Domonique Martin PT, DPT
Board Licensed Sports activities Scientific Specialist
For a lot of, cooler temperatures imply lacing up skates, strapping on ski boots, and hopping on sleds. Winter is a time to take part in each leisure and aggressive sports activities carried out on snow or ice. Every year in the USA it’s estimated 9.7 million folks take part in ice-skating and 17 million folks take part in snowboarding and snow-skiing.1,4 With the Winter Olympic Video games in 2022, the curiosity in winter sports activities is predicted to extend.
Winter sports activities are an effective way to remain lively through the colder months, however together with these nice occasions come winter sports activities accidents that may very well be prevented with the appropriate precautions.
Virtually 200,000 individuals are seen in emergency departments every year for accidents associated to winter sports activities. 7,000 of these circumstances require hospitalization.2 Newbie skiers are sometimes injured by unintentional falls, whereas extra skilled skiers and snowboarders are mostly injured from jumps.2
This determine consists of:
- 76,000 accidents from snow snowboarding
- 53,000 accidents from snowboarding
- 48,000 accidents from ice skating
- 22,000 accidents from sledding
COMMON INJURIES
Due to the velocity, fast modifications in path, and danger for falls, the next accidents are frequent in winter sports activities:
- Knee ligament sprains or tears: Knee sprains make up roughly 30% of all ski-related accidents. When the knee is twisted or strikes out of its regular place, ligaments such because the medial collateral ligament (MCL) or anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) will be stretched or torn.
- Meniscus tears: Sharp pivoting on the knee can result in accidents within the cartilage within the knee, particularly the meniscus situated between the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone). Meniscus tears will be painful and restrict the knee’s capacity to bend or straighten.
- Wrist fractures and sprains: The wrist and forearm are weak to damage when individuals attain out to brace a fall. Wrist guards worn whereas snowboarding might help to guard the wrists.
- Head accidents: Concussions and cranium fractures can happen throughout many winter sports activities because of falls or collisions. Most of those accidents happen throughout snowboarding or snowboarding with a 3rd of those accidents being kids. Concussions can current with signs together with headache, dizziness, nausea, and confusion. Sporting a helmet throughout winter sports activities has been discovered to lower the chance of cranium fracture.
Many of those accidents occur on the finish of the day when folks overexert themselves to complete that one final run earlier than the day’s finish.
WINTER SPORTS SAFETY TIPS
Sports activities fanatics don’t want to hold up their skates simply but. Most winter sports activities accidents can simply be prevented if individuals put together for his or her sport by maintaining in good bodily situation, staying alert, and stopping when they’re drained or in ache.
Take a look at the following pointers to assist forestall winter sports activities accidents:
- Put together your physique for exercise. Previous to collaborating in winter sports activities spend 4-6 weeks constructing the energy of your core, hips, and legs. Fatigue of those muscle teams can result in poor method and end in damage. Cardio coaching corresponding to brisk strolling, elliptical, ski machines also can assist to organize your cardiovascular system for lengthy durations of winter exercise.
- Seek the advice of an professional. Tutorial courses and demonstrations on winter sports activities will be worthwhile in stopping damage. Not solely can instructors give tips about method, they’ll additionally assist with choosing applicable tools and ski/ snowboard slope ranges.
- Take time to heat up. Though these are cold-weather sports activities, your muscular tissues shouldn’t be chilly when participating in them. Take 5 minutes to carry out dynamic workout routines (squats, lunges, wrist circles, trunk rotations, leg swings) to get the blood shifting.
- Keep hydrated. Similar to in some other sport, your physique wants water to carry out effectively. When it’s chilly out, you additionally might not discover how a lot you might be sweating. Take breaks to re-hydrate and relaxation to restrict fatigue-related accidents and diseases. Enjoying sports activities at a better elevation also can result in dehydration as effectively making staying hydrated much more necessary.
- Bear in mind and alert. Collaborating in winter sports activities when drained might enhance the chance of damage. Take breaks and recharge. Keep conscious of different folks round you and in addition preserve an eye fixed out for marked trails and different indicators.
- See a bodily therapist. Minor aches and pains can result in main accidents if not handled. Bodily therapists can work with you to develop a program to organize on your winter sports activities in addition to assess and deal with any accidents sustained throughout these actions.
- Affiliate NSA. Nationwide skier and snowboarder visits, 2011–1979. https://nsaa.org/webdocs/Media_Public/IndustryStats/Historical_Skier_Days_1979_2021
- Fu, X., Du, L., Track, Y., Chen, H., & Shen, W. (2020). Incidence of accidents in skilled snow sports activities: a scientific evaluate and meta-analysis. Journal of sport and well being science.
- Summers, Z., Teague, W. J., Hutson, J. M., Palmer, C. S., Jowett, H. E., & King, S. Ok. (2017). The spectrum of pediatric accidents sustained in snow sports activities. Journal of pediatric surgical procedure, 52(12), 2038-2041.
- Sports activities & Health Trade Affiliation. Ice Skating Participation Reviews 2019. https://www.sfia.org/reviews/732_Ice-Skating-Participation-Report-2019
- American Bodily Remedy Affiliation. Tricks to Stop Snowboarding-Associated Knee Accidents. Select PT. https://www.choosept.com/health-tips/tips-exercises-prevent-skiing-related-knee-injuries
