susceptible to slip and fall injuries. According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injuries of older adults and are a common hazard in nursing homes, where between half of the residents fall each year. The most common injuries sustained include:

Cuts and Abrasions

Cuts and abrasions can be minor to severe. Leg and arm abrasions are the most common, followed by wounds to the head and hips. These injuries require superficial treatment and possibly stitches. However, if the impact of the fall is severe, cuts and abrasions can overlap more severe injuries like concussions and broken bones.

Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries often do not get noticed, so individuals don’t realize they have a mild tissue injury until days or weeks after the fall. Soft tissue injuries can range from minor ankle and/or wrist sprains to severe tears in tendons and ligaments. Left untreated, these injuries can lead to chronic pain conditions making the body more vulnerable to further injuries. Even when individuals feel fine after a slip and fall accident, they are recommended to seek medical care or consult an injury specialist as soft tissue injuries don’t often produce immediate symptoms.

Sprains and Strains

A slip and fall accidents often happen as a result of taking an uneven or awkward step. Individuals also often react with their hands in front to try to cushion the fall. Both the awkward step and pushing the hands out can cause the wrist or ankle to tear, causing a sprain or a strain. The ligaments do not circulate a lot of blood, meaning that healing and recovery can take a significant amount of time.

Broken Bones

A fall can result in stressful forces on the bones of the body. In slip and fall accidents, hip, wrist, and ankle fractures are the most common bones that get broken. The older an individual is, the more likely they will break a bone from a slip and fall accident.

Hip Fractures

More than 95% of broken hips are caused by falls, according to the CDC. Hip fractures often require surgery that can include implantation of an artificial hip and hospitalization for about a week, followed by extensive physical therapy and rehabilitation.

Knee Injuries

Knee injuries can result from a slip and fall, especially if the knee gets rotated the wrong way or twisted. Knees are made up of bone and ligaments, meaning it could take a long to heal and recover. Dislocation of the patella is also a possibility that could require knee reconstruction.

Neck and Shoulder Injuries

Shoulder and neck injuries can be the result of landing on the shoulder or neck. They can also occur from overexertion when trying to right oneself during a fall. Neck injuries can range from:

  • Muscle sprains
  • Spinal injuries
  • Paralysis

Shoulder injuries can result in:

  • Shoulder dislocation
  • Torn nerves
  • Collarbone breaks

Even the most minor neck and shoulder injuries can require surgery and rehabilitation.

Back and Spinal Cord Injuries

Severe impact on the body in a slip and fall accident can cause slipped or herniated discs and fractured vertebrae, causing significant pain and limiting mobility. An injury to the spinal cord can lead to temporary paralysis, permanent paralysis, neurologic and sensory impairments. According to the Mayo Clinic, falls cause more than a quarter of spinal cord injuries and the majority of spinal injuries among adults 65 and older.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries occur when an individual hits their head on a hard surface during a fall. Traumatic brain injuries can range from:

  • Minor injuries like:
  • Minor concussions
  • Bumps
  • Bruises
  • To major injuries like:
  • Skull fractures
  • Hematomas
  • Subarachnoid hemorrhage
  • Severe traumatic brain injuries like:
  • Brain function issues
  • Seizures
  • Loss of bodily control

Chiropractic Care

A chiropractor will review imaging scans, medical history, and current symptoms to determine the best form of treatment. Inflammation is common and is the body’s defense to protect the injured area by slowing down the blood flow in that area to allow the body’s internal defenses to repair the injury. Sometimes the body overreacts to the problem and produces far more inflammation than is needed. Depending on the severity of the injury, various massage, manipulation techniques, and tools will be utilized to help the body heal itself.


Body Composition


Recovery and Swelling

Recovery is an essential part of individuals involved in physical training programs and after injury. A significant sign that the body has undergone intense physical exertion and requires recovery is swelling. Swelling occurs for several reasons and is the body’s response to tiny, microscopic muscle tears that arise from intense use. It is possible to see this swelling in body composition results. Recovery is about giving the body a chance to:

  • Relax
  • Recuperate
  • Recover from the swelling to resume normal physical activities.
References

Courtney, T K et al. “Occupational slip, trip, and fall-related injuries–can the contribution of slipperiness be isolated?.” Ergonomics vol. 44,13 (2001): 1118-37. doi:10.1080/00140130110085538

Kannus, Pekka et al. “Prevention of falls and consequent injuries in elderly people.” Lancet (London, England) vol. 366,9500 (2005): 1885-93. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67604-0

Related Post

Reuben, David B et al. “The Strategies to Reduce Injuries and Develop Confidence in Elders Intervention: Falls Risk Factor Assessment and Management, Patient Engagement, and Nurse Co-management.” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society vol. 65,12 (2017): 2733-2739. doi:10.1111/jgs.15121

Rosen, Tony et al. “Slipping and tripping: fall injuries in adults associated with rugs and carpets.” Journal of injury & violence research vol. 5,1 (2013): 61-9. doi:10.5249/jivr.v5i1.177

Professional Scope of Practice *

The information herein on "Slip and Fall Injuries" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.

Blog Information & Scope Discussions

Our information scope is limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.

We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.*

Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.

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Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
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Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN* CIFM*, IFMCP*, ATN*, CCST
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Welcome-Bienvenido's to our blog. We focus on treating severe spinal disabilities and injuries. We also treat Sciatica, Neck and Back Pain, Whiplash, Headaches, Knee Injuries, Sports Injuries, Dizziness, Poor Sleep, Arthritis. We use advanced proven therapies focused on optimal mobility, health, fitness, and structural conditioning. We use Individualized Diet Plans, Specialized Chiropractic Techniques, Mobility-Agility Training, Adapted Cross-Fit Protocols, and the "PUSH System" to treat patients suffering from various injuries and health problems. If you would like to learn more about a Doctor of Chiropractic who uses advanced progressive techniques to facilitate complete physical health, please connect with me. We focus on simplicity to help restore mobility and recovery. I'd love to see you. Connect!

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