The first icy morning always catches someone off guard.
You step out the door with your coffee, your foot finds the one slick patch on the steps, and your whole body grabs for the railing. Nothing happens, this time. But for the rest of the day your knee feels a little guarded, and you take the stairs more carefully.
That’s your body doing its job. It just learned that the ground can’t be trusted. The trick in winter is to give it good reasons to trust the ground again.
I’ve been a chiropractor for more than 30 years, and every winter in Kelowna brings the same pattern into the clinic: people who moved less because the walks felt risky, then found the stairs harder by spring. Here’s how I’d think about the season instead.
This is general information, not a diagnosis. If you’ve fallen and can’t put weight on a leg, hit your head, or have swelling that keeps getting worse, get seen in person right away.
Why ice is hard on knees
On a dry sidewalk, your foot lands, grips, and pushes off without you thinking about it. On ice, your stride shortens, your knees stiffen, and the muscles around your hips and thighs work overtime to keep you upright.
A few minutes of that is fine. Weeks of walking braced and tense is tiring, and tired muscles give the knee less support. That’s often when people say the knee “doesn’t feel right,” even though nothing dramatic happened.
Five habits for a steadier winter
1. Walk like a penguin on the slick parts
Short steps, feet a little wider, knees slightly bent, and your weight over your front foot. It looks a bit silly. It works. Long strides on ice are where slips start.
2. Check your shoes before the first snow
Worn-out soles and smooth treads change how your foot meets the ground. If your winter boots are a few seasons old, look at the bottom. Slip-on ice grips for your boots are worth having by the door.
3. Give your hands a job
Use the railing on outdoor steps every time, not just when they look icy. Keep your hands out of your pockets so you can catch yourself. Carry less, and make two trips from the car if you need to.
4. Keep moving indoors
When the outside walks get shorter, bring some of the movement inside. Climbing your own stairs a few extra times a day, standing up from a chair without using your hands, and simple calf raises at the kitchen counter all keep your legs used to carrying you.
5. Warm up before you shovel
Snow shovelling is a workout for your back, hips and knees. A few minutes of marching on the spot and some gentle squats before you head out helps. Push the snow where you can instead of lifting it, bend your knees, and take breaks.
Notice what you’ve stopped doing
The real risk of winter isn’t one slip. It’s the slow way we stop doing things: the evening walk, the trip to the mailbox, the stairs to the basement. If you notice your world shrinking because your knee doesn’t feel trustworthy, that’s worth paying attention to, and worth asking about.
How we help with knee pain at Tutt Street
At Tutt Street Family Chiropractic, we help people with knee pain. When you come in, we look at the knee along with the hips and feet, because they work as a team.
Care here can include chiropractic care, shockwave, laser and custom orthotics. We also give you specific stretches and exercises based on your condition, not a generic handout.
We are accepting new patients. To book, call 250-486-0062 or use https://book.squareup.com/appointments/dzogkqx2nmlgnv/location/LQJ69TGEGWMEP/services.
Want the longer version?
I wrote a short, plain-language book about exactly this: Why Your Knee Doesn’t Trust the Stairs. It explains why stairs and uneven ground feel harder than they used to, what your hips and feet have to do with it, and practical steps you can use at home. It’s a good read for a winter evening, and an easy gift for someone who’s been taking the stairs one at a time.
You can also watch the recorded webinar of the same name.
Get the paperback on Amazon.ca: Why Your Knee Doesn’t Trust the Stairs
If you’d rather have someone look at your knee, hips and feet in person, call us at 250-486-0062 to book a visit.
Dr. Cary Yurkiw
Tutt Street Family Chiropractic, 406-2755 Tutt Street, Kelowna
