Winter is a time when many families like to go on vacation to enjoy their favorite cold-weather activities, like skiing, snowboarding, and sledding. Making these fun, exciting memories with your loved ones is priceless, but it can come with its fair share of foot and ankle injuries if you’re not careful!

Injuries

The most common foot and ankle ailments you or your loved ones can suffer from during your wintertime activities include:

  • Fractures and broken bones, from slips and falls in the snow or ice.
  • Ankle sprains, from rolling or twisting your ankle on uneven or slippery ground.
  • Overuse injuries, like plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendonitis, from straining your feet or ankles.
  • Blisters, from ill-fitting shoes, like ice skates.

Footwear

Most of the injuries you can face during your cold weather activities are due to wearing the wrong kind of shoes for your activity and not making sure they fit properly. Keep in mind these simple, easy footwear tips so you can keep the winter fun going and prevent injuries!

  • Try on shoes with the socks you plan on wearing with them.
  • Ensure that your ice skates don’t cramp your toes.
  • Keep in mind any foot conditions you already have when picking out your shoes.
  • To prevent blisters, consider extra padding or bandages on sore spots of your feet or ankles.

Prevention

There are plenty of ways you can stay safe this winter season all while enjoying your favorite winter vacation activities! Here are our top tips for you and your family:

  • Stretch and warm up beforehand.
  • Start slow – don’t push yourself.
  • Wear warm socks, gloves, hats, and scarves to prevent frostbite.
  • Change any wet socks as soon as possible.
  • Watch your surroundings and monitor your kids.

At Atlantic Foot and Ankle Specialists, we are committed to providing specialized, compassionate services for our patients. Melissa Robitaille, DPM, and Todd Newsom, DPM offer treatments for various foot and ankle disorders with leading-edge technology. Contact our office in Chatham County at (912) 988-3323 to make an appointment today.