Tips to help prevent holiday decorating injuries
Between getting boxes out of the attic, hanging those twinkling lights, and hauling the tree into the house, the holiday season is filled with a lot of physical activity. Without proper preparation and form, decking those halls may leave you with an injury.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there was an estimated 15,000 injuries involving holiday decorating seen in emergency rooms during November and December in 2012. 35% of the visits involved falls, and 10% involved back strains.
The injury experts at ATI Physical Therapy offer these tips to help keep you safe when tackling that tinsel.
Get Your Body Ready
Take a few moments to stretch before activity. Hold each stretch for ten seconds and repeat three times.
- Place your hands on your hips. Lean back until you feel a stretch in the front of your abdominals and hips.
- Clasp your hands and raise them over your head. Lean to one side until you feel a stretch on the side of your trunk. Repeat on other side.
- Bend forward like you are going to touch your toes until you feel a comfortable stretch in the back of your legs and lower back.
Remember Proper Form
Practicing proper form when lifting will help protect your back, shoulders and neck from injury.
- When lifting objects, remember “nose over toes.” Keep these two body parts aligned to prevent lifting and twisting at the same time, which puts you at risk for injury.
- When lifting, tighten your abdominal muscles, bend with your knees and put pressure through your heels.
- Keep boxes or objects close to your bellybutton and your body.
- Rather than overreaching to get something, take a few steps closer to put less pressure on your upper body.
- Position your feet shoulder width apart, staggered, and facing the load.
- Make your movements controlled and smooth when possible and try to avoid sudden movements.
- Test an object’s weight by pushing it with your foot. If it seems too heavy, get help.
Other Holiday Hints
- Always wear comfortable and properly fitting shoes, and be sure they are slip-resistant.
- When climbing, make sure that the ladder is the proper height for your activity. Move the ladder rather than overreaching. Your bellybutton should not go past the sides of the ladder.
- Get a buddy! Don’t tackle lifting, climbing and decorating on your own.
- Make more than one trip. Carrying too much at one time can lead to injury.
- Listen to your body. If you begin to feel pain, STOP your activity. Take a rest, and start again slowly when the pain subsides.
If you do feel pain, or suffer an injury following your holiday decorating, contact any ATI Physical Therapy for a Complimentary Injury Screening. To find a location near you, visit www.ATIpt.com or 855-MY-ATIPT.