Fatherhood isn’t for the weak, but the rewards are what make it worthwhile. In celebration of this coming Father's Day, we've compiled a list of common dad injuries to be aware of, as well as some ways to treat and recover, so you can stay #1 in their eyes.

 

#1 BACK STRAIN

Easily the most common and frequent of the “Dad injuries''. From piggybacks to hunched over tea parties. It’s those simple acts of leaning over the cot, picking up and carrying around a growing (and often wiggling) human that can be a recipe for disaster. Not to mention all that bending places a build-up of strain for your mid-low back. The root cause is postural issues, especially seen in dads with desk jobs given the quads and hips being too tight from excess hours of sitting.

TREATMENT:

Help loosen those Dad hips and fire up the glutes. This can be done with core exercises like squats and preventative stretching. We can certainly recommend the ZONE Cork Massage Balls along with the Cork Yoga Mat. But if the damage has already been done, you might be better off looking into our BodyICE Back & Hip Ice Pack. This list of 5 Simple Exercises to Improve Your Posture is a perfect guide for everyday best practices on improving and preventing injuries from getting in the way of being the best dad ever!

  

#2 KNEE INJURIES

Meniscus strains and tears in the knees from running, jumping, and squatting is a classic common dad injury. We all forget that our kid’s knees are much more resilient to injury… but we adults are more susceptible to degenerative meniscus tears as we age. 

TREATMENT:

Keep having fun with your children and show an interest in whatever they want to do - but be kind to your body and take the time to treat and heal when problems arise. Our BodyICE Medium Universal Ice Packs are perfect and used by top athletes to weekend warriors when it comes to knees. The best part is that these are easy to fill with ice for cold therapy or hot tap water for heat therapy and the velcro adheres anywhere on the neoprene, which allows for a custom fit and comfortable compression whilst also allowing you to carry on with your day. If there is one thing a parent knows, it’s that staying still when you have kids is next to impossible!

 

#3 ROTATOR CUFF PROBLEMS

Frisbee throwing, anyone? Another classic weekend injury for Dads. Physios are often telling us how frequently they treat shoulders from baseball/softball, frisbee, and tennis efforts with the kids. Over time, tissues that connect muscle to the shoulder wear away, making it more prone to tearing. When it does, the tendon detaches from the bone...Ouch.

TREATMENT:

Just like with knees, the aim is to reduce swelling and inflammation of the tendons and relieve compression in the subacromial space. Again, when kids are in the picture you can’t exactly take it easy and rest when you need to! The BodyICE Shoulder Ice/Heat Packs are designed to fit both right and left shoulders, making icing this tricky area simple and effective. With the comfortable and secure straps, you'll be healing hands-free and up and about with no leaking or slipping.

 

#4 PLANTAR FASCIITIS

The most common cause is walking around the Zoo, the Royal Show or Sea World during the longest day ever. (Plus the toddler on your shoulders). It’s a beauty, and you’ll know you have it because the first couple of steps in the morning feels like walking on glass. It goes from your heel to the ball of your foot.

TREATMENT:

Stay off of it, unfortunately. When it’s feeling better you can also use the Cork Massage Balls we mentioned earlier. Roll it right under the arch of your foot, along with some heel drops on the stairs. Do these exercises regularly or before long days planned on your feet and you’ll be insisting on back-to-back adventures just to show off.

 

#5 THE OLD TESTË UNFORTUNÁTIS

No, that isn't a real thing, but it sure is unfortunate for the blokes! Most commonly found accompanying ball sports or karate practice with the bigger kids. It’s a dangerous world out there, no man is safe.

TREATMENT:

If it happens to be a reeeeal belter, you can always remove the bladder from our ice/heat packsand apply... directly.

 

To all the dads out there, if you have succumbed to these common dad injuries, just know we're here for you and wishing you a speedy recovery! Don't forget to check out our full range of joint specific ice and heat packs so that you can get right on top of your recovery and back to being #1.