Every four years, the greatest winter athletes combine years of training and preparation to compete against the best in the world with hopes of earning an Olympic medal. While these athletes appear to be superhuman, they can still experience serious injuries that affect their performance.
A study published by the National Institutes of Health lists snowboard cross (31.4%), freestyle skiing aerials (28.6%), and snowboard slopestyle (27.7%) to be among the most injury prone sports. The most common types of injuries were contusions/hematoma/bruise (29.9%), sprains or dislocations (21.9%), and strains/muscle or tendon tears or ruptures (11.3%), and they were most commonly found on the knees, ankles, and head.
“While falling can be more dangerous during the Winter Olympics than the Summer Olympics due to the speed of the sports, the cold weather also plays a role. When the temperatures drop, it tenses up muscles and makes athletes more prone to injury upon impact.”
Andrew C. Stoeckl, MD
Orthopaedic Surgeon, Chair of Orthopaedics, Kenmore Mercy Hospital
Fortunately there are a number of techniques to get patients back in the game. These include physical therapy, therapeutic injections, and when needed, surgery.
“It is also important to train properly,” added Dr. Stoeckl. “Olympians know to avoid overtraining and enhance performance through periodization training and cross training. This is something that the general population can benefit from also.”
For the novice to intermediate athlete, he recommends that people avoid pushing their bodies too hard or too fast, especially when starting a new sport.
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