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Can Knowing How To Fall Help Reduce Injury?

On Behalf of | Dec 13, 2018 | Slip-and-Fall Accidents

Is there a correct way to fall? If you ask a stunt professional, paratrooper, martial artist or physical therapist, there definitely is. One of the most frustrating aspects to a fall is the moment where you do not have any control to recover, and circumstances mean you are going to go down to the ground. While you may not have the ability to reverse the situation of an impending fall at that moment, there may be ways to make it less damaging to your body.

There has been a lot of effort on the part of workplaces to try and prevent a slip and fall. However, current data shows that falls to the same level is the second leading cause of disabling workplace injury costs. Even though there have been many years of work done to prevent slip and falls while at work, the numbers are not going down. Another way to combat the injuries sustained with slip and falls is to know what to do at the critical moment you know you are falling.

Sometimes while slipping, the motion can be so fast that you are on the ground and in pain before you even know what just happened. But if you are experiencing a fall that gives you time for reaction, here are some things that may help reduce injury.

Don’t stiffen up your body – People who have experienced a bad fall in the past are more likely to experience another fall in the future. This has nothing to do with being naturally clumsy, but that a fear of falling can act as a self-fulfilling prophecy that may make someone prone to experience a fall again. When this happens, as the fall is taking place, the person tends to stiffen up and let the fall take its course. This extra tension means less of a chance to regain balance and making a near-fall turn into a possibly devastating one.

Do not foosh – Foosh is an acronym for Falling Onto Outstretched Hands. When you put out your arms, what you will be doing is forcing the full impact to be centered on the arms, hands and elbows area. The most common injury from doing this is a fracture to the wrist. For those who know not to put their arms out may use their knees to take the impact or may even to fall on top of their own feet and ankles. These actions can cause you to break a kneecap or suffer a broken ankle.

Bend elbows and knees – The way to try to reduce injury during a fall is to bend your elbows and knees and try to have the impact area be to the fleshiest parts of your body. Good fleshy parts of the body include your thighs, buttocks or shoulders.

A fall is a scary thing. It is understandable that trying to be level headed and think normally during a fall may not be an easy thing to do. But if you can overcome any natural instincts that may occur as your body tries to fight the fall, you just might be able to escape the ordeal relatively unharmed.

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