The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report more than one out of four older adults slip and fall. However, these accidents aren’t limited to older people. An Indiana resident of any age can take a tumble.
Slip and fall accidents can cause several types of injuries. Not all injuries are serious, but some are serious enough to require medical attention. It’s even possible for a slip and fall to result in death. Some injuries resulting from slip and fall accidents occur more frequently than others.
Hip
The CDC reports that more than 800,000 patients are hospitalized yearly because of hip fractures caused by falls. The risk of a hip fracture during a fall increases as you age.
Hip fractures can have long-term consequences that affect the quality of your life. You might suffer a reduction in your mobility, which means you won’t get around well. You could even find it difficult to stand and maintain your balance. These issues combined can result in another fall, which can also result in another hip fracture.
Wrist
When you slip and fall, you’re likely to reach out your hands to try and break your fall. This may prevent you from taking a hard fall, but it can damage your wrists.
The human wrist has delicate small bones, cartilage and tendons that can easily get damaged during a slip and fall. Your range of movement and gripping ability suffer when you sprain a wrist.
Back
Falling onto your back can have painful consequences. It might become difficult to stand, sit, bend, or twist. You might even develop chronic pain.
Recovery time for most slip and fall injuries depends on the severity of the damage. You might also require rehabilitation to help improve your mobility.
