If you or someone you know has suffered a snowboarding injury this winter season, Advance Physical Therapy in Valley Stream is here to provide quality treatment and care. Contact our office today for more information to learn how we can help you stay healthy and safe while out on the slopes this winter season.
Snowboarding Season is Finally Here
Winter is upon us and that means boarding season is finally getting into full swing! For all the winter fanatics, this is the time you have been waiting for all year, and you finally have the opportunity to hit the slopes. Although this can be a fun and thrilling time of year for us all, it is important to recognize the risk of injury that snowboarding presents. Like any sport, snowboarding is an activity that presents injury risk to those who participate, regardless of their level of expertise.
From beginners to seasoned snowboarders, the risk of injury is equally present. There is plenty you can do to help prevent yourself from experiencing painful injuries on the mountain. Yet if that you do suffer an injury, our team at Advance Physical Therapy in Valley Stream can help you recover as quickly as possible so you can get the most out of this winter season.
Causes of Snowboarding Injuries
There can be many reasons as to why someone may experience a snowboarding injury. These factors include:
Overconfidence When Snowboarding
You may have just crushed a few greens and feel like you’re ready to take on a black diamond, although this may not be the best choice. Choosing to go down trails that are too difficult for your skill level can result in injury. Also, deciding to hit the terrain park and pull off some tricks that you have never attempted before may result in injuring yourself. Or, taking a turn toward the moguls, which are meant to act as a challenge for experienced borders, can result in injury if you are not trained appropriately for them or anticipate their difficulty.
Snowboarding When Fatigued
When you are on a short snowboarding trip and you want to maximize your time on the mountain, you may decide to stay out longer than you normally would. After a long day of traversing up and down the same trails, your body will begin to experience fatigue. Our bodies are more prone to injury in this state and this could end up cutting your trip early if you do not give your body adequate rest time.
Improper Equipment
Failing to outfit yourself with adequate equipment can result in injuries if your gear does not fit your body properly. If your boots, bindings, or board is not the correct size, this can leave you more susceptible to injury.
Dehydration
Lack of hydration is another leading cause of injury when out on the slopes. It is a common misconception that in cold weather we do not have to hydrate the same as we would on a hot summer day. This, however, is incorrect. Our bodies need as much water as it would any other time of the year.
We are working ourselves very hard during a day of snowboarding and we need to replace the fluids that are being lost during this intense exercise. Especially for those who like to stay out all day and take minimal breaks. If you do not hydrate, your body will experience fatigue and potentially shut down.
Advance Physical Therapy in Valley Stream is committed to helping our patients with the prevention and recovery of snowboarding injuries. To learn more about how we can help you stay healthy this winter season, please visit our website.
Common Snowboarding Injuries
Areas of injury while snowboarding can depend on how or where the injury took place. Yet many parts of the body are susceptible to snowboarding injuries. These types of injuries may include a few of the following:
Knee Injuries
Injuries to the knees while snowboarding has become less common over the years due to the evolution of boots and bindings. Yet, these injuries do still occur due to the nature of the sport, and the fact that our feet are strapped into our boots and board. We are constantly moving side to side and back and forth to move down the mountain slope and this can result in an unnatural movement or rotation of the knee joint. Landing a jump awkwardly or incorrectly can also cause injuries to the knee. This can result in either an ACL, MCL, or meniscus injury.
Prevention – Ways you can help yourself prevent knee injuries on the slopes are by performing a proper warm-up and cool down before and after your day to ensure your muscles are loose and have a proper range of motion. Also, supportive knee braces can be worn to ensure proper stability of the knee joint when performing certain movements. This may be especially important for those who have suffered knee injuries in the past and maybe more prone to reinjury. Also making sure your equipment fits properly is essential in preventing a knee injury.
Hand and Wrist Injuries
Injuries to the hands and wrists are some of the most common upper extremity injuries while snowboarding. These types of injuries generally occur when a board lands incorrectly on their hands after attempting a jump. Even for beginner snowboarders, you do not have to be performing tricks to experience this type of injury. Since boards do not have poles to support them like skiers, the hands are the first line of defense to protect a snowboarder when they experience a fall, resulting in this kind of injury. Fractures to the wrist are the most common to occur. Sprains and ligaments tears are also prevalent as well depending on the nature of the fall or the severity of the impact.
Prevention – This injury can be preventable through various preparations. Snowboarders can protect themselves by wearing protective wrist braces that will help to stabilize the wrist in the event of a fall and stop it from bending backward. Keeping your hand locked in a fist motion upon impact to the ground can help prevent sprains as well. Ultimately, knowing your limitations on the slopes can help prevent these types of injuries and others. Avoiding a jump that you think you may not be able to land can be a prime contributor in avoiding injuries to the hand and wrist. We advise you to never take risks if you’re unsure.
Physical Therapy in Valley Stream
Snowboarding injuries are sometimes inevitable and we cannot always stop them from occurring. Even if we are recognizing the risks and being responsible on the mountain, an injury may develop when we least anticipate. If you have recently experienced an injury while out on the slopes, our highly skilled team at Advance Physical Therapy in Valley Stream can help you recover as quickly as possible. We are dedicated to helping our patients live pain-free and allowing them to be able to do what they love without being constrained by an injury. We want you to make the most out of this winter season, so don’t let injuries stop you! Get in touch with our office or request an appointment online today with Advance Physical Therapy!
