For most Australians, Christmas is a time for celebration. Unfortunately, Physiotherapists see many injuries around this season. Whether it’s rolling your ankle at a Christmas party after one too many drinks, a musculoskeletal injury from an intense gym session after months of inactivity, or low back pain from driving long distances, there are a range of injuries to watch out for.
Here are some of our best tips for staying safe over the silly season.
Avoid sitting for long periods
The Christmas/ new year period can be a time where many of us spend time driving long distances to holiday destinations or spend hours on the lounge watching the boxing day test. If this sounds like you, try to get up and move about every 20-30 minutes. These regular changes in posture can reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. While driving in the car it can be tedious stopping frequently so aim for a stop every 1-2 hours. This will also help with driver fatigue and reduce the likelihood of being involved in a car accident.
Watch your posture
The stress of Christmas can often lead to many of us neglecting our backs. Poor lifting techniques when moving heavy Christmas presents and incorrect posture wrapping Christmas presents can increase the risk of injury. Remember to keep a wide base of support and squat when lifting, keep the load close to your body and ask for help if something is too heavy. Additionally, ensure that you adjust your posture every 2-3 presents when doing the last minute present wrap.
Stay consistent with training
With the amount of food and drink Australians consume throughout the Christmas period, it’s no surprise that many of us put on a few kilos. As a result, we try to get into a hard-core training regime to shed the unwanted weight. This often leads to overuse injuries. When resuming training after a break, try to ensure a gradual, planned program back into full activity. This will help reduce the risk of overload or stress related injuries. If you are unsure about how to start an exercise program or increase your training, speak with one of our physiotherapists or a qualified personal trainer who can write a program just for you.
Get enough sleep
The silly season can cause havoc on our sleeping pattern; late nights wrapping or building presents, cooking or watching Christmas movies can mean that we get very limited shut-eye. To ensure that we have enough energy to interact with relatives and enjoy the Christmas break, plan some early nights. We recommend at least 8 hours sleep. There are some great sleep apps you can get these days and most Fitbits or similar devices can track how much and the quality of sleep you are getting. Perhaps that could be a great Christmas gift?
Know your limits
This is a big one! Every year we have at least 1 or 2 people with a funny but very painful Christmas time story as to how they sustained their injury. If you havn’t ridden a skateboard for 30 years, Christmas day after a few beers is possibly the worst time to give it a go. We are all for our patients having fun but be aware of the consequences should it go wrong. In case of emergency, it is best to go straight to the hospital where you can receive immediate care as most other services will be closed on the public holidays. PPS Physiotherapy will be closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day. We will be operating on restricted hours over the other remaining days in the holiday period.
Don’t ignore the pain
If you do injure yourself over the holidays, don’t ignore the pain! So often we see patients come in after having months of pain. The sooner you come in to treat the injury, the quicker the recovery process will be. Physiotherapists are highly qualified and trained to assess and treat all sorts of injuries and will help you get back on the beach again.
