It’s important to take the proper measures when a fall occurs. Depending on the severity of the fall, every movement and step is critical. To prevent a bad situation from becoming worse, here is a guide on how to treat a fall injury.
Check For Injuries
The first thing to figure out after a fall is to see if you are hurt. Give your body a full inspection to be sure that you are not experiencing soft tissue injuries or internal bleeding. If you’re not hurt, you can get up from the floor without any assistance, but to be safe accept help from those around you. If you can’t get off the floor call for help.
How to Get Up From a Fall
There is still a possibility that you could get hurt if you are not careful after getting up after a fall. You can tailor these steps to whatever is suited best to your body:
- Roll onto your side then slowly start to pull yourself up so that you’re on your hands and knees.
- Crawl towards the nearest sturdy object that can help hold you up while you are trying to stand up
- Using the object, which must be stable, slide one foot forward while your other knee stays on the floor
- Push up with your arms and legs while slowly rising to your feet
- Sit down while you are regaining your balance
If your range of motion is limited because of weak muscles or painful and stiff joints, consider purchasing a personal alarm so that help can be available to you. It is highly recommended for those over the age of 65.
Call For Help
Sometimes it’s best to call for help to avoid further injuries. It can be nerve-racking at the moment, but always remember you have these options:
- Use your alarm if you have one
- Scream if you have to when trying to call someone’s attention
- Bang on the wall to get help from a neighbor
- If you have your phone with you, call whoever can get to you the fastest, whether it’s a relative, friend, or neighbor. You can also call 911 for an ambulance to take you to the nearest emergency room if necessary.
Keep Moving
It may sound odd that moving around is recommended, but depending on your situation you may not get assistance immediately and could be laying on the floor for a while. If that happens, it’s important to keep moving so that your body doesn’t become stiff or sore, worsening your injuries.
Treat Your Minor Injuries
Follow the RICE method:
Rest: The worst thing you can do for your injury is to not rest. An injury needs healing, take it easy during your recovery.
Ice: Ice will help with inflammation because it helps remove excess heat from your body which presents itself after an injury. Apply ice to decrease swelling and pain.
Compression: Wrapping up your injury provides support and prevents swelling from building up.
Elevation: Keeping your body in an elevated position will help your body absorb the extra fluid that gets caused by excess swelling. You should rest on a pillow or cushion. Your body should be at an equal level with your heart. Your body should also be free and not compressed while elevated.
Falls can happen at any time of the day. If you cannot follow the steps in this guide on how to treat a fall injury because you are unable to move at all, call for an ambulance that can take you to the nearest Village Emergency Center. We have locations in Katy, River Oaks, Clear Creek, and Jersey Village.
Further Reading
How to Tell if Your Wrist is Broken or Sprained