The image of Clark Griswold stringing holiday lights on his house high up on a ladder always gets a few laughs at this time of year. But as board-certified, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Barbara Bergin reminds us, it’s only fun and games until someone gets hurt.
Dr. Bergin was recently interviewed by KXAN to explain the uptick in orthopedic injuries during the holidays, and many of them are, in fact, due to decorating while on a ladder.
Falls from a ladder can result in fractures and serious injury to the neck or back—even paralysis or death in extreme cases. She further points out that the United States leads the world in ladder-related fatalities likely due to our penchant for extreme decorating starting early with Halloween.
Other common issues that our orthopedic surgeons see now are muscle strains—mostly in the arms and shoulders– related to heavy lifting of everything from carry-on luggage while traveling to a turkey weighing several pounds.
Click here to watch Dr. Bergin’s entire interview.
For an appointment with Dr. Barbara Bergin, or any of our orthopedic surgeons and sports injury doctors, please call (512) 439-1000 or contact us here.
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