Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday Injuries

The holidays are a great time to be around family and friends and to give thanks for all we have in our lives. Between Thanksgiving and Black Friday, injuries can quickly dampen the holiday season. Whether you are prepping for the feast, spending time with family throughout the day, or shopping for Black Friday deals, many of us forget the seriousness of how quickly an injury can occur during times of happiness and festivities. However, there are many holiday-related injuries that can be avoidable.

Some families, friends, and even co-workers may get together for a traditional Thanksgiving Day football game. While this is a fun tradition, it can be much more dangerous for those in NEPA with this holiday’s record-breaking cold temperatures. Any number of injuries can occur from muscle sprains or strains, tendon injuries, broken bones, or joint issues. The colder temperatures can be problematic for your joints and tissues as well, so be sure you dress warmly regardless of how much or little activity you will be involved in.

Another common injury is food-related. The mere act of lifting a heavy turkey from the oven may cause you to injure yourself in a way that is less than ideal. Several causes of acute back pain can be a direct result of a simple day-to-day task that could have been avoided. When it comes to a heavy turkey, be sure you lift with your knees and not with your back. Making sure that you have a strong grip on the pan before you try to remove it can help you avoid making a sudden jerk-like movement that can result in pain.

In the last decade, Black Friday shopping in NEPA has begun as early as 5 PM in many stores on Thanksgiving Day rather than at midnight on Black Friday. This has resulted in many shoppers feeling the extra need to hurry through their Thanksgiving Day activities or rushing through busier than usual traffic to find the best parking spot. With an increase of traffic on the roads this weekend, it is possible you may be injured in a car accident. These accidents can result in aggravating a previous knee injury.

NEPA has been colder than usual this year, so be prepared whenever you do your shopping.

Also, be sure to keep an eye on the weather before you make a trip out and dress warmly! By keeping your body warm during the colder weather, you can help keep joint pain from escalating due to the colder temperatures.

Whether you were out shopping on Thanksgiving night or if you waited until Black Friday had actually arrived, shopping for the best deals can sometimes be chaotic. Some of the common injuries that can occur during your Black Friday shopping can happen anytime and anywhere between when you leave your home and when you arrive back.

These injuries may be minor, but if you aren’t careful and cautious it can quickly become much more serious.

For instance, you may be capable of lifting that large gift (like a television) from the shelf and placing it into your cart. The item would be handled by the cart as you travel through the rest of the store, so you would only handle the weight of the item for a brief moment. However, you can cause a number of injuries if you don’t do lift the item properly. Being aware of the weight of an item and if moving it yourself, always lift with your knees and not your back. This can help you avoid overexerting yourself and triggering any kind of muscle sprain, strain, or tendon injury. By trying to carry an item that is too large or too heavy for you, the weight could do even more damage, such as a broken or fractured bone if the item caused you to fall or if the item were to land on you.

NKJI Can Help!

Having any kind of injury during the holiday season is not what you expected to take home from your shopping trip, but if you find yourself in pain, we can help!

At Northeast Knee and Joint Institute, we can help ease the pain and discomfort that you may have experienced if you have overexerted yourself over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Contact us online or call our Dallas or Williamsport, PA offices at (570) 213-5221 and schedule your next appointment.