The ladder is one of the most utilized tools. Most individuals have a ladder or two in their homes or at work and never consider the dangers. Falling off a ladder can lead to serious injuries like muscle tears, broken bones, damage to the spinal cord, skull fractures, or traumatic brain injury. The objective is to educate homeowners and workers on being more alert, increasing awareness, and reinforcing safety protocols.
Ladder Falls and Injuries
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ladder falls account for more than 500,000 injuries and 300 deaths annually. Even professionals with experience in safety can make simple mistakes like carrying too heavy a load or not spotting signs of wearing or a defect that leads to injury.
Causes
Causes can arise from defects or user mistakes. These include:
A Defective Ladder
- Old worn-out
- Damaged or broken
- Loose or cracking rungs
- Ladders folding during use
- Using the improper type of ladder for the job or task
Incorrect Ladder Use
- Carrying dangerous objects or heavy loads
- Stretching or reaching too far out
- Failing to secure the ladder properly
- Recklessness or horseplay
Injuries
Common falls can cause injuries severe enough to require professional medical care. Around one in five falls, on average, cause serious injuries that include.
- Muscle sprains and/or tears
- Neck and back injuries
- Herniated discs
- Hip injuries and fractures
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries
- Skull fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries
Any of these injuries could cause permanent disabilities or chronic conditions.
Chiropractic Care
A fall can damage joints, muscles, bones, and ligaments without realizing there is a problem or injury. The back and spine are most likely to be affected. When landing flat on your back, the joints that connect the spinal column can slip, causing inflammation and joint swelling. To prevent chronic pain and alleviate acute pain, seeking medical attention and chiropractic care as soon as possible is recommended. After confirming the spine is not fractured or broken, a chiropractor can bring relief and restore mobility and function. Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic are committed to helping individuals rehabilitate and recover from injuries. We develop a personalized plan to maximize the potential of recovering and returning to daily activities as soon as possible.
Safer In Seconds
The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.
We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please contact Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*
email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com
Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*
References
Cabilan, C J et al. “Impact of ladder-related falls on the emergency department and recommendations for ladder safety.” Emergency medicine Australasia: EMA vol. 30,1 (2018): 95-102. doi:10.1111/1742-6723.12854
Hicks, Cameron, et al. “Ladder Use in Older People: Type, Frequency, Tasks, and Predictors of Risk Behaviours.” International journal of environmental research and public health vol. 18,18 9799. 17 Sep. 2021, doi:10.3390/ijerph18189799
“Ladder falls.” Health news (Waltham, Mass.) vol. 4,2 (1998): 7.
Muir, L, and S Kanwar. “Ladder injuries.” Injury vol. 24,7 (1993): 485-7. doi:10.1016/0020-1383(93)90156-z
Partridge, R A et al. “Causes and patterns of injury from ladder falls.” Academic emergency medicine: official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine vol. 5,1 (1998): 31-4. doi:10.1111/j.1553-2712.1998.tb02571.x
