Safe in the Snow: Staying on Your Feet Through a Wisconsin Winter

In central Wisconsin, winter doesn't ask whether you're ready. One day the driveway is dry, and the next there's a glaze of ice under a skin of fresh snow, and you're carrying groceries. Falls come up again and again in physical therapy clinics, and they tend to follow the same patterns.

That's good news. A pattern is something you can plan around. Here's a practical look at staying upright, indoors and out, and what a physical therapist can add when balance is the problem.

Why do falls happen more in winter?

Several things stack up. Surfaces are slick. Daylight is short, so you're walking in dim light more often. Heavy boots and coats change how your feet feel the ground. Cold muscles and stiff joints move less freely. And you're carrying things, like shovels, laundry, and bags, which takes your hands out of the balance equation.

None of those is dramatic by itself. Together they add up to a slip that goes from 'oops' to a wrist, hip, or shoulder injury.

How do you make your home safer?

Most falls at home happen on ordinary days in ordinary rooms. A short walkthrough with fresh eyes catches a lot.

• Add light. Put night lights along the path from bed to bathroom, and keep stairways and entryways well lit.
• Deal with rugs. Loose throw rugs are classic trip hazards. Remove them, or secure them with non-slip backing.
• Clear the paths. Cords, shoes, boxes, and pet bowls don't belong where you walk.
• Mind the entryway. Snow melts into puddles on the mat. Keep a towel handy, and take boots off sitting down.
• Check the stairs. Make sure there's a sturdy handrail, and keep your hands free enough to use it.
• Think about the bathroom. A non-slip mat in the tub and grab bars near the shower and toilet are small changes that matter.

Footwear counts here too. Socks on hardwood are slippery, and loose slippers can catch. A closed-heel, grippy house shoe is a good option.

How do you walk safely on snow and ice?

Start with the surface you control. Shovel early, before snow gets packed into ice, and use salt or sand on steps and the walk to the door. Then think about how you move.

• Wear boots with real traction, and replace them when the tread wears flat.
• Take shorter steps and keep your feet flatter, so more of your sole is in contact with the ground.
• Slow down and keep your weight over your feet, not leaning ahead of them.
• Keep your hands out of your pockets so you can catch your balance.
• Test the surface before committing your weight. Black ice often looks like wet pavement.
• Get out of the car carefully. Hold the door frame and put both feet down solidly before you stand.

If you have to carry something, carry less and carry it closer to your body. Two lighter trips beat one heavy one every time.

What if you do start to slip?

The body's instinct is to flail and stiffen. A better habit, if you've got half a second, is to relax and bend your knees, tuck your chin, and fall toward the padded parts of you rather than stretching an arm out stiff. It's hard to rehearse, but even knowing the idea helps. Afterward, if something hurts more than a bruise should, get it looked at rather than waiting it out.

Does staying active really help prevent falls?

It does, and winter is when people are most tempted to stop. Roberts Physical Therapy lists balance and fall prevention as part of its evidence-based approach, with home-exercise education to keep you going between visits. The idea is simple: balance is a skill, and it fades if you don't use it.

Two simple things you can try, if your provider says they're appropriate for you. Stand up from a sturdy chair without using your hands, slowly, a few times a day. And stand beside a kitchen counter with your fingertips resting on it, feet together, then in a heel-to-toe line, holding for a few seconds. Stop if either one feels unsafe. If you're unsure, a physical therapist can show you the right version for your body.

When should you see a physical therapist about balance?

Consider it if you've fallen or nearly fallen more than once, if you feel unsteady when you turn or step off a curb, if you get dizzy when you stand or roll over in bed, or if you've started avoiding walks and stairs out of fear. Roberts Physical Therapy treats vertigo, mobility, and balance conditions, and balance disorders are on its list of what it treats.

A balance evaluation looks at how you stand, walk, and shift your weight, how strong your legs and hips are, how your ankles move, and what your symptoms are doing. From that, your therapist builds a set of exercises for you, then adjusts them as you improve. Because Wisconsin allows direct access, you don't need a referral to ask for that evaluation.

For some people, the pool helps. The Wisconsin Rapids clinic offers aquatic therapy, which the clinic says increases strength and balance, and which can be a lower-fear place to practice. If getting to the clinic is hard, the Rapids location also does house calls, so ask about availability.

Where can you get help?

Roberts Physical Therapy has clinics in Amherst, Plainfield, and Wisconsin Rapids. The Amherst and Wisconsin Rapids clinics are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. To set up a balance evaluation before the next storm, call (715) 803-7617.