Far West Skier's Guide 2010-2011 - (Page 53)
Richard Lubin, D.C. ‘the Snowboarding Chiropractor’
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FWSA Safety Chair
It is a reality that people can get hurt doing snowsports. Injury rates for skiing are comparable to other active sports at a frequency of approximately 3-4 per 1,000 skier days, and slightly higher for snowboarding. The main difference between ski and snowboard injuries is obvious if you look at the sports. Snowboarders don’t have ski poles and fall a lot, particularly beginner snowboarders. This leads to a lot of upper extremity and head injuries. Of course, snowboarders and skiers can also have the same types of injuries so this discussion is for everyone. There’s just a greater preponderance of some of these injuries in these different, but similar disciplines. Ski injuries have changed over the years. One may recall the classic broken leg skier sitting by the fireplace drinking the hot toddy. But, with the advent of improved ski boot and binding design, leg fractures are not as common as they once were.
A few basic terms to become familiar with:
I Sprain: tearing or partial tearing of a ligament I Strain: tearing or partial tearing of a muscle These are graded by severity I, II, or III. I is a more minor injury, III being severe or completely torn. I Fracture means the breaking of a bone. There are many grades of severity and the words chipped, cracked, fragmented, broken all mean the same thing. Again, there are different severities of fractures.
Typically the individual feels or will hear a loud pop from their knee. They may or may not have pain, but the knee feels like it cannot support weight. Initial diagnosis is made by physical exam, but is definitively made by an MRI. If your knee feels unstable, or continues to hurt, you will probably need surgery. Some individuals tear this ligament and have little pain or instability and continue their activities. This is possible if the muscles around the knee (hamstrings and quads) are strong and the rest of the joint is intact. The author has over 250 days snowboarding on a complete ACL tear (confirmed by MRI). Other knee injuries include an MCL or Medial Collateral Ligament Sprain. This ligament attaches your inner thigh (femur) to your lower leg (tibia). Pain is noted on the inside part of your knee. As with all ligament sprains, the severity dictates whether it is a minor complaint or needs surgical repair. Each knee has two rings of cartilage which act like shock absorbers and each of these is a meniscus. These can be damaged and require surgical repair. One may even feel clicking with pain when their knee bends. Skiers thumb or a thumb sprain can occur if your thumb gets caught and tweaked by your ski pole. This can be pesky and take a long time to heal. Snowboarders fall a lot especially when learning. Lessons, wrist guards, helmets, and common sense can help to diminish these maladies. Many of these issues are averted once one’s skill level improves. The natural tendency when falling is to put your arms out to brace the fall. Herein lays the mechanism of many snowboarding injuries. These include sprains and fractures of the wrist, forearm, shoulder, and even head injuries. Interestingly, the group of beginning snowboarders is the same group that is least likely to wear helmets. A concussion occurs when one’s head strikes the ground, or is jolted by force. Even snow can be quite hard. This is like a bruise to the brain. Concussions are responsible for the end of many careers in sports like football. Shoulder injuries are also common. There are all kinds of joints, ligaments, muscles, and bones that are vulnerable. The Acromioclavicular Joint (AC Joint)
is a joint on top of your shoulder that joins your collarbone to your shoulder blade. If you land on the point of the shoulder, one can separate this joint. The collarbone or clavicle can be fractured by falling onto an outstretched hand. The clavicle is the most commonly fractured bone. This sometimes occurs with an AC joint separation. Most of the time, it heals by itself. Commonly, there’s a bump later after it heals. If the separation is large or unusual, surgery may be indicated. A dislocated shoulder occurs when the top of your arm (humerus) comes out of its socket. This often requires a health professional to put it back in place. Often individuals with this tendency can have this occur multiple times. Surgery and/or rehab may be advised. The rotator cuff, commonly mispronounced as ‘cup’, is a group of muscles which attach to the top of (head) of the humerus and are responsible for allowing your shoulder to rotate, as in throwing a ball. Falls can damage this area, as well. If serious enough, it can require surgery. One of the common consequences of any of the shoulder injuries is that it typically makes it hard to sleep. I recommend lots of pillows and keeping an ice cooler next to your bed to make it easy to put ice packs on the injured area. Back and neck injuries can occur to anyone especially with falls, twists, bumps, and assorted accidents. Go see your chiropractor and get straightened out. The ankle is not often injured in skiing because of the boots; however, it’s more vulnerable with softer less supportive snowboarding boots. In addition to sprains, snowboarders can fracture their ankle. It is sometimes referred to as a snowboarder fracture. There are so many ways to hurt yourself skiing; laceration, bruises, tree wells, sunburn, avalanche danger, frostbite, etc. Every injury cannot be described in this short article. If you get hurt and it seems more than minor, go see a health professional. The best way to keep safe is to use good judgment, be well conditioned, have good equipment, anticipate dangerous situations, and be aware. L L Remember, SAFETY IS HAVING FUN CONSCIOUSLY.
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Let’s review some of the most common injury areas:
Knee injuries are more common among skiers. Since both legs are moving independently, one may move uncontrollably without your consent into a bad situation. The mechanism of knee flexion (bending) and external rotation (turning the leg outward) can stress the joint a lot. This can tear the anterior cruciate ligament or ACL. This ligament in the knee joint keeps your lower leg from sliding forward. With the advent of shaped skis, these types of injuries are increased because the ski has a greater propensity to turn. In recent years, there has been an offsetting effect because of the trend to shorter skis, which create less torsion.
Far West Skier’s Guide 2O1O - 2O11
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Far West Skier's Guide 2010-2011
Far West Skier's Guide 2010-2011
Contents
Board of Directors, Trustees
President’s Message: FWSA Offers Many Benefits, Activities & Travel
FWSA Committee Chairmen and Other Representatives
Far West Benefits from National Ski Council Federation
2011: A Season to Remember
Council Information
Communications: The Key to Success
FWSA 2010 Newsletter & Website Winners
Get the Most of Your Snowsports Program
FWSA Individual Membership Form
Order Form / FWSG
FWSA Travel Program
FWRA Board of Directors
FWRA Program
FWRA League Race Chairs
FWRA Race Schedule
FWSA Athletic Scholarship Program
Far West Ski Foundation Announces Partnership Program
FWSA 2010 Convention
FWSA Convention Industry Programs
FWSA 2010 Man & Woman of the Year
FWSA 2010 Convention Sponsors
Silent Auction & Travel Expo Participants - 2010
FWSA Recognizes Clubs with Over 50 Years of Service
FWSA Club History Recognition - 2010
FWSA 2010 Safety Person of the Year
FWSA Western Ski Heritage Award
FWSA Snowsports Builder Award
Snowsports Leadership Academy
FWSA 2011 Convention
Public Affairs - 2010 Update
Club Charity Involvement
But, Where Are The Other 9O%?
Common Snowsport Injuries
Far Off The Beaten Path
FWSA Plans Future Conventions
Facebook!? MeetUp? LinkedIn!? Tweeter?
Lodging Guide
FWSA Council & Club Information
Regional Ski Shows
Far West Skier's Guide 2010-2011
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