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....for
Tomorrow. Injury Prevention |
Thanks to Kirstin for suggesting this column idea
to me. Please note that there are some gory pics in this feature and
so if you don't want to see gory pics, then don't look.
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Yesterday I was half asleep at work dreaming about going off-piste at Nozawa.
The office surroundings fade away as the tip of my board rises out of the fresh
powder and I gain speed. Leaning back, I easily float down the mountain where I
spot a steep drift peaking out from behind a tree trunk. I crouch down, prepare
for lift off, and spring to life off the lip of the drift for a perfect take
off. My board rises higher and higher, so I dare the elusive 360... and conquer
it perfectly! Amazingly I continue to rise so, I try a forward roll - perfect!
Backward roll? No problem! Does Terje dream this big? Is there no end to my
ability? I sure hope that cute girl from Legal & Compliance saw me! She is
there, 15 feet below waving happily! Good God, I hope I remember this dream
when I wake up! I touch down for a perfect landing and receive the hundreds of
fans who have miraculously assembled onto the slopes to watch this, the best
run of my life! Without slowing, I reach out to sign a million dollar contract
to become a high-profile professional snowboarder but, my tip starts rise again
- another jump? Oh no, I'm not ready for this one! My balance falters as I come
down hard on my outstretched arm, which rips like a spear through my shoulder
joint, pierces my eye socket, and continues to protrude right out the back of
my skull - AHHHH!
"Cox-san, can I see you in my office?"
No, my daydreams never used to end in disciplinary action until I started
researching this article. I certainly don't want you waking up in a sweat
either but, maybe by lending some brain-power to the cause we can avoid these
infrequent disasters altogether. Knowledge is power, 'Board members, so we must
challenge ourselves, to look injury deep in the eyes, discover its dark hidden
secrets and stare it into submission!
What are the most popular injuries in snowboarding? All the celebrities from
Art Garfunkel to John Kennedy were literally killing themselves to claim the
worst head injury a couple of years back but, despit this, the head-injury
craze all of you helmet fans were anticipating just isn't coming to fruition!
No, Honey, this season anybody who is anybody is spraining a wrist or ankle!
Head injuries are just so...nineties.
(Sorry, it's a rare opportunity when a writer who owns four shirts actually
gets the chance to come off as a fashion-guru.)
Before we begin, you new boarders should know that snowboarding is not
really any more dangerous a sport than skiing. Don't be discouraged, only a
tiny minority of you will come away with anything more serious than a bruise on
your rear-end. Here is one interesting fact that you may wish to point out to
your noisier skiing 'friends': According to J.E. Shealy, chairman of the
department of Industrial Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology,
snowboarders have a 40-percent lower death rate than Alpine skiers and are more
likely to be hit by out-of-control skiers than the other way around. If they
still don't believe you, just wait until hit the slopes and nail them one in
the back!
These are the most common snowboarding injuries, roughly in order.
1. Wrists
2. Ankles
3. Shoulders
4. Knees
5. Elbows
6. Ribs
7. Head
8. Back?
For wrist injuries, the best thing you can do is slam your wrist in a car
door. Or, one thing that I think about when I'm at work making a mental list of
things I'd rather be doing is sticking my hand into a revolving door.
(Sorry, as you can see, I just can't take this subject seriously.)
Perhaps you expected some sort of leg injury to be more common for a sport
like snowboarding but the number one snowboarding injury is actually the wrist
sprain. All of you boarders that have caught a betraying edge that has brought
you down onto your wrists like a pile driver, especially when you were just
starting out. According to Dr. Mike Langran's web-published study,
approximately 45% of all snowboarding wrist injuries occur on the victim's
first day of snowboarding! According to Dr. George Ahlbaumer, who writes for
Snowboarding Online, wrists fractures and sprains make up 61% of the injuries
that happen in the first four days of snowboarding experience!
Prevention:
Looking at the statistics above, it seems like the best thing you
can do to prevent wrist injuries is to keep boarding and improving your
technique! If you can fight the uphill battle against your instincts, the best
way to prevent injury to your wrists is to keep your arms tucked in when you
fall. Others suggest snowboarding with your fists clenched but I am not sure
how effective this is. Keeping your fists clenched certainly wouldn't hurt and
it might even discourage brawls with any uppity skiers you come across!
Protection:
For those of us who are losing the battle with our instincts on a
daily basis, wrist-guards are becoming more available in Japan. Look for a
guard that is not too long and is a bit flexible to absorb the movement and
reactions of your wrists - I have included some links at the end of this
article.
Also, it might sound ass-backwards but(t), I believe a butt-pad can also
help reduce the instance of wrist and arm injuries. The beginner who is
ill-equipped for the numerous blows to the rear that necessarily occur during
the first few attempts at boarding will soon him/herself instinctually throwing
their hands out to prevent another humiliating fall. Your rump may breathe a
grateful sigh but, the next thing you'll hear are the minor bones of your wrist
snapping like a hand full of spaghetti leaving your hand swinging on your arm
like a squeaky old barn door in the breeze! Get a butt-pad, keep your hands in,
and let your meatier parts take the brunt of the collisions.
Those lovely soft boots that lured many of you away from skiing combined
with the non-detachable snowboard bindings are the main reason for ankle
injuries. Snowboarders have far less knee injuries than skiers but snowboarder
ankle sprains and fractures are numerous. Step-in binding users are
particularly vulnerable because, according to snowboard injury specialist Dr.
Carl Ettinger, "...torsional forces are directly transmitted to your feet
due to the rigid fixation between board and boot."
Prevention:
Properly tightening your boots and bindings every time you go
snowboarding and regular ankle stretches can help to reduce the possibility of
ankle injuries. Never snowboard with the wrong footwear.
Protection:
Some soft-boot makers are beginning to include ankle braces in their
boots, especially for step-ins. The use of an ankle brace or wrap will not
prevent an ankle injury but it may reduce the chance of a sprain. If you do
sprain your ankle, many Japanese people including the ski patrol may suggest
one of those omnipresent heating pads, but according to Dr. George Ahlbaumer,
heating it will only make it worse. Stop snowboarding immediately and treat an
ankle sprain with ice.
Shoulder injuries mainly occur when coming down hard on a locked arm as if
from a jump or a drop.
Prevention:
Your best bet is to focus on keeping your arms in close to your
body, especially when you are jumping and doing spins!
Protection:
Due to the high velocity necessary to cause instability to a
shoulder, nothing short of wrapping your upper body in die-cast metal is going
to protect you. You simply have to be careful. If you do dislocate your
shoulder, never attempt any kind of repositioning without medical assistance as
this can lead to severe tissue damage.
Considering that both of your knees are strapped to the same board, you must
have been doing something pretty kinky if you score yourself a knee injury.
Most knees are able to withstand the force that comes from a face plant but
collisions with trees, rails, pipe ridges, vending machines, deer, etc can do
some damage. Also, ligaments can become more prone to tear if they are
constantly over-twisted. Tears usually occur when your foot is stable while
your upper body rotates beyond a normal range.
Prevention:
If you have weak knees or your knees begin to ache, try adjusting
you're the angle of your bindings to 5-10 in the back and 20-30 in the front in
the hopes that this will cut down on the wear caused by lateral knee rotation.
Protection:
Knee pads are widely available to protect against direct blows.
Braces and wraps may help prevent wear during the rotation of the knees.
Elbows injuries usually only occur to snowboarders who are trying more
advanced maneuvers so, if you rack up an elbow injury, congratulations, you
must e a pretty damn good boarder. Elbow injuries occur while coming down hard
on an arm that is bent at about 90 degrees.
Prevention:
Be aware of the conditions in which you are riding before you
attempt any serious tricks. If possible, keep your arms inside the vehicle at
all times.
Protection:
Elbow pads work well to prevent injuries from direct blows but, they
may not succeed in preventing injury from falling at an odd angle. If you do
dislocate your elbow, do not attempt to reposition it without medical
assistance.
I think it was Andrew Carnegie who once advised, "Put all of your eggs
in one basket, and then watch that basket!" Fortunately or unfortunately,
we seem to have inherited a similar situation in the case of our heads. The
chance that you will suffer a damaging or even crippling blow to your head is
actually quite small but, the stakes are incredibly high. Immediate or beginner
snowboarders who stick to the course will likely have little use for a helmet.
More advanced snowboarders who are constantly challenging the forces of gravity
and the physics of pine wood may want to consider purchasing a brain bucket.
Oddly enough, one of things that helmeted riders are reminded is that a
helmet is not a magic cure-all. False security in the guise of a helmet can be
just enough of a push to land you in a hospital bed.
"You should have worn a helmet"
Did I suggest tucking in your arms? Two of my friends have fractured their
ribs by falling in a way that jabbed their elbows into their torsos.
Protection:
There are now full torso protectors that cover your upper body
entirely and make you like Robocop. If you fear that you have cracked a rib,
seek medical attention. If your doctor suggests wearing a corset to repair it,
seek a second opinion.
Medical Advice
I'm sorry for the lack of medical advice in this column but I am in no
position to offer medical advice. For every piece of advice I have heard
myself, I have heard something to completely contradict it. In the
ever-evolving field of medical science, your best bet is to find a doctor you
can trust. Unfortunately, I have heard many horror stories about Japanese
doctors botching sports-related injuries. One person I know may have slipped
their spinal disks out of alignment following instructions from a Japanese
doctor who suggested wearing a tight girdle to heal broken ribs. Another friend
had three or four nurses hanging on his thumb in a vain effort to reposition
it, but all they succeeded in doing was severing a nerve. Once, when I feared
that I suffered a pulled groin, the ski patrol member I approached inspected
the range of motion of my leg, threw me a heating pad, and half-heartedly said,
"Well, if you can move it that much, it should be fine!"
I can only suggest a few things. First, if you are in major pain or you are
suffering a seriously limited range of motion, see a doctor right away because
you run the risk of permanent damage. Next, if you suspect you have suffered a
minor injury but you don't know if you should visit a doctor, wait a couple of
days. If it doesn't heal or improve, see a doctor. Lastly, peace of mind is
crucial in the healing process so, find a doctor you can trust, even if that
means finding a doctor from your native country. If you can't find a doctor
from your own country, try a doctor who specializes in sports-medicine as they
will be more sensitive to your needs. Never hesitate to seek out a second
opinion!
