First aid tips from orthopaedists for holidaymakers

 

Your holiday should mean relaxation and pleasure for you!

 

Witch's foot at the beginning of your holiday

Often triggered by incorrect strain when lifting and carrying, muscular tension caused by draughts, especially in cold weather due to air conditioning and sleeping on unaccustomed mattresses. Do not be afraid to talk to your hotelier and/or landlord about this.

Dangerous situations include picking up your suitcase at the airport, bending over for a towel and other everyday movements. Therefore, be attentive. After all, a holiday is for relaxation!

 

First aid and immediate measures at the holiday destination:

Do not waste time by experimenting, go to the "professional" as soon as possible.

Often, simple measures such as "setting" (chirotherapy) can relieve your severe and persistent pain.

 

Injuries to the foot and ankle joints caused by twisting your ankle

Injuries to the foot and ankle joints very often occur when twisting an ankle on uneven paths, bad stairs or at the beach.

First aid and immediate measures at the holiday resort:

Cool the painful joint, no matter how. On the beach, a wet towel is a good idea. Avoid any further exertion. If you notice that your symptoms do not improve or even worsen, consult a doctor immediately. He or she can usually provide immediate relief through professional taping and splinting and thus save your holiday.

 

Playing with the children

Experience shows that children play a lot more with their parents, especially on holiday. At the moment of the biggest romp, something quickly happens.

The underestimated danger of dislocating a child's elbow lurks especially when children suddenly pull their arms up.

 

As an orthopaedic surgeon, I have had to diagnose children with dislocated elbows time and again during my many years as a specialist, and the children were in considerable pain and could no longer move their entire arm. Most of the time, the parents thought and still think that the child's shoulder was injured. However, it is often an elbow injury (Chassaignac's palsy) that requires a visit to an experienced orthopaedic surgeon. Correct treatment can usually help immediately.

First aid and immediate measures at the holiday destination:

The child will take care of the necessary protective posture itself. Make sure that the child sees a doctor as soon as possible.

 

Sport on holiday

Holiday time is also exercise time. Finally, time to get moving! The most popular holiday sports are certainly jogging, cycling, playing tennis and football, gymnastics and, of course, golf on Majorca. However, your body is not always prepared for this!  The muscles have not been sufficiently warmed up and stretched, or you simply want too much. Eventually it comes to overload. Sudden severe pain or gradually increasing discomfort due to the acute overload or chronic misuse. A full-blown muscle ache is not always the only consequence. I often see muscle fibre or even muscle bundle tears during ultrasound examinations.

 

Bad luck scheme

For acute injuries, you should follow the PECH scheme:

P for rest/relief

E for ice/cooling

C for Compression/Bandage

H for elevation of swollen extremities

 

In consultation with your doctor, I recommend taking anti-inflammatory medication as a supportive measure.