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Snowboarding is one of the most popular snow sports and
like any other physical activity, it is susceptible to injury.
However if the right precautions are taken and the correct
protective gear is worn, the body can be protected from any
severe injury. Here are a few snowboarding safety tips dealing
with common injuries, how to treat those injuries and what can
be done to prevent them. them. them.
Common Snowboarding Injuries
Snowboarding injuries occur mostly in the upper extremities of
the body and the ankle, the most common being sprains followed
by fractures and contusions. Upper body injuries are common as
snowboarders usually fall forwards or backwards. With a forward
fall, snowboarders will protect themselves by stretching their
arms outwards to stop themselves from falling. This leads to
sprained wrists, wrist fractures, elbow, shoulder and head
injuries. If a snowboarder falls backwards mild head as well as coccygeal
[tailbone] injuries can occur such as bruising to the tailbone.
When they fall snowboarders are advised to try and keep their
arms tucked in and to roll with the fall therefore distributing
the impact of the fall over a larger portion of their body. It
is better to rather have body bruises than a fractured wrist!
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Lower body injuries are rare and
occur mostly in the ankle and knee area. |
Lower body injuries are rare and occur mostly in the ankle and
knee area. This is due to the feet being strapped into the board
and both feet pointing in the same direction, which localizes
knee movement and prevents twisting. However, as the level of
snowboarding expertise increases so does the risk of knee injury
due to the frequency of aerial maneuvers and the use of hard
boots. Aerial maneuvers also present more abdominal, chest,
spine and head injuries. Ankle injuries are very common such as
sprained and fractured ankles, also known as snowboarder's
ankle. Contusions are common on the head, face, chest, abdomen
and pelvis, lacerations on the head and face and dislocations in
the upper extremities. Severe head and spinal injuries have
occurred when snowboarders have lost control of their board at
high speed.
It is important to note that a fracture of the lateral process
of the talus (LPT) can masquerade as an ankle sprain and is
frequently undetected on plain x - rays. Misdiagnosis of this
fracture may lead to severe degeneration of the joint,
disability and pain.
How to Tell if Your Injury is Serious
There are various symptoms that suggest what type of injury you
have and what should be done to heal it. Swelling is a definite
sign of an injury and shouldn't be ignored. It usually occurs
around a joint and causes pain and reduced range of motion.
Tenderness will be found if you press the injured body part with
your finger. Weakness in the injured area can occur as well as
numbing and tingling, which are often related to nerve
compression and should never be ignored as they may be signaling
a serious injury.
How to Treat Any Sprain
If you have sprained your wrist, ankle or knee RICE (Rest, Ice,
Compression, Elevation, Exercise) is the safest and easiest way
for anyone to heal an injury. It is important to follow these
steps, as swelling can cause pain and loss of motion which will
limit the use of the muscle, resulting in the weakening,
shortening and delayed healing of the injured limb. After
following RICE it is advisable to visit a physician for a proper
diagnosis of the injury.
Rest
You should rest the sprained limb for 24 - 48 hours post injury.
Ice
Ice should be used to reduce swelling and pain, and should not
be applied for more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time. If you do
not have ice on hand, you can use anything frozen such as a bag
of frozen peas. Never apply heat to an injury as this will
increase swelling!
Compression
There are various options for compression:
Elasticated tubular bandage (Tubigrip) which can be strapped
either single or doubled over. This should not be worn too tight
as it may lead to thrombosis.
Crepe bandage
Elastoplast strapping
Elevation
Elevate the sprained limb horizontally to decrease swelling and
discomfort.
Exercise
As soon as symptoms allow gently exercise the injured limb.
Prevention and Protection
Snowboarding injuries can be prevented by following a number of
safety precautions. A fitness programme is essential to train
the body for the maneuverability needed for snowboarding. Taking
a few snowboarding lessons and having a good instructor helps to
minimize the number of injuries that occur, teaches you how to
snowboard effectively and what gear must be worn for your
safety. The most important of injury prevention is wearing the
right protective equipment. There are different types of gear
that are specifically designed to protect certain areas of the
body.
Helmets
Helmets are very important in preventing head injury as it is
common for snowboarders to fall and injure their heads. There
are different types of helmets from lightweight to heavyweight,
with venting or no venting, with or without ear flaps, as well
as different styles. It is important to choose a helmet that
fits you snuggly, is comfortable and not too heavy.
Boots
There are three kinds of snowboarding boots that differ in the
support they give to the ankle and foot. Soft boots are used by
most snowboarders and offer sufficient stability and
flexibility. Hard boots are usually worn by racers and provide
ample ankle support. Hybrid boots have the support of hard boots
with the comfort and maneuverability of soft boots. It is
important to choose the right footwear for the particular
snowboarding activity that you will undertake, i.e. beginner,
racer, etc. as each of these boots place the body under
different injury risks. Soft boots present twice the risk of
ankle injury compared to hard boots due to their moderate ankle
support, however hard boots present twice the risk of knee
injury than soft boots because they offer less movement. Hiking
boots must never be used as they can lead to serious injury. It
is important to note that boots and bindings must be bought
together as the choice of boots depends on what type of bindings
you want to use such as step in bindings or strap bindings.
Wrist and Elbow guards
Wrist guards help support the wrist and are available in
different styles for over and inside the glove as well as
integrated into the glove. Wrist guards used for inline skating
and skateboarding can also be used for snowboarding. Elbow
guards help to protect the elbows from bruising and fractures.
Knee and tailbone pads
Knee pads help to protect the knees from bruising, and should be
worn if you have weak knee caps. Tailbone pads help to protect
the tailbone and should be worn with beginners, as they
frequently fall backwards.
Padded jackets and pants
Padded jackets and pants help to prevent other parts of the body
from bruising.
Goggles
Goggles help to keep the snow and wind out of your eyes. They
also protect the eyes from the harmful rays of the sun which are
also reflected by the snow. If you are wearing a helmet and
goggles make sure that the goggles fit comfortably with the
helmet.
Follow these snowboard safety tips and you will have the
ultimate pain free snowboarding experience!
Find out more about snowboard safety, and read about snowboard
equipment that will keep you safe and having fun by going to
http://www.snowboard-guide.com/
About the Author
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