With the Winter Olympics underway, cold temperatures aren’t the only risk. Injuries can happen in many ways. Whether it is a high-speed crash on the slopes or an overuse injury from repetitive training, winter sports can place a unique stress on the body.
However, those same risks are not limited to Olympic athletes. Whether it’s shoveling snow, running outdoors or hitting your local trails for skiing or sledding, winter activities can increase the chance of strains, fractures and cold-related injuries if you are not properly prepared.
Bryan M. Saltzman, MD, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine and Chief of the Sports Medicine and Shoulder/Elbow Surgery Division of IU Health shared how cold weather can affect the body, as well as how people can stay active and safe during the winter months.
Question: Does cold weather change the way the body responds to injury?
Bryan M. Saltzman: Cold weather can affect how our soft tissues in particular respond to injury. Muscles, ligaments, and tendons are less elastic in the cold weather, which is why proper warm-up activities are imperative to reduce the risk for strains or tears of these structures. The cold may initially blunt a pain response from injury, which can also make someone less likely to realize the severity of an injury when it first occurs. However, with lower temperatures leading to constriction of blood vessels and blood flow, and joint fluid changes, more significant levels of pain, stiffness, swelling, or achiness may follow.
Q: Are there certain injuries you see more often during winter sports or cold-weather activities versus summer sports and activities?
Saltzman: As winter sports on average can involve higher speeds and harder surfaces, we can see more traumatic injuries than in our summer sport/activity counterparts, which by contrast produce more overuse injuries like tendinitis or stress fractures. The fast speeds and cutting or pivoting of many winter sports or cold-weather activities can lead to knee ligament injuries, whereas falls or collisions on snow or ice may more commonly result in shoulder dislocations, head injuries, concussions, and fractures.
Q: Do athletes or outdoor recreational participants need to wear or use different gear in cold conditions to reduce injury risk?
Saltzman: Proper gear is critical in cold conditions. Sports-specific items such as well-fitted helmets, padding, wrist guards, mouth guards and proper foot bindings for skiing and snowboarding can reduce injury risks or severity of injury when it occurs. Eye protection during high-speed activities can help to reduce injuries attributed to low-visibility conditions. In slippery environments including snow, sleet or ice, proper footwear with adequate traction is valuable to prevent slips and falls.
Q: Are there common mistakes people make when exercising or playing sports outdoors in cold weather?
Saltzman: It is imperative to properly warm-up in cold weather and not overlook the importance of this when there may be a feeling of just wanting to get started with the activity due to the lower temperatures. It is necessary to keep adequately hydrated — because an individual may have less noticeable sweating, many people underestimate how much water content they are losing with activities. Another common mistake is wearing inadequate clothing or footwear which can increase cold exposure or risk of slipping in the snow or ice. Finally, activities that may be more feasible in controlled environments, can be more difficult in the cold weather and folks should be prepared for a potentially more enduring task.
Q: For someone who gets injured while skiing, skating, or playing winter sports, what are the immediate steps they should take before seeking medical care?
Saltzman: It is first important to get to a safe location (off the ice or slopes) to reduce further risk of injury to yourself or others in the area. If there is significant pain, deformity and inability to bear weight or mobilize the affected extremity, or any head or neck involvement, it is most appropriate to seek more urgent medical attention. Otherwise, an initial course of rest, ice, compression, elevation, anti-inflammatory medications, gentle mobilization of the affected area, and monitoring symptoms are appropriate early steps after injury — obtaining more advance medical assessments as needed.
Q: What advice would you give Indiana residents who are inspired by the Winter Olympics and want to be active this winter?
Saltzman: It is hard not to be inspired by our Winter Olympic athletes, and our cold-weather, winter activities can be great for physical and mental health in these dreary months in the Midwest. It is important to begin gradually with activities that meet both your interest and experience and fitness levels, with proper clothing and equipment to stay warm and prepared, and with assistance or coaching where needed to learn proper techniques and stay safe.
