With all of the wintry mix forecasts heading our way and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it seems appropriate to remind all of our patients to walk carefully, use handrails and exercise caution to avoid falling and injuring yourself. We are all at risk of slipping on ice regardless of age and agility; however, our pregnant and elderly patients are certainly more prone to serious injury from such falls.
During pregnancy your body releases a hormone called relaxin. The primary role of relaxin is to “relax” the tendons and ligaments in the pelvis to accommodate the growing uterus and to allow for the birth of your baby. Unfortunately Relaxin is not selective to just the pelvis. It targets all joints in the body, leaving them weaker and more prone to injuries such as sprains and strains. The cold also causes our muscles to become more tense while outside to conserve some of our own body heat. This can increase generalized aches and pains, especially in the round ligament that is stretching to support the uterus and baby.
Another concern aside from the decreased strength of a pregnant woman’s joints is the alteration of her center of gravity due to the ever-growing belly and the change in the curvature of the spine. This causes her to have less balance and be a bit clumsier which of course leads to an increase in falls.
Elderly are affected in similar ways. Although they do not release relaxin, their joints and muscles are much weaker and lead to increase in bone fractures. Obviously the older we become the more likely to develop osteopenia and osteoporosis, which also leads to an increase in fracture even with a simple little slip. Agility and eyesight also increase the risk of falls and injury so make certain to use handrails, walk on level ground and ask for assistance if needed.
Hip fractures in an elderly person are one of the most significant injuries that result in death. Up to as many as 1/3 of elderly patients with a hip fracture will die within one year of injury. Surgery is almost always required to repair a hip fracture followed by extensive physical therapy and only approximately ¼ of patients that survive will recover to the same functional status as they were prior to the fall.
For all of our non-pregnant and non-elderly patients reading this blog entry, you are also at risk of falls and injury but fortunately less likely to have serious injury and more likely to recover without any long-term effects. We encourage all of our patients to be careful this winter and holiday season, to help those in need of assistance and to have Happy Holidays and a healthy and happy 2014.
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JAN