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Brace Yourself, It's Backwards Day - Jan. 31st

January 21, 2020

January 31st is National Backward Day – a day to do everything backward. #BackwardDay can be lots of fun, especially for school-aged kids. When was the last time you moved in a backward motion? Moving furniture, playing pickup basketball, ice hockey or roller skating?


OrthoExpress Urgent Care encourages everyone to be careful not to trip or fall over any obstacles when walking backward. Instead, try writing backward or reading backward. Wear your shirt with the back in the front. Eat your meal, starting with dessert. Walk backward with a friend to spot you, or try talking backward. This day is limited only by your imagination.


When you brace yourself with your arms and hands when/if falling backward, it can lead to fractures and other orthopedic injuries that could be much more significant than a bruised bum. Bracing a fall with your hands can cause significant damage to the ligaments, tendons, and joints that make up your upper extremities. Your hands, wrists, arms, elbows, and shoulders could all be affected and injured when absorbing the impact of a fall.

TOP SYMPTOMS OF INJURIES AS A RESULT OF BRACING YOURSELF WITH YOUR HANDS DURING A FALL INCLUDE:

  • thumb pain
  • constant hand pain
  • wrist injury
  • wrist pain from injury
  • swollen wrist
  • pain in the back of the wrist
  • wrist injury
  • wrist pain from an injury
  • arm weakness
  • constant forearm pain
  • forearm pain from an injury
  • pain in one forearm
  • swollen forearm
  • elbow pain
  • pain in the front of the shoulder
  • pain in one shoulder
  • constant shoulder pain
  • shoulder pain from an injury
  • collarbone pain
  • shoulder pain near the end of the collarbone
  • difficulty moving shoulder

Sometimes a simple fall can lead to significant orthopedic injuries as a result of attempting to ease the impact. Injuries such as Buckle or Torus Fractures, Biceps Tendonitis or Tendon Ruptures, Kienbock Disease, a Broken Collarbone, Shoulder Joint Injuries, Wrist-Bone and Growth Plate Fractures, and Sprains to the wrist and elbow have occurred. Sometimes you get lucky and your strength can compensate and protect you from a fall. Sometimes injuries can be treated at home using the R.I.C.E. method while other injuries from bracing yourself from a fall could require urgent treatment and immediate orthopedic care.





SOMETIMES MOVING BACKWARD CAN MOVE YOU FORWARD…

Since January 31st is National Backward Day, we thought that we might highlight how safely implementing exercise such as running backward, can help move you forward. Sometimes going backward is the right way to move and improve. Ex: Walking, Running, and Injury Rehabilitation

Backward Benefits

In training athletes such as basketball, soccer, and hockey players, backward running can improve their performance. Defensive positions often require ‘tracking your opponent’ which requires quickly moving backward. Backward moving training exercises can help with agility and build joint strength, coordination and flexibility.

Exercise movements in reverse have also been known to help rehabilitate lower extremity injuries because of the reduced force of the load on the weakened joints. If someone is suffering from a sore knee, stress fracture or similar impact injury, the mechanics of backward motion exercises can reduce pressure on the muscles, ligaments, and tendons surrounding the weakened joint.

According to the Journal of BioMechanics, Backward running also results in less pounding of the knees, studies show, so it is sometimes used to help runners rehabilitate from injuries to that joint.

 

BRACE YOURSELF, IT’S BACKWARD DAY.

Enjoy it safely and have some fun. Just be careful and come see us at 104 Chelsea Point Dr. Chelsea, AL 35043 if you get hurt from falling on anything other than your bum. OrthoExpress Urgent Care specializes in the treatment of orthopedic injuries and chronic conditions in adults and children. We are open 7 days a week. We accept walk-ins with no appointment required. At OrthoExpress, you are treated directly by our team of orthopedic experts, just like emergency rooms refer to, only without the high cost or needless waiting.


OrthoExpress Urgent Care
Shelby County’s only immediate injury care clinic

Open M-F 10 am to 8 pm
and weekends 1 pm to 6 pm

104 Chelsea Point Dr
Chelsea, AL 35043
(205) 677-0001




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