What is the Most Common Skiing Injury?
Skiing is a hugely exhilarating sport but also an extreme one. Not many of us are fully prepared for its demands on our bodies, and this is why skiing Injury occur.
Luckily, most common skiing injuries can be prevented by preparing yourself. This involves ensuring your equipment is in good condition and that you can ski safely on the slopes.
Knee Sprains
Knee sprains are one of the most common skiing injuries. They can occur when your knee twists unnaturally or after a bad fall.
If your knee is sprained, you may have pain, swelling, tenderness, bruising or difficulty moving your knee. These are symptoms of a knee sprain, and they need to be treated immediately.
Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are also common in skiing. This ligament is essential to provide rotational stability and control the back-and-forth movement of the knee joint.
Another common injury to the knee is damage to the medial collateral ligament (MCL). This ligament connects your shinbone to your thighbone.
Shoulder Injuries
The shoulder is a complex joint with three bones (the upper arm bone, called the humerus; the shoulder blade, or scapula; and the collarbone, or clavicle). It also houses nerves, tendons, ligaments, and fluid-filled sacs called the bursa.
Shoulder injuries can occur from repetitive motions that affect the shoulder and rotator cuff muscles or other problems that develop over time. This can include overuse from repetitive overhead activity or trauma, such as falls.
Often, these injuries can be treated without surgery. The goal is to reduce inflammation, alleviate pain, strengthen muscles, and improve the range of motion.
During your initial appointment, your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and perform a physical exam of the shoulder to check its range of motion. They may also order x-rays, an MRI scan or other radio imaging tests. These will help them identify bone-related issues like arthritis or bone spurs, which can cause shoulder pain.
Ankle Sprains
Ankle sprains occur when you twist your ankle or force it out of place. Sprains can affect any of the ligaments in the ankle, which stabilize the joint and keep it in its normal position.
Ankle sprains are common sports injuries, particularly in activities that require jumping, cutting action or rolling or twisting of the foot, like basketball, football, soccer and trail running. Uneven surfaces and poor field conditions may also increase the risk of ankle sprains.
Pain, swelling and tenderness are often the first signs of an ankle sprain. Swelling is a natural reaction to the injury, as your body rushes blood to the injured area to help heal it.
The goal of treatment is to decrease pain and swelling, protect the ligaments from further injury, and speed up healing. This usually means adopting the RICE regimen (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation).
Wrist Injuries
The wrist connects your hand to your forearm, and it’s made up of several small joints. It also has tendons and ligaments, which connect muscles to bones.
If you sprain your wrist, ice, compression, and elevation can help reduce swelling. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin or ibuprofen can also reduce pain.
Sometimes a sprained wrist can pull off a tiny piece of bone, called an avulsion fracture. These fractures usually don’t require surgery and heal on their own.
A wrist injury is a serious matter that needs immediate attention. If you feel any sudden pain, swelling, or numbness after falling on the slopes, you should stop skiing and get medical help immediately.
Sprains are a common type of wrist injury, which range from mild stretches to partial tears. They may occur when you push your wrist too hard while holding a ski pole or unnaturally twist your wrist.