Clinics treat more than 300 after falls in icy conditions

VHI Swiftcare Clinics have treated over 300 people who fell on icy surfaces since the weekend.

During the current icy spell, clinics treated nearly 800 patients of which about 325 suffered fractures or sprains.

But the toll during arctic weather last January was far greater, with over 1,500 patients treated in the clinics for fall-related injuries and illnesses in the first week of 2010, alone.

Meanwhile, the Chiropractic Association of Ireland is urging people who have suffered falls to use ice, and not heat, on any injury to reduce inflammation and to seek medical or chiropractic advice if the condition worsens.

Ice causes the veins in the affected tissue area to constrict, reducing the flow of blood while acting as a kind of anaesthetic to numb the pain.

More information is available at www.chiropractic.ie.