Overcoming Nagging Injuries

[MadMadWorld]

As I ice a very stiff and swollen ankle....

Does anyone else have nagging injuries that interfere with skiing?
How do keep it from flaring up when you ski?

 

[Puck it]

Too many to name. Knees, hips, back, chest. Abused my body for too many years My worse one currently is a nagging tennis elbow. I take Aleve every morning right now.

 

[emmaurice2]

Lower back, right ankle and right shoulder... Stretching and Aleve seem to help.

 

[mriceyman]

my knees are terrible but i try to block it out while im on the hill.. however after a day i can barely walk that night.. well worth it tho imo

 

[Edd]

Stretch, yoga, whatever. Flexibility is youth.

 

[Riverskier]

The injury that interferes with my skiing does so more psycholgically than physicaly- my right shoulder. I have dislocated it 4 times. Only twice skiing (the first dislocation, presumably causing most of the damage, was in a car accident), but knowing that virtually any fall could cause it to pop out is a bit unsettlling.

 

[kingslug]

The injury that interferes with my skiing does so more psycholgically than physicaly- my right shoulder. I have dislocated it 4 times. Only twice skiing (the first dislocation, presumably causing most of the damage, was in a car accident), but knowing that virtually any fall could cause it to pop out is a bit unsettlling.

Same here but it doesn't fall out anymore, just hurts all the time. Yoga.....

 

[drjeff]

The older I get, the more I realize 2 key things when it comes to injuries and recovery from them

#1 - the incredible importance of core strength and flexibility as a way to prevent injuries in the 1st place

#2 - as we get older, physiologically, the fact is we heal slower, so as tough as it may be MENTALLY sometimes, giving your body the extra time to heal when the injury initially happens is more important that just "dealing with it" - Far too often, "deal with it" will have you compensating on some other body part/muscle group and then the chances of you having multiple injured body parts goes up

Once it's there though, the old time tested RICE principle works best

R - rest
I - Ice + Ibuprofen (any anti-inflammatory - advil or motrin(Ibuprofen) or aleve (Naproxen) - FYI -tylenol is a pain reliever and fever reducer, but NOT an antiinflammatory drug so it won't help with the inflammation that is often a key component of pain
C - Compression
E - Elevation

 

[Cannonball]

Switching up your activities can be a good way to give a nagging injury a rest and heal up. Spend a few days snowboarding so that ski-specific muscles can recover. Or demo some tele gear. Or whatever. Even if you aren't proficient or comfortable with other sliding methods they can be a good break in the action as you scale back to slower speeds and easier terrain. When you come back to the skis you're rested and have probably picked up skills that translate without even realizing it.

 

[BackLoafRiver]

Tendinitis in my knee. I pushed it too hard a few years ago and had a massive flare up which put me in the hospital. After starting Physical Therapy, I learned that stretching was the key. I do a 5 minute stretch routine every morning and the difference is amazing. When it does flare up (once every three or four months if I do something dumb) I follow the regime that DrJeff outlined (the RICE method).

Now I can ski back to back days with very little irritation.

 

[MadMadWorld]

Switching up your activities can be a good way to give a nagging injury a rest and heal up. Spend a few days snowboarding so that ski-specific muscles can recover. Or demo some tele gear. Or whatever. Even if you aren't proficient or comfortable with other sliding methods they can be a good break in the action as you scale back to slower speeds and easier terrain. When you come back to the skis you're rested and have probably picked up skills that translate without even realizing it.

Thanks DrJeff and Cannonball, really great advice. Never thought of doing some of those things.

 

[Smellytele]

This nagging headache and upset stomach thing. Oh wait that is a hangover.

My back usually flares up just before ski season in October every year or 2. It actually didn't this year which surprised me because I wasn't in great shape. When it does happen I just do stretches twice a day for 3 or so weeks, take vitamin I or Naproxen and it usually slowly subsides. Twice I had to go to the doctors and get some stronger pills that I call Zombie pills.
I also have a mouse in my knee (floating around bone chip) that every once in awhile gets stuck in the joint and causes me some pain. It may be gone because I haven't had it happen in 5 or 6 years. Knock on wood. Once again time and vitamin I usually are the cure.

 

[wtcobb]

This nagging headache and upset stomach thing. Oh wait that is a hangover.

This, and knee tendinitis. In the off-season I've taken to strengthening exercises (lunges, dips, stand on one leg & pass a weight around your body in a circle, etc.). That low-weight conditioning plus more miles of running and hiking has actually helped a lot. Day of activity, stretching is key.

I need to be better at stretching after skiing instead of hitting immediately working on another hangover.

 

[abc]

Tendinitis in my knee.

What is that? (I mean, what's the symptom?) And how did you get it diagnosed?

I've got my knee pain that I couldn't quite nail down (back of kneecap). There's no injury when it started and the flare-ups are quite random. I can't quite figure out the patterns as to what triggers it yet.

As is, I haven't figure out what kind of stretches that would help...

 

[Puck it]

What is that? (I mean, what's the symptom?) And how did you get it diagnosed?

I've got my knee pain that I couldn't quite nail down (back of kneecap). There's no injury when it started and the flare-ups are quite random. I can't quite figure out the patterns as to what triggers it yet.

As is, I haven't figure out what kind of stretches that would help...

That could be a number of things From tendinitiis to cartlidge damage. You may want to have it checked out.

 

[wtcobb]

abc - I had an MRI years back and worked with a physical therapist when the pain was at its worst. Based on the specific injury and what areas are affected they can tailor a treatment plan to your needs. For me, it's the ITB on the outside of my right knee. I have some stretches specifically for that, but unless you know what's wrong with you, it's hard to treat.

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

Lower back, Knees, ankles and neck here. I'm always getting injured playing soccer and it seems to happen during powder storms. If you're hurting it's always best to lay off the injury and give it time to recover. No point in hurting it more....too many more years of skiing still ot be had to ruin your body for one day of skiing.

If you hurt and it's a powder day then preemptive advil and 20 mins of stretching will go a long way.

I'm also fond of strong IPA's to take the edge off.

 

[Cannonball]

Warm ups are another thing that most of us neglect. You would never consider going out for a run without starting slow, building up, etc. Yet most of us slap our boots on, head up the lift, and let it rip. Getting the blood flowing pre-skiing makes a world of difference to post-ski recovery and health. If you live near the mountain get out for a walk before heading to the hill or spin on a bike for a while. If you are day-tripping it's harder. But why not take a walk around the base area before hopping on the lift. I usually try to take the dog for a 20-40 minute walk before hitting the slopes. It keeps her happy while I'm gone and gets me warmed up.

 

[Smellytele]

Stretching does little or nothing for you or so says this article:
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120724-you-must-stretch-before-exercise

 

[AdironRider]

Im still pretty young, but injuries are starting to take longer and longer to heal these days.

I find stretching and a consistent fitness routine to be the best. Its tough to grind out workouts in April or May, but pays dividends in the summer and winter when Im really getting after it.