Winter is here, which means that many New Englanders will dust off their skis and boots and make the drive to the North Country for some vertical adventures. Skiing is great fun (when it's not 20 below and windy) but it also has great risks. Skiing equipment over the past 20 years has evolved to make the sport easier, but this presents a change in common injuries seen with skiing.
Now, even though the equipment has evolved, the sport itself has not, the concept of putting 2 sticks on your feet and traveling down a snowy trail has remained the same. The major differences are the speed and intensity that we now travel down the mountain, and the tricks that are performed. Back in the day, the most common injury involved the ankle and fractures of the tibia (lower leg); today that is not the case. In this article, I'm going to discuss common ski injuries and what we can do in hopes of trying to prevent them.
I'm the first to enjoy dangerous activities, and skiing is certainly one of them. Let's just look at what the sport of skiing is all about. You ride a chair lift, or skin up a mountain, then once you are at the top, you travel down and sometimes go faster than you should. Your ankles are fixed, your feet are clipped in, and you are holding poles to help maintain balance. You are making turns, going over obstacles, and there might be some icy patches, or even trees, if you are in the backcountry. Sounds like a recipe for accidents and injuries to occur.
Let's look at the research on injuries among skiers. A research article performed by Dr. Davidson and Dr. Taliotis titled, "Alpine Skiing Injuries," was performed back in 1996 at the Mammoth Mountain ski resort in California over a 9 year period where over 9 million lift tickets were sold (1984-1992). These 9 million tickets also comprise people snowboarding, but injuries for that population was not discussed in the article. The research showed that there were 2.6 injuries per 1000 skiers over this period. The research found that the most commonly injured area of the body was the lower extremity, comprising around 54% of injuries; the knee made up the majority of those injuries at about 27%. The head and neck came in at 15%, the shoulder at 8% and the thumb 4%. Lacerations made up the remaining injuries but have experienced the greatest reduction in incidents over the past several decades.
The article then suggests a reason for these injuries:
1) Increasing number of beginners on the trails
2) Poor Physical Conditioning
3) Changes in slope grooming yielding firmer snow
4) Overcrowding on trails
5) Increasing skier age
Quiz questions: Which one of the above are we skiers able to change?
Answer: Poor Physical Conditioning
So, how can we limit the number of ski related injuries? First, you can work out consistently prior to the beginning of ski season. It's foolish to think that you can go from not working out for the past 6 months, and then ski down some double black diamonds without issue. Get on a comprehensive program addressing lower extremity strength and endurance. Strengthen your knees, hips, and core. Second, you can be smart on the trail choice you make at the end of a long day. Most injuries happen when we are tired and fatigued. Don't attempt the hardest trail you've done all day on your last run. Finally, take care of your body by stretching and warming up properly. Do some dynamic exercises before you get to the slopes. Your body will thank you.
If you have questions, feel free to contract me: Mike@jointventurespt.com