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Feature
Article
The Ice Equation
By Sallie Rediske, MPT
Homer is known for its milder winter temperatures and is often jokingly
referred to as the “Banana Belt” of Alaska. These days, however,
winter conversations swirl around whether long-term climate changes
are the source of decreased volume of snow and increased frequency
of ice during the winter months. This shift from snow to increased
frequency of ice challenges our bodies in ways many of us never
consider.
There are several interesting parts to the “ice equation”. The first and
most obvious part is the minimization of friction under your feet
making a slip much more likely. The most hazardous type of ice has a
thin, almost imperceptible layer of water on top. Because it is so
difficult to see, we are often taken by surprise when we encounter
it. Its danger lies in the “lubrication” the thin layer of water
creates which further diminishes friction.
The second part of the equation involves the integration of the muscular
and neurological systems. This amazingly complex network
incorporates input from the eyes, the ears (both auditory and
vestibular or “inner ear”) and from sensory input structures
throughout the body, but primarily utilizes sensors located in the
hips and ankles. All of the information that comes into the body
from these various sensors is then processed by the central nervous
system (the brain and spinal cord). The central nervous system must
take this information and determine how the body is positioned, what
the surroundings are like and most importantly, what the surface of
under the feet is like. Is it moving? Does it give way under our
feet? Do we stick to it?
With faster than lightening speed, our brain sends instructions to the
rest of the body to adjust its position in order to maintain the
center of balance (or mass) that will allow us to continue standing
upright, moving forward, sideways or whichever direction we have
established as our goal. The prime focus of the central nervous
system is fairly selfish, however. Its ultimate goal is to protect
itself: we all know that a severe blow to the head can be deadly. If
the sensory input coming through the legs is inconsistent or
suddenly gives way, the muscles and nervous system simply react not
react fast enough to prevent a fall. Even when the body reacts
quickly, the surface that the adjustments are being made on is often
so slippery that the corrections are ineffective.
The final part of the equation is what this does to our bodies – not just
the obvious- the broken wrist, the fractured hip, the concussion,
but the tension that is created by the muscles trying to stabilize
us. All of our muscles increase their effort and tension, especially
those of the feet, legs, spine, pelvic floor and buttocks. For
people who are trying to prevent aches and pains, it simply doesn’t
make sense to walk around drawn up and tense. For those who already
have some type of muscle or joint pain, this extra tension can be
the final stressor that leads to full-blown chronic pain cycle.
Many people seemingly pride themselves on “just slipping, but not
falling” as if this is somehow a better outcome. For every example
of someone who has “just slipped” there is a person who
instinctively grabbed the car door to prevent the dreaded impact and
ended up tearing a rotator cuff (the stabilizer muscles of the
shoulder) or another person who tore a knee ligament when their leg
suddenly twisted and slipped out from under them. For chronic pain
patients, slipping often contributes more to pain than actually
hitting the ground.
So how can all of this be prevented? A simple $20.00 investment in the
form of ice cleats can solve the problem. (The average total hip
replacement surgery runs around $45,000.) There are a variety of
styles available here in Homer. Our researchers (us!) have conducted
unscientific studies on several of these brands and here are the
long-awaited results:
Yak-Trax – Retail cost: $20.00. Ease of putting on: moderate (would be
difficult for someone with limited hand strength or dexterity). Ease
of taking off: way too easy. They tend to pop off on their own.
Stability: good. You can actually run in them, but we are reluctant
to do so due to the issue of them staying on. Yak-Trax now makes a
cleat with a Velcro band across the forefoot, which may decrease the
likelihood of losing one. They also break easily, thus requiring
replacement fairly often. Yak-Trax come in sizes to fit children 4-5
years old to men’s XL.
Ice Tackle Slip-On Cleats – Retail cost: $15.00. Ease of putting on:
difficult. Ease of taking off: moderate. The best way to address
this issue is to not remove these cleats from your shoes, but to
rely on having a spare pair of shoes with you at all times for
walking indoors. Stability: fair. They lack enough traction across
the whole foot for us to be able to relax while using them. Ice
Tackle Slip-Ons have grippers only on the underside of the forefoot.
To maximize stability, ice cleats should have grippers on the heels
to allow a normal gait pattern where the heel strikes the ground
first.
Stabilicers – Retail cost: $50.00-$60.00. Ease of putting on: fair. Ease
of taking off: easy. These must be removed frequently if you are
going in and out of businesses, homes, etc. The size of the cleat
requires that you take them off indoors unless you are walking on
unfinished concrete. They resemble a sandal for your shoe that is
held on by Velcro straps across the forefoot and the ankle.
Stability: excellent. The downside, this device can slide
side-to-side on your shoe.
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