Summer Spine Safety

Summer Spine Safety

Avoid potentially tragic accidents by always checking water depth prior to diving into pools, lakes or water holes.

Stay spine safe this summer while enjoying your favorite water activities.

As we transition into the hottest part of the summer, water activities are a popular way to spend time outdoors. Before you hit the pool or lake, it’s important to remember the following safety tips to avoid neck and back injuries.

Walk, Don’t Run!

Swimming is an excellent form of exercise because it is a low-impact fitness activity. However, the pool can be a dangerous place. Standing water on surfaces can cause slips and potential injury. Plus, diving into the water, especially when the depth is unknown, can injure the neck and back.  Walking around pool decks can avoid dangerous falls and back injuries.

Always Check Water Depth

Much more serious injuries to the neck and spine can occur as a result of diving accidents.

Devastating spine injuries can occur when someone dives into waters that are too shallow. Emergency rooms across the country sadly see countless injuries each year as a result of  swimmers hitting their heads on the bottom of the pool at a high velocity. The most common injuries are mild concussions and neck or back pain but unfortunately some cases result in neck fracture or even paralysis.

Divers can avoid serious neck or back injury by following a very simple rule. Always check water depth. The best method is to carefully enter the water feet first to determine how deep the water truly is.

Ski Safely – Start slowly

Water skiing is another activity that can cause serious spine injuries. Due to the high speed of water skiing, any fall can lead to a spine injury if it occurs at an awkward angle. To stay safe on the skis, it’s recommended for skiers to slowly build up expertise before trying more advanced maneuvers. It is also important to establish good communication signals with the boat driver before getting into the water. This is crucial for letting the driver know when to slow down.

Stretch your spine

Kayaking is one of the most popular activities for water lovers in recent years. It’s important to pay attention to how you sit to avoid back or neck pain. It’s advised to take breaks to stretch your back muscles either on land or with a quick swim. This helps ensure your back isn’t tight for a prolonged amount of time. Similarly, when you are lifting and moving your kayak use the proper techniques as not to injure your spine.

Categorised in: News

This post was written by Tennessee Valley Pain Consultants