Concerned Doctors Say Failed ‘Milk Crate Challenge’ Attempts Are ‘Worse Than Falling From a Ladder’

Doctors are worried about the current “milk crate challenge.”

According to doctors, falling from a tower of milk crates is “worse than falling from a ladder,” according to doctors. Their statements come after countless videos were posted online showing people worldwide performing what is called the “milk crate challenge.”

For the challenge, a person or group of people stack several milk crates on top of one another, forming a triangular tower of crates. Afterward, each competitor tries their luck at walking and or climbing the tower in an effort to make it to the end without the containers or themselves falling. The trend has gone viral, and it’s bringing worries to doctors.

“It’s perhaps even worse than falling from a ladder. It’s very difficult to brace yourself from the falls I’ve seen in these videos. They’re putting their joints at an even higher risk for injury,” Shawn Anthony, an orthopedic surgeon at Mount Sinai hospital in New York, told the Washington Post.

And with COVID-19 cases on the rise once again, doctors are already overwhelmed in hospitals. “The orthopedic surgeries required to fix problems caused by this may fall under the umbrella of ‘elective surgeries,’” said George Gantsoudes, a Virginia-based orthopedic surgeon.

On Monday, the Baltimore city health department tweeted: “With COVID-19 hospitalizations rising around the country, please check with your local hospital to see if they have a bed available for you, before attempting the #milkcratechallenge.”