Walking In A Winter Wonderland

 Stepping into this new year and decade Sonic Relief is dedicated now more than ever to ensuring the health, fitness, and pain-free living of our users. For many, as the calendar changes over from December to January, this time of year brings around many changes and millions of people decide to make resolutions. Surveys show that many of these resolutions relate to wellness, losing weight, eating better, exercising more, or simply just getting healthier. This time of year the weather also starts to change, the winter can be beautiful, with fresh layers of glistening white snow and a shiny layer of frost. But winter can also be dangerous especially for those attempting to stay fit, motivated, and warm. So keep your Sonic Relief handy!

For those who want to keep exercising but don’t want to take the risks of going outside when it’s chilly and slippery consider indoor exercises, swimming in local indoor pools, walking through a museum or a mall. The health benefits to a vigorous walk include improved balance and coordination, strengthening your bones, maintaining a healthy weight, and more. (Home Watch Caregivers) (Care.Com)
​
Below are the winter safety tips to stay safe, fit, and enjoy this chilly time of year.

Common Injuries 

Slip and Fall: 
​
Icy, snowy roads and sidewalks make it easy to slip and fall. Often these falls cause major injuries such as hip and wrist fractures, head trauma and major lacerations. While younger people often recover relatively quickly from such injuries, older adults face complications which are a leading cause of death from injury in men and women over the age of 65.

​Before you decided to head out into the elements, here are some important ways to avoid injuring yourself:

---

• When shovelling snow, it is important to warm up before you start shovelling. Shovelling is a workout in itself! Just like you would at the gym, warming up before shovelling could prevent back and muscle injuries. 
• Keep entranceways and sidewalks clear of ice and snow. Report hazards on sidewalks or pathways to your landlord or the City. Carry a small bag of grit, ice melter rock salt, sand, or non-clumping cat litter in your jacket pocket or handbag, to sprinkle when you are confronted with icy sidewalks, steps, bus stops, etc.
• Choose a good pair of winter boots. Look for these features: well-insulated, waterproof, thick non-slip tread sole made of natural rubber, wide low heels, light-weight, correct fit. (Canadian Safety Council) 
• Ice grippers on footwear can help you walk on hard-packed snow and ice. But be careful! Grippers become dangerously slippery and must be removed before walking on smooth surfaces such as stone, tile and ceramic. Before buying the grippers, be sure that you are able to attach and remove them from your boots, this is best done sitting down.
• Use a cane, or even a pair of ski poles or walking sticks to help with balance. If using a cane, consider attaching a retractable ice pick to the end. Just like ice grippers, cane picks will be slippery on hard surfaces so be sure to flip it back as you get indoors.
• Walk slowly and deliberately. A good practice is to ‘walk like a penguin’. Extend your arms to the side to keep balance, keep your centre of gravity over your front leg. Take short steps or shuffle for stability. Also, If you slip and fall on ice, you need to have your hands free to break your fall. Don’t keep them in your pockets, where you won’t get them out in time. (Vox)

---

If you do end up falling backwards, make an effort to tuck your chin, so your head won’t hit the ground. Also, try to form a ball and relax the muscles. You will injure yourself less if you are relaxed. Also wearing a heavy, bulky coat will cushion you if you should fail.

Treatment 

Of course, we encourage you to take all precautions to avoid slips and falls, unfortunately, there’s no avoiding this seasonal risk. Accidents do happen and so do aches and pains. If you ever find yourself seriously injured from a slip and fall or are suffering from any current ailments we encourage you to keep your Sonic Relief on hand to speed healing, reduce pain and inflammation, and help you return to living pain-free. In addition, follow these steps to give yourself the best chance of recovering from your injuries:

Checking for injuries
Symptoms of joint injury
Symptoms vary, depending on the type of joint injury you have:

• Strain: pain, swelling, muscle spasms and difficulty moving the affected joint
  
• Sprain: pain, swelling, bruising, difficulty with motion and (possibly) a popping sound at the time of injury
  
• Fracture: swelling, loss of function in the injured area, pain that intensifies when you move or apply pressure to the injured area, or bone visibly poking out of your skin (in the case of an open fracture)
  
• Dislocation: visible displacement of the joint, intense pain, swelling, discolouration, total immobility of the affected area
  

Treatment

For strains and sprains, use the RICE method:

• Rest: Avoid the use of the injured joint
  
• Ice: Apply ice or cold pack to reduce swelling in the joint
  
• Compression: Wrap the injured joint with an elastic bandage, also to reduce swelling
  
• Elevation: Raise the injured area while sitting or lying down and icing it; ideally, the joint should be above the level of your heart

---

Several rounds of the RICE method should lead to recovery, and pain medication can ease your discomfort.
If you’re unable to move the joint at all or feel numbness around your injured area, arrange to see your physician as soon as possible.

Therapeutic Ultrasound ​

Therapeutic ultrasound such as Sonic Relief™ works to stimulate the tissues of an injury, inflammation in tendons, ligaments and joints, trigger points, muscle knots and strains and just about any soft tissue injury or condition. When the tissues are stimulated by the soundwaves, it brings blood flow to the area to speed healing and flush out inflammation. 
​
100% of Sonic Relief™ user survey participants agree that they are glad they have Sonic Relief™ to treat their aches and pains when they need it.   Over half of users use their Sonic Relief™ device whenever needed and 1/3rd of users use their device once weekly or more for pain relief.
​
Guaranteed Relief
If you have pain caused by using your electronic devices, Sonic Relief™ comes with a 60 day money-back guarantee - definitely worth a try!

Buy Sonic Relief