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NY Times - Ski Helmet Use Isn’t Reducing Brain Injuries

catskills

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NY Times - Ski Helmet Use Isn’t Reducing Brain Injuries

I posted this for the risk takers that are wearing helmets. Helmets will not save your a$$ as much as you might think it will. Think again before going big or high speed.

As for the crowd that currently don't wear helmets. Think again. Helmets are still worth wearing because they do help reduce head injuries but just not as much as everyone thinks they help.

"Experts agree that the roots of the trend are complicated and could be related to increased awareness about brain injuries and reporting of them. But they also agreed on one element underpinning the trend: an increase in risk-taking behaviors that they said the snow-sports industry had embraced. In recent years, many resorts have built bigger features in their terrain parks and improved access to more extreme terrain. At the same time, advances in equipment have made it easier to ski faster, perform tricks and venture out of bounds."
 

Tin

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Still don't wear one but I've become tempted to pick one up when going through the trees. More concerned about a limb or stick ripping my forehead open than hitting my head on something. My one concussion skiing was actually caused by whiplash and a sudden stop than hitting my head.
 

BenedictGomez

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Schumacher’s doctors say he would not have survived his fall had he not worn a helmet.

Well, count me on the side with those thinking that's probably somewhat significant.
 

Snowlover

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Still don't wear one but I've become tempted to pick one up when going through the trees. More concerned about a limb or stick ripping my forehead open than hitting my head on something. My one concussion skiing was actually caused by whiplash and a sudden stop than hitting my head.
If you're worried about head injury, then don't ski tree's. Seriously, A helmet isn't going to do anything if you go head first into a tree.
 

Snowlover

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Helmets don't prevent the brain from shaking inside the skull. That's what causes the majority of trauma in most head injuries, therefore a helmet has limited effectiveness. How hard is this for people to understand? lol A helmet provides some protection again sharp objects(a jagged rock, a rail, the edge of a half pipe) since it spreads the force out. It also helps protect the bone. If you fall and hit your head on the snow, a helmet will probably do nothing.(helmet might help a little on ice, but not soft snow) All the helmets on the slopes started when that celebrity fell and hit her head on a bunny hill and died in a 1 in million type event. Then the masses decided they needed a helmet to prevent death on a bunny hill. Just as likely to die falling in a bathroom and helmet probably wouldn't have done anything for he sadly.
 
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Snowlover

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There's also numerous research papers showing helmets don't prevent concussions since they can't stop the brain from shaking inside the skull. I WISH we could build a helmet that is more effective, but that's reality.
 

Snowlover

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Depends on the speed.

Skiing ripping fast? Probably not.
Skiing slow or moderate? Quite possibly so.
Moderate speeds into a tree? What do define as moderate? 25mph? You're dead most likely if you run head first into a tree at that speed
5mph? It will help protect your skull. You have to remember your brain has to deaccelerate inside the skull cavity. A helmet does nothing for that. Just understand the limitations of a helmet. That's all. It's everyone's personal decision whether to wear one. Just don't take extra risks just because you have a helmet on.
 

deadheadskier

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. All the helmets on the slopes started when that celebrity fell and hit her head on a bunny hill and died in a 1 in million type event. Then the masses decided they needed a helmet to prevent death on a bunny hill. Just as likely to die falling in a bathroom and helmet probably wouldn't have done anything for he sadly.

Say what? Natasha Richardson died in 2009. Vast usage of helmets on the slopes started long before that.
 

Snowlover

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Say what? Natasha Richardson died in 2009. Vast usage of helmets on the slopes started long before that.
It seemed to ramp up BIG time after that. Do you know how many people said....now I'm getting a helmet, see what happened to her. Now that just might be my personal experience. Do you have data showing what percentage helmet used increased on slopes between 2009 and present? Maybe it just seemed that way and it was my anomalous experience.
 

gmcunni

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Helmets don't prevent the brain from shaking inside the skull. That's what causes the majority of trauma in most head injuries, therefore a helmet has limited effectiveness. How hard is this for people to understand? lol A helmet provides some protection again sharp objects(a jagged rock, a rail, the edge of a half pipe) since it spreads the force out. It also helps protect the bone. If you fall and hit your head on the snow, a helmet will probably do nothing.(helmet might help a little on ice, but not soft snow) All the helmets on the slopes started when that celebrity fell and hit her head on a bunny hill and died in a 1 in million type event. Then the masses decided they needed a helmet to prevent death on a bunny hill. Just as likely to die falling in a bathroom and helmet probably wouldn't have done anything for he sadly.

i take it you don't wear one?
 

BenedictGomez

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Moderate speeds into a tree? What do define as moderate? 25mph? You're dead most likely if you run head first into a tree at that speed
5mph? It will help protect your skull.

It's fiction that most crashes or "tree bumps" happen at high rates of speed, they happen at lower rates of speed. Do you ski in glades?
 

deadheadskier

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It seemed to ramp up BIG time after that. Do you know how many people said....now I'm getting a helmet, see what happened to her. Now that just might be my personal experience. Do you have data showing what percentage helmet used increased on slopes between 2009 and present? Maybe it just seemed that way and it was my anomalous experience.

Might have been talked about a lot in the media and I'm sure you could Google stats but I'd say their use started ramping up long before that.
 

gmcunni

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i love the logic, a helmet can't guarantee my safety 100% of the time so it is useless.


hold your unconscious, bleeding from the ears child in your arm while you scream out for someone to help you, later have the neurosurgeon tell you if not for the helmet you'd be burying your daughter and then tell me they aren't a useful piece of equipment.
 

mister moose

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You're dead most likely if you run head first into a tree at that speed

I know there's exceptions (like you're already cartwheeling), but who runs headfirst into a tree, anyway. If I'm losing it and a tree is coming up fast, I'm bending to the side at the waist, kicking over with a leg, ANYTHING to avoid hitting my head.

Most frequent almost daily use of my helmet - the guy who lowers the safety bar .07 seconds after he sits down and smacks me as I haven't even gotten my back on the backrest yet.
 

Snowlover

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i love the logic, a helmet can't guarantee my safety 100% of the time so it is useless.


hold your unconscious, bleeding from the ears child in your arm while you scream out for someone to help you, later have the neurosurgeon tell you if not for the helmet you'd be burying your daughter and then tell me they aren't a useful piece of equipment.
It's not about 100% of the time. Helmets do NOTHING or little for concussions. So the MAJORITY of the time a helmet will do nothing. The only time a helmet will help is if you hit a hard sharp object that has the potential to fracture your skull. (rail, pipe, rock)That's about it.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/report-warns-helmets-dont-protect-young-athletes-from-concussion/

A helmet's benefit is greatly overstated. It doesn't stop the brain from shaking inside the skull. Some Doctors even falsely believe that a helmet helps big time. They don't. Their benefit is VERY limited for snow skiing outside of the terrain park.

No one is telling you that you can't wear one. Why do people feel the need to tell others they have to wear one or tell them there morons? It's simply not true.
 
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Snowlover

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I know there's exceptions (like you're already cartwheeling), but who runs headfirst into a tree, anyway. If I'm losing it and a tree is coming up fast, I'm bending to the side at the waist, kicking over with a leg, ANYTHING to avoid hitting my head.

Most frequent almost daily use of my helmet - the guy who lowers the safety bar .07 seconds after he sits down and smacks me as I haven't even gotten my back on the backrest yet.
Dude you catch an edge/lose your balance in glades and can easily go head first into a tree. That's why they tell you to ski with a partner. If you want to take that risk then it's up to you. Just don't delude yourself into thinking there isn't any risk. It's common sense....you're passing with a foot of a tree. You might just hit it someday if you make a mistake and fall forward and have bad luck and happen to hit your head.
 
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Snowlover

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It's fiction that most crashes or "tree bumps" happen at high rates of speed, they happen at lower rates of speed. Do you ski in glades?
No I would never take that risk. Personal decision. What's a lower rate of speed? What rate of speed do you think you hit a tree head first and be ok with or without a helmet? lol Running head first into a tree is not a good idea. lol
 
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