ski injury prevention patient care report

What is the epidemiology of skiing-related injuries?

Alpine skiing is a popular sport worldwide but has significant risk for injury. The epidemiology of skiing-related injuries has been described, which has led to the identification of risk factors for specific types of injuries. Evidence Acquisition: Pertinent literature from peer-reviewed publications was reviewed. Study Design: Clinical review.

How can we improve the safety of alpine skiing?

Advances in standards for skiing equipment have been effective at decreasing both the frequency and severity of skiing-related injuries, but additional efforts are required to improve the safety of the sport. Keywords: alpine skiing, injury, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), epidemiology, head injury

What is the average age of a skier with major trauma?

That study reported 174 skiers with major trauma (ISS > 9), with a mean age of 39.2 years and 78.2% of injuries occurring in males.

How common are tibial fractures in skiing?

Tibial fractures once constituted greater than 20% of all skiing-related injuries, and while the incidence of fractures has decreased after the adoption of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and ASTM International standard shop practices,4,11,23,24they are still among the most common injuries to the lower leg.

How does skiing and snowboarding affect health?

What is ACL injury prevention?

Does skiing cause musculoskeletal injuries?

About this website

How can you prevent injuries while skiing?

Proper PreparationMaintain fitness. Be sure you are in good physical condition when you set out on a ski outing. ... Warm up. Research studies have shown that cold muscles are more prone to injury. ... Hydrate. Even mild levels of dehydration can affect physical ability and endurance. ... Know safety rules. ... Learn ski lift safety.

What is the most common injury in skiing?

What are the most common skiing injuries?Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture or sprain.Medial collateral ligament (MCL) rupture or sprain.Shoulder sprains, fractures and dislocations.Wrist and thumb fractures.Head injuries, whiplash and concussion.

What safety factors should be considered when going skiing?

Ski Safety Alert: 10 Important Factors to ConsiderThe rate of skiing fatalities is relatively low. ... The chance of injury is lower than in a game of netball. ... Wearing a helmet will reduce the risk of injury. ... Poor snow quality makes skiing more dangerous. ... Watch your speed. ... Don't ski when you're drunk. ... Get fit before you go.More items...•

What is the responsibility code for skiers?

Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects. People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them. You must not stop where you obstruct a trail, or are not visible from above.

What part of the body is most often injured in downhill skiing?

Ligamentous: Studies report 43% to 77% of all skiing-related injuries occur in the lower extremity, making it the most common body region for injury in the sport. The knee, with 27% to 41% of injuries, remains the most common site for skiing-related injury.

How often do skiers get injured?

According to the National Ski Areas Association, over the past 10 years, skiers are fatally injured at a rate of . 69 per one million participants. During the 2018/2019 season, there were 42 reported fatal incidents, the majority of which resulted in collisions with other skiers, the snow surface, or trees.

How should you condition yourself for skiing provide at least two examples?

Both cycling and using a stepper are good cardio workouts that also involve some of those ski muscles you are training, but if all you have time for is a little extra running, or even just walking, then that's fine as well. Aim for 20 minutes of brisk-paced cardio at least three times a week.

What are the health benefits of skiing?

Top 5 Health Benefits of Skiing and SnowboardingBURNS CALORIES. Skiing and snowboarding are great cardiovascular exercises that can help families burn some serious calories and lose weight. ... STRENGTHENS LOWER BODY MUSCLES. ... IMPROVES FLEXIBILITY. ... ENGAGES CORE MUSCLES. ... BOOSTS MOOD.

Is snow skiing safe?

The short answer is, that skiing can be dangerous, but statistically not more so than cycling or football. For the recreational skier, skiing is pretty safe. The risks increase as you move on to slopestyle, speed events, and off-piste skiing. You can reduce the risks involved significantly by taking lessons.

What is ski code?

People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them. You must not stop where you obstruct a trail, or are not visible from above. Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.

What is the Alpine Responsibility Code?

OBSERVE THE CODE AND SHARE WITH OTHERS THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR A GREAT EXPERIENCE. Know your ability and always stay in control and be able to stop and avoid other people or objects. It is your responsibility to stay in control on the ground and in the air.

What are the 5 types of alpine skis?

Alpine skis are divided in four categories: slope skis, all-mountain, freeride and backcountry. These four families are defined by the width of their waist, i.e. the area under the binding, in millimeters, their flex and what they're made of! Each type of ski behaves differently according to the terrain.

1. Medial collateral ligament injuries

Ligaments that stabilize your knee joint are prone to injury while skiing. The most vulnerable is the medial collateral ligament (MCL) which runs down the inside of the knee from thigh to shin. It can be torn if your leg goes out from under you sideways. This is a common and severe injury among beginner and fatigued skiers.

2. Anterior cruciate ligament injuries

Another major ligament runs diagonally through the middle of your knee. Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are less common than MCL injuries, but they can cause more damage. If the leg gets jammed and the knee starts to bend backward, your ACL can stretch or tear.

3. Ulnar collateral ligament injuries

Ligaments aren’t just in your knees.

4. Shoulder injuries

The rotator cuff is made up of a group of muscles and tendons. These work together to stabilize the shoulder joint. A rotator cuff injury is common during a fall while skiing, especially if the fall isn’t controlled.

5. Head injuries

Finally, ski-related head injuries can be the most dangerous, possibly proving fatal. Wearing correct headgear, skiing at your level, and knowing when to bail on a run are all critical to avoiding catastrophic head injuries. Preparation and a dedication to safety protocols can help prevent a serious concussion or worse.

Strength and Conditioning Exercises to Prevent Ski and Snowboard Injuries

Downhill skiing and snowboarding can result in both serious and minor injuries if you aren’t prepared. Skiers and snowboarders often require specific conditioning and workout routines to not only perform better and prevent fatigue, but to help reduce the risk of injury on the slopes.

Muscular Strength

Muscular strength improves your ability to relax and still maintain control, while making quick adjustments needed on uneven terrain. All the major muscle groups of the body, especially the core, are used for skiing. A great strength exercises is a single leg squat. A second great strength exercise is a weighted quadriceps squat.

Explosive Power

When strength training is combined with speed, quickness and agility training, power is developed and expert level skiers are born. Exercises that create power include:

Flexibility

The best stretches for skiers and boarders focus on the lower extremities and snow boarders need to stretch the upper body as well. One great core stretch is a core twist. Stand with your knees slightly bent and your arms crossed in front of you.

Endurance

For cardiovascular endurance good preparation exercises include: road, mountain or stationary biking. It build the heart and lungs and focuses on the leg muscles used during skiing. To Warm-up with an easy spin of 5 minutes and then add high intensity efforts (sprint) for about 30 seconds.

Balance Training

Working on balance can include one-legged squats or work on balance boards.

Agility Exercise

To improve side to side agility stand in a relaxed half squat position and step quickly side-to-side (maintain the squat). As you improve, jump side-to-side keeping the inside foot off the ground and the focus of your weight on your outside foot/inside edge. Perform for 30 seconds, rest and repeat several times.

How does skiing and snowboarding affect health?

Background: Skiing and snowboarding are popular recreational sports worldwide, promoting health through physical activity. Regrettably, participation in snow sports also involves injury risk. Each year, skiing and snowboarding activities contribute to the total number of sports-related injuries, and associated high socio-economic and personal costs. In several sports, targeted exercise programs are reported to be effective in reducing injury rates, and therefore have the potential to prevent skiing and snowboarding injuries. Purpose: The purpose of this work was to systematically review the literature to identify exercises and/or training strategies that are suggested to prevent alpine skiing and snowboarding injuries in recreational participants. Methods: Fourteen electronic databases were systematically searched using relevant MeSH terms and keywords. Articles were included when they addressed injury prevention, recreational alpine skiing or snowboarding, and musculoskeletal injuries. Two independent reviewers quality assessed all articles meeting inclusion using a validated checklist with higher percentage scores indicating higher quality. Data were subsequently extracted from articles using a standard form and categorized to facilitate data synthesis and interpretation. Results: Thirty articles met the defined inclusion criteria and scored 72±17% (range: 23–100%) during quality assessment. From these articles, 80 recommendations forthe prevention of musculoskeletal injuries in recreational alpine skiers and snowboarders were sourced, but none pertained to exercise prescription per se. The recommendations were instead grouped into 5 main categories: equipment (n=24), education and knowledge (n=11), awareness and behaviour (n=15), experience (n=10) and third-party involvement (n=20). Most articles (73%) contained recommendations relevant to than one of these areas. Conclusion (s): The importance of targeting physical fitness in injury prevention is accepted in sports medicine and rehabilitation; yet, exercise programs for the prevention of injuries in snow sports are not readily available. As these sports involve high velocities and impact forces, it is not surprising that equipment related injury prevention recommendations were often reported. However, the nature of these sports also indicates a need for appropriate levels of strength, endurance, and conditioning to ensure an adequate control of alpine manoeuvres and avoidance of injuries. Despite the lack of documented exercise programs, the value of using a multi-facetted approach to preventing injuries was evident. The lack of published data in this area is perhaps due to the challenges of performing an exercise-based injury prevention study in recreational skiers and snowboarders, which would need relatively large sample sizes, long-term follow-up, and extensive documentation and attention to confounding variables for valid, reliable and conclusive results. Implications: Until large-scale experimental research is performed, the prescription of exercises for the prevention of injuries in recreational alpine skiers and snowboarders has limited specificity and depends on empirical evidence from other sports.

What is ACL injury prevention?

As such, ACL injury prevention has been a focus of research and sports medicine practice for the past three plus decades. Examining the current research and identifying both clinical strategies and research gaps, the aim of this review is to empower clinicians and researchers with knowledge of where the ACL injury prevention literature is currently, and where it's going in the future. This paper examines the mechanism of ACL injury prevention, screening, implementation, compliance/adherence, techniques for improving implementation, COVID‐19, and areas of future research. Clinical significance: The time lag between research and practical implementation in general healthcare settingscan beas long as17 years, however, athletes playing sports today are unable to wait that long. With effective programs already established, implementation, and adherence to these programs is essential. Strategies such as coaching education, increasing awareness of free programs, identifying barriers and overcoming implementation obstacles through creative collaboration, are just a few ways that could help improve both ACL injury prevention implementation and adherence. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Does skiing cause musculoskeletal injuries?

As the popularity of skiing has risen in the United States over the last two decades so has the incidence of skiing injuries. The possibility exists that a proper conditioning program may decrease the frequency and severity of musculoskeletal injuries that occur during skiing. To ascertain the most appropriate components of a ski conditioning program, a review of the literature regarding downhill and crosscountry skiing is presented. Specifically, the literature was evaluated to determine the most recent research findings in the areas of physiological demands in downhill and cross-country skiing, the frequency and types of injuries that occur during each type of skiing, and the most common mechanisms of injury for the major types of ski injuries. This information was used to devise a muscular strengthening and musculoskeletal stretching program that may be useful in conditioning for skiing and for prevention of ski injuries. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1987;8 (9):428-437.

How does skiing and snowboarding affect health?

Background: Skiing and snowboarding are popular recreational sports worldwide, promoting health through physical activity. Regrettably, participation in snow sports also involves injury risk. Each year, skiing and snowboarding activities contribute to the total number of sports-related injuries, and associated high socio-economic and personal costs. In several sports, targeted exercise programs are reported to be effective in reducing injury rates, and therefore have the potential to prevent skiing and snowboarding injuries. Purpose: The purpose of this work was to systematically review the literature to identify exercises and/or training strategies that are suggested to prevent alpine skiing and snowboarding injuries in recreational participants. Methods: Fourteen electronic databases were systematically searched using relevant MeSH terms and keywords. Articles were included when they addressed injury prevention, recreational alpine skiing or snowboarding, and musculoskeletal injuries. Two independent reviewers quality assessed all articles meeting inclusion using a validated checklist with higher percentage scores indicating higher quality. Data were subsequently extracted from articles using a standard form and categorized to facilitate data synthesis and interpretation. Results: Thirty articles met the defined inclusion criteria and scored 72±17% (range: 23–100%) during quality assessment. From these articles, 80 recommendations forthe prevention of musculoskeletal injuries in recreational alpine skiers and snowboarders were sourced, but none pertained to exercise prescription per se. The recommendations were instead grouped into 5 main categories: equipment (n=24), education and knowledge (n=11), awareness and behaviour (n=15), experience (n=10) and third-party involvement (n=20). Most articles (73%) contained recommendations relevant to than one of these areas. Conclusion (s): The importance of targeting physical fitness in injury prevention is accepted in sports medicine and rehabilitation; yet, exercise programs for the prevention of injuries in snow sports are not readily available. As these sports involve high velocities and impact forces, it is not surprising that equipment related injury prevention recommendations were often reported. However, the nature of these sports also indicates a need for appropriate levels of strength, endurance, and conditioning to ensure an adequate control of alpine manoeuvres and avoidance of injuries. Despite the lack of documented exercise programs, the value of using a multi-facetted approach to preventing injuries was evident. The lack of published data in this area is perhaps due to the challenges of performing an exercise-based injury prevention study in recreational skiers and snowboarders, which would need relatively large sample sizes, long-term follow-up, and extensive documentation and attention to confounding variables for valid, reliable and conclusive results. Implications: Until large-scale experimental research is performed, the prescription of exercises for the prevention of injuries in recreational alpine skiers and snowboarders has limited specificity and depends on empirical evidence from other sports.

What is ACL injury prevention?

As such, ACL injury prevention has been a focus of research and sports medicine practice for the past three plus decades. Examining the current research and identifying both clinical strategies and research gaps, the aim of this review is to empower clinicians and researchers with knowledge of where the ACL injury prevention literature is currently, and where it's going in the future. This paper examines the mechanism of ACL injury prevention, screening, implementation, compliance/adherence, techniques for improving implementation, COVID‐19, and areas of future research. Clinical significance: The time lag between research and practical implementation in general healthcare settingscan beas long as17 years, however, athletes playing sports today are unable to wait that long. With effective programs already established, implementation, and adherence to these programs is essential. Strategies such as coaching education, increasing awareness of free programs, identifying barriers and overcoming implementation obstacles through creative collaboration, are just a few ways that could help improve both ACL injury prevention implementation and adherence. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Does skiing cause musculoskeletal injuries?

As the popularity of skiing has risen in the United States over the last two decades so has the incidence of skiing injuries. The possibility exists that a proper conditioning program may decrease the frequency and severity of musculoskeletal injuries that occur during skiing. To ascertain the most appropriate components of a ski conditioning program, a review of the literature regarding downhill and crosscountry skiing is presented. Specifically, the literature was evaluated to determine the most recent research findings in the areas of physiological demands in downhill and cross-country skiing, the frequency and types of injuries that occur during each type of skiing, and the most common mechanisms of injury for the major types of ski injuries. This information was used to devise a muscular strengthening and musculoskeletal stretching program that may be useful in conditioning for skiing and for prevention of ski injuries. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1987;8 (9):428-437.