Ski Injury Series - Hand and Wrist part 1
Welcome to part one of the Ski Injury series by Gus from Kaizen Physiotherapy & Performance. This blog is an extension of the Infographic. Please note that neither the infographic nor this blog should replace on site medical attention! These are an educational resource to help boost knowledge. Here is where you can find part 2 of our ski injury blog or Download the infographic.
This leaflet as part of our collaboration with Massage Me, after some discussions around how we could help British ski goers navigate the confusion of dealing with a serious injury abroad. As Massage Me only provide massage and are unable to advise on any injuries, we have developed some educational content to share out. If you need more advice. Find out more about our Ski Physio service or you can book into Kaizen Physiotherapy & Performance’s injury advice service directly..
Ski injuries suck, there’s no other way to say it. You’ve spent all year saving up, only to end up hurting yourself (more often than not it’s on the first run). I’ve experienced this with a close friend in the past, who unfortunately tore their ACL on the very first run. As I could speak French, I stayed with her during the rescue, transport down and for the trip to the medical centre. This unfortunate situation is the inspiration behind these infographics.
Before you go
At the risk of sounding like your mother, make sure you get insurance before you go. For the cost of one week of skiing, you can afford to pay £30 for some decent cover and it’s most definitely worth it if you look up the costs of the blood wagon alone. Important tip, if you’re planning on doing some off-piste skiing, make sure you’re covered by the insurer.
Other obvious things to mention include wearing a helmet, saving important contact details to your phone in case of emergency, and remembering it’s 112 in Europe rather than 999.
If a nerve has been injured or compressed, pins and needles or numbness is usually reported as a symptom. Like an open fracture, this is often an urgent problem that should be sorted as soon as possible.
Having said that, the vast majority of wrist fractures aren’t that severe. Many can be treated in a cast initially, with definitive management being arrange back in the UK. Some wrist fractures may be less severe but ultimately need surgery. These injuries can usually happen a week or two after injury, without having a worse outcome in the long-term. An example as to how this can happen is that sometimes the broken bones are in a good enough position to heal well initially. But when the wrist is re-imaged to check on healing, it isn’t healing in the optimal way.
A thumb/finger fracture is usually put into a splint rather than a cast. Sometimes, they can seem quite minor injuries but they are worth being checked quickly. Finger injuries can become complicated very quickly and it’s actually quite debilitating if you can’t fully move or grip!