What Injuries Do Snowboarders Frequently Get?

If someone tells you that they like snowboarding, what is one thing you usually assume about them? Usually, that they lead a pretty active life – after all, one doesn’t just get up and go snowboarding one day; usually, it takes a lot of effort, equipment, and scheduling to make it all happen. Snowboarding can be a very social sport, as well, and you assume that they’ve made some amount of friends during the process.

But you can also assume that many snowboarders are adrenaline junkies – or, at the very least, mild adrenaline junkies. And it’s these types of people with that adventurous spirit who generally run a higher risk of injuries. If you’re interested in having more adrenaline in your life, you’ll have to take the bad with the good – and that means a higher risk of injury. What kind of injuries do snowboarders frequently face?

First, as these statistics suggest, it’s apparent that snowboarding often comes with a higher risk of injury than traditional skiing. When you think about injuries associated with downhill skiing or snowboarding, you’ll generally be thinking about your limbs and joints. Think knees, elbows, wrists, and ankles.

Why these areas? We know that snowboarding involves a lot of work with the ankles and knees, but the wrists? Consider that if you fall on a snowboard, you’re probably going to instinctively try to break your fall by pushing your arms out – and exposing your risks to injuries. This is often a wise decision, as it helps you protect more vital places on your body like your head and torso.

As a snowboarder, knowing that ankle, knees, elbows, and wrists are some areas that run a high risk of injury should help you prepare. How can you improve your form and become a better snowboarder? Can you add padding to those areas every single time you hit the slopes? Think about pads and precautions the same way you should be approaching putting on a seat belt every time you are in the car: once it becomes a habit, you don’t even have to think about it.

Remember that while there’s no avoiding risk in life, you can minimize risk and should minimize risk when you take on adventurous hobbies like snowboarding. Even if you’re an experienced snowboarder who has never been injured, prevention is better than repair. Stay safe on those slopes.

Photo Credits: granth

This post involves:

active life, adrenaline junkies, adventurous spirit, ankles, downhill skiing, elbows, habit, high risk, joints, knees, seat belt, slopes, snowboard, snowboarder, snowboarders, social sport, statistics, torso, wise decision

... and focuses on:

health, snowboarding

Posted by Ski Snowboarder on December 29, 2009 in health, snowboarding. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.