5 Ways Santa Gets Injured

Written by: James Gill BOst GOsC 6039. Registered Osteopath, Founder & Clinic Director

Medically Reviewed: Yannick Gracia, M.Ost GOsC 10475. Registered Lead Osteopath

OVER WORKING

We’ve all been there; late nights, long days, physical work, deadlines. For santa this is no exception (especially in December!). Overworking can often lead to injury or even illness. Stress and tiredness can lead to poor concentration and bad decisions, poor diet and a lack of exercise (see below). Mix the above with a physical job and it’s a recipe for a musculoskeletal injury such a low back pain.

HEAVY LIFTING

Santa has a lot of presents to hand out at Christmas. That’s one heavy bag to carry. Any heavy lifting or carrying can cause stress and strain on our bodies leading to injuries such as back pain or shoulder problems. Top tips include lifting sensible weights and loads, bend and lift with your knees rather than your back & only carry what is needed (try to make life as easy for yourself as possible).

LONG DISTANCE TRAVELING

We all travel at Christmas whether that’s to friends, family or to go on holiday. No one has a bigger journey than santa himself! Sitting for long periods like at your desk is not great for your back and health. Where possible stand up and move around, make a drink or take a walk. Traveling by car, plane or train is somewhat more difficult. Top tips here are to move where possible, stretch where possible and take breaks where possible, especially if you are driving!

EXTREME SPORTS

With winter in full swing some of us will partake in extreme sports. In Santa’s case climbing houses and jumping down chimneys. It’s unlikely that any of you will be doing this (unless drunk) however it is ski season and therefore a high chance of injury. The key here is to make sure you have the right equipment, the right skills (no harm in taking lessons if you need them) and don’t be over ambitious (stick to the routes you know and don’t over do it – there’s always tomorrow). For the more extreme make sure you are prepared so warm up properly to avoid those injuries!

LACK OF EXERCISE AND POOR DIET

We all know what santa does at Christmas but not what he does for the rest of the year.

Exercise and movement where possible are key to a healthy lifestyle. It’s recommended you get 150 minutes of exercise a week and don’t forget a healthy diet to go with it. If you find yourself stuck or in a rut there’s plenty of advice out there from professionals such as osteopaths, physios, nutritionists, personal trainers or even your local pharmacist!

If Santa’s pain persisted beyond the holidays, conservative remedies wouldn’t be enough for chronic issues like Patellar Tendinopathy or a sore back. For these persistent, chronic conditions, Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) is clinically proven to restart the healing process. We utilize the versatility of Radial Shockwave (ESWT) to release broad muscle guarding and the deep-reaching precision of Focused Shockwave (FSWT) to eliminate deep chronic tendon pain and joint inflammation, ensuring even St. Nick gets back to top form.