Self Diagnosing My Meniscus

[Tin]

Couldn't agree more. Carved turns are way more dangerous to knees than the natural up and down motion of skiing bumps.

That said, I cut my bump skiing time in half when I turned 30. Not to preserve my knees, but to preserve my back.

My back acts up following a day of hard skiing but I've noticed it all has to do with my weight. The medications that come with Crohn's disease make my weight fluctuate A LOT. In 2012 I was at about 205 and could ski without any soreness in my lower back. The last two years I've skied around 220 and by the end of the day I was sore and the following day I was really hurting. I'm going into this year at 180 (lightest I've been since 9th grade) so I'm excited to see what this brings.

Aside from the actual motions of skiing, medications (Cipro, Prednisone, and a few others) can REALLY weaken ligaments and tendons (not sure about the ACL but I know for a fact the UCL of the elbow) and make one more likely to mess things up more than people believe.

 

[Puck it]

My back acts up following a day of hard skiing but I've noticed it all has to do with my weight. The medications that come with Crohn's disease make my weight fluctuate A LOT. In 2012 I was at about 205 and could ski without any soreness in my lower back. The last two years I've skied around 220 and by the end of the day I was sore and the following day I was really hurting. I'm going into this year at 180 (lightest I've been since 9th grade) so I'm excited to see what this brings.

Aside from the actual motions of skiing, medications (Cipro, Prednisone, and a few others) can REALLY weaken ligaments and tendons (not sure about the ACL but I know for a fact the UCL of the elbow) and make one more likely to mess things up more than people believe.

Dave's a mess!

 

[Tin]

Dave's a mess!

Dave's a killer!

 

[deadheadskier]

However not on the front five when you are there.

????

Not sure what you are implying. Usually when I ski the Front Five I'll alternate between skiing the bumps and the flats. Sometimes even during the same run I'll do half bumps and half carving. Ten years ago I'd spend a full day just pounding the bumps if they were good.

 

[deadheadskier]

Knock on wood - no back problems ever. After first few days of soreness, core is strengthened and I'm good for rest of season. Back really only gets pounded when it's an idiotic flat footed landing lol. The WROD days are great for getting body back in shape for the real skiing. That one trail always bumps up nice by mid-day. As long as you're positioned correctly and use your core - shouldn't be a back problem. But - I also didn't ski nearly as much in my 30s when kids were born and little. maybe it preserved me for middle age (it's middle age if I live to 100 lol).

No back problems either. I hope it stays that way a long time. I still love moguls and will let it rip down a zipper line; I just don't do it all day long every single day. Maybe a day or two in the spring I'll go for it all day.

Recently started getting into Yoga as well for another way to help keep my body limber and avoid issues. Still could lose 30# though. Haha

 

[dlague]

Couldn't agree more. Carved turns are way more dangerous to knees than the natural up and down motion of skiing bumps.

That said, I cut my bump skiing time in half when I turned 30. Not to preserve my knees, but to preserve my back.

Tough to dial things back, but I think it has paid off. I turn 40 in September. Outside of a bum shoulder I've been doing PT for over the past 3 years, I feel good.

No back problems either. I hope it stays that way a long time. I still love moguls and will let it rip down a zipper line; I just don't do it all day long every single day. Maybe a day or two in the spring I'll go for it all day.

Recently started getting into Yoga as well for another way to help keep my body limber and avoid issues. Still could lose 30# though. Haha

Do you anticipate back problems?

 

[deadheadskier]

I don't anticipate any injuries, but you never know. I know plenty of bump skiers that have gotten them. Even the OP mentions back issues.

 

[dlague]

While I ski bumps those trails are just part of the skiing experience for me.

 

[steamboat1]

Ming!

 

[prsboogie]

Tough to dial things back, but I think it has paid off. I turn 40 in September. Outside of a bum shoulder I've been doing PT for over the past 3 years, I feel good.

I'm getting my MRI read from my right shoulder (at least 15 years of pain) done Friday. Had a cortisone shot in the AC joint 2 weeks ago and it feels like new. I have no delusions that there is a still damage in there but at least I can reach across to my seatbelt with out wincing. If he is talking surgery, it'll wait till end of April!!!

 

[SnowRock]

Surprised how many of you are skiing without ACLs. 99% likely that my old patella graft is re-torn and I have a medial meniscus tear (lateral was trimmed up in 2001 or 2002) but I have no stability issues. My MRI pics aren't great because of the past procedures. My ortho advised me to hold off on surgery unless I was having pain or issues. If he goes in for the meniscus which is more likely to drive me back to him (pain being the reason) he wants to do the ACL. I had two shots of cortisone and while that fixes nothing it seemed ot help the pain a ton as it was likely I had some inflammation in the knee.

I slide sideways though, I think I would be a bit more afraid to hit the hill on skis. I picked up mt biking a few years back which helps and for a while i used a bosu ball a bunch while watching TV etc. That along with wall sits were great at home work for building up strength in that knee.