Skiing Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation

For skiers there's nothing better than hitting the slopes and enjoying the fresh powder, but it’s important to stay safe while you’re doing it.

Skiing can be a dangerous sport if you’re not careful, and injuries are all too common.

Muscle and joint injuries, often referred to as musculoskeletal injuries, are a common occurrence on the slopes.

Physiotherapy can play a crucial role in the recovery and rehabilitation process for these injuries, and there are also a number of steps that can be taken to prevent them from occurring in the first place.

We offer a complete service of bespoke preventative exercise prescription, exercise education classes, Knee brace fitting (Ossur CTI) to reduce chances of ligament and meniscus re-injury, and if unfortunately injured a comprehensive Assessment and Rehabilitation service post injury.

To help you enjoy the slopes this ski season, why don’t you contact a Chartered Physiotherapist at Turra Physio Therapy.

Injuries That Affect Skiers

The injuries that plague most skiers involve the knee; whether it’s a sprain or more serious ligament tear, the knees are very vulnerable during a ski excursion. Knee sprains (including ACL and MCL tears) account for 30 percent of all skiing injuries. How can these serious complications be avoided?

MEDIAL COLLATERAL LIGAMENT (MCL) TEARS

The MCL is tissue inside your knee that connects the thigh and lower leg. Tears of this ligament often occur when a skier attempts to slow down or stop altogether. If the motion is abrupt, the skier may fall and twist his or her knee, tearing the tissue. An MCL tear can be prevented by learning how to properly balance your weight when in the “snowplow” position, a slowing and turning technique for beginners.

ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT (ACL) TEARS

The ACL connects the thighbone to the shinbone and helps stabilise the knee joint. ACL tears are often the result of abrupt stops and sudden changes in direction. For skiers, it can also be torn when landing a jump on the slopes. If your body weight bears down on the back of the foot and too much pressure is applied to the calf, the ACL can tear.

LOWER BACK INJURIES

Many skiers experience low back pain. Often the result of poor posture, our muscles are also less flexible in cold temperatures. When the muscles are slower to contract, we become more prone to injury, especially if you’re slouching down the slopes.

Physical Therapy Can Prepare Your Body

When patients come to us for exercise prescription, we cannot stress the importance of proper form enough! For skiers, this means shifting your weight forward, keeping your legs parallel and allowing equal flexion between the hips, knees and ankles.

Before you plan to take off on a ski getaway, it’s also important to strengthen, strengthen, strengthen! A strong core helps with posture and reduces your risk of injury when twisting and turning down the slopes.

Balance and co-ordination is essential to be at its peak performance, by being on form you will be able to react in time to those expected and unexpected moments this activity throws at you.

By following our bespoke exercise guide we will help a skier of any experience level. improve his or her performance!