injuries?

[skatepanew]

I want to learn skating, but have seen some bad injuries. What was your worst injury and how did you do it?

[dbny]

If you can't put fear out of your mind, you are not going to make much progress, and fear can, in fact, contribute to injuries as it can cause you to stiffen up.

My worst injury was breaking my right wrist on the pre-pre BI edge pattern. It was a totally freak accident fuelled by over tiredness and a bit of hubris.

[Canadian Chick]

I've been fairly lucky. Aside from quite a few bumps and bruises, I haven't had anything too bad happen.

I think my worst injury was during a crowded group session when I fell and someone skated over my fingers, which hurt baaaad.

[dooobedooo]

Touch wood, thankfully, I've never had a serious injury. I have taken things slowly, though, and built up skills gradually without taking too much risk, or skating when tired. I have also learned how to fall well, by sliding on the ice to distribute weight, and keeping my head clear of the ice.

The worst (fairly trivial, but lasting) thing that have happened to me is when I fell over onto a patch of badly resurfaced ice, and cut my knee (this is very unusual, it was crap ice). I didn't put antiseptic on it straight away and it went a bit manky. I still have the scar (but it's tiny).

[sue123]

I've had a concussion from I don't remember what. Concussions are weird like that, you don't remember where it came from, so unless somebody tells you, you have no clue, which means you're not afraid to do that move again.

When I was younger, around 6ish, my dad was teaching me to skate backwards, and I tripped, and my dad grabbed my arm to stop me from falling backwards (he claims it was parental instincts) and dislocated my shoulder.

But I wouldn't worry about getting injured. It could happen anytime, anywhere. The only thing you can do is bounce back when they do happen.

[NCSkater02]

Two concussions, many many bruises, and one broken ankle. I was back on the ice about 2 1/2 hours after the MD told me I could with the broken ankle. Still recovering from it (four months today)

Would I give it up??? Not until I absolutely have to. The 14 weeks I was off-ice lasted forever.

[sk8er1964]

I've been skating for around 11 years, if you combine my kid and adult skating. I've had a sprained knee, a mild concussion, and a hip flexor injury from over use. Some minor cuts and bruises. Right now I've been having problems from my left hamstring. My worse injury actually came from slipping on some stairs -- badly sprained ankle.

I do double jumps and flying spins and all that good, sometimes scary stuff. The key is that I know how to fall. Yes, accidents can happen, and non-jump falls are the worst. They've definitely caused my worst bruises and cuts. It's part of the sport, however, and you have to take the good with the bad.

What was it that Alexi Yagudin said? I think it was "If a skater wakes up in the morning and nothing hurts, then he's dead". :lol:

[TashaKat]

Do you really want to know about our injuries? 8O

Well you did ask ....


Suspected skull fracture from doing the 14-step in Free blades (Gold Seals). I got my feet SO close together on the mohawk that I put the back of one blade through the middle of the other, picked my feet up ..... legs up in the air, head hits ice first, humungous bump. Two days later the entire left side of my head, behind my ears and neck had gone BLACK. Hospital started panicking because they couldn't find a doctor and were convinced that I'd fractured my skull 8O


Then we have the broken wrist! Practising BO3's on my 'good' foot. I could see my coach keeping an eye on me, was watching her watching me which rotated me the wrong way. I fell and sat on my own hand which pushed it backwards and got a Colles fracture for my efforts!

[Andie]

My worst injury on ice has been badly bruised knees. *knocks on wood* And I'm in the low Freestyle levels.

When I was a child, about eight (before I ever ice skated), I was at a roller rink and some girl skated over my fingers on my right hand. I wasn't injured, just startled and momentarily sore. Good thing it only was wheels and not a blade!

[Casey]

hmm, these skating over hand mentions remind me of a scary incident. I was racing around playing with a kid who's only about 12, but an extremely good skater (has axel and a bunch of doubles). We were racing around in a squatted position, and he fell in front of me. I turned as hard as I could, but his hand was still in my path. He pulled it out of the way just in time to save his fingers, but still got a cut along one finger from the toepicks. I've been a lot more careful since then.

The worst that's happened to me is when I fell, and didn't get my hands out of the way. My hip landed on my wrist, and it hurt a lot. I never went to a doctor though - it's now two months later and still hurts when I bend it, but it's no big deal, and I'm sure it will get better in time. Other than that, nothing's happend that has hurt more than a very short time.

[Thin-Ice]

My two worst injuries:

1) sprained an ankle when I fell doing back crossovers about 6 months after I started skating and I still have problems because I didn't let it heal completely before getting back out on the ice :oops:

2) had to have 4 stitches in my chin when I was working on back lunges and hit an "ice dot" or "ice acne" and pitched forward onto my chin. I was the only one on the ice, everyone else was in the lobby, so I walked in there and my coach's daughter (who was 4 at the time) said "Oh my Mommy is going to be mad at you, you're making big red dots all over the floor". Of course, I laughed and that made the blood splatter. My coach, who used to skate pairs, calls the tiny scar that was left "an ice tattoo" and says every female pairs skater she knows has one. ;)

[NickiT]

My worst injury was a bad fracture to my ankle that required surgery to fit a metal plate and screws. I did this coming out of a forward spiral of all things - I simply tipped too far back and tried to save myself with my right foot but instead I fell onto it and it snapped!

I've also suffered a cracked rib and torn intercostal muscles after falling hard on my chest, and a hairline fracture to my elbow.

Falling in skating is inevitable but bad injuries are quite rare. I must point out that I've been skating a number of years now and skate three times a week so three bad falls aren't that bad really.

Don't let fear of injury hold you back.

Nicki

[Mrs Redboots]

Almost always, when I hear of a skater who has been injured, it has been an injury they have sustained off-ice!

My worst was squishing my arm when trying to turn round before I knew how! After that, I took learn-to-skate classes.....

[flippet]

Really, no 'bad' injuries on-ice for me. The worst I've had have been some jarring and bruising from falling straight down onto my butt and hands with no warning--once when I was just standing around talking, and suddenly found myself on the ice, and once when a spin went crazy somehow and caught an edge, and I came straight down. But those are both unusual, and not something I'd call a 'danger' of skating...they're just flukes.

Now, non-skating injuries.....yikes. I tore my hamstring while waterskiing--caught the wake with a ski edge, and ended up doing high-speed splits. 8O I don't recommend that. :roll: I also fractured my wrist in third-grade gym class, hopping backwards on both feet, and falling onto the wrist. And then there's right this minute----I think I may have a slightly fractured rib from coughing too hard. 8O

As you can see, I'd rather have my skating 'injuries' than my non-skating ones!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Don't let fear of injury keep you from skating---the potential for serious injury is actually quite low, especially once you're taking lessons and learning the right way to do things.

[Mel On Ice]

my lowlights:

1. I caught my blade on my leggings just as I was starting to get successful at the toe loop. I fell and hit my head, and everything became very hot then very cold (I think I had a concussion). I was gun-shy on the toe loop for 6 months after that, then finally declared the whole thing silly and pushed myself through it.

2. I had just had my "aha!" moment on the flip and loop, and thought I had worked it out physically. A couple days later, I was tired and didn't want to drive to the rink in a heavy downpour, but I didn't want to miss the last of my choreography and presentation classes. As I was on ice doing leg lifts, the instructor told us to avoid rolling up on the toepick, since that would put us in a vunderable position on the ice and increase our risk of injury. I rolled off the toepick, rolled my right ankle, resulting in muscle tears and sprained tendons, and I was off the ice for 3 months. I recovered through physical therapy, working on building flexibility and strength. It has taken me until only recently to be confident enough on the ice to skate without fear that every fall won't mean another 3 months recovery.

3. Lots of flip scars on my right calf from my left blade scraping across it.

[jenlyon60]

No major skating injuries (knock on wood) other than some torn cartilege and a baker's cyst in my right knee from not opening the right side out enough trying to do the Rocker Foxtrot mohawk with my coach a couple years ago (result is occasional pain and stiffness and not nearly the ease of movement I used to have). One of these days I will have to have the right knee scoped to clean it out... just putting it off as long as possible.

Other than that, it's mostly been the occasional fall on the bum or trip and fall on my knees.

Off-ice, I've taken 2 bad ski falls over the years (1992 and 1999). The first one did a partial tear of my left ACL; the 2nd fall in 1999 finished the job and took the MCL along for good measure. About 4 1/2 months after the fall I had ACL reconstruction so everything's good as new. I like to joke with my friends about the knee with original equipment and the knee with replacement parts.

[TashaKat]

Mmm ... off ice injuries!

Broken ribs - showjumping lesson

Wrecked ankle - erm, showjumping course

Broken coccyx - riding a horse that had been off work, he saw a branch on the floor and decided that he wanted to jump it, he wasn't supposed to jump so I stopped him. He bucked and bucked and bucked (think rodeo) and eventually I was coming down as he was going up and I flew over his head onto the ground.

Not an injury to me but it gave me a bit of a wake up call (I didn't used to ride in a riding hat, I only wore it if I was jumping). I jumped over a jump, came round to do it again and the owner whacked the horse on the bum with a whip. Horse bucked and I landed on my head. My hat split like a banana and I walked away unscathed if a little shaken!

Displaced vertebra - rollerblading on a track. B***** kids were doing 'widths' instead of going around the track, I came round the corner and a brat was going across my path, I tried to stop but ended up getting tangled in said brat. For some stupid reason I grabbed the kid to keep it upright and hurt myself instead :evil:

Hurty knee - tripping over my cats while coming down the stairs

Ripped up thigh - rollerblading in Regents Park in a dress, forgot that rollerblades don't have toepicks, fell over and spun on the gravel and got a serious case of road rash! Got up with blood running down my leg to see a beginner having a lesson having just asked if rollerblading was dangerous 8O

Whiplash/cut nose/crushed hand - cardiac monitoring equipment fell on me at work


Accident prone? Moi?

[samba]

So Skatepanew, do you still want to learn?

[bladebabe69]

LOL uhm i have had alot of injuries...some of them all at once!! my worst skating injury was when i was tryin a test and i fell on my face doing i spin i split my chin open and fractured my left thumb in 3 places....then one time i was skating it was around carnival time and me and my friends were kinda screwing around and i decided i was going to stop before i got off the ice and i didn't really stop i hit the boards and flew through the door way haha and i broke my wrist and cut my finger!!! Then i was doing a thing where i lift my leg over my head and i pulled my groin so yah....i've had alot of injuries o and i was doin a mohawk and fell and tore ligaments in my shoulder!!!

[jazzpants]

My worst fall was the click of death from back crossovers. 3 weeks out with a very badly bruised knee. (Couldn't bend w/o hurting for at least a week.)

One skating related injury are from boots that have worned down to the point where I should even be skating in them anymore. I've had pulled both my Achilles (not at the same time...) from wearing those boots. One from landing a jump. Didn't fall but heard something snapped on the landing!!!! OWWWWW!!! Got new boots and all is well again!!!

My VERY worst one has got to be my sciatica to date! And it's just I have a tendency to push myself too hard at times to be fit enough to skate well. I was out for 2-3 months before I was able to get back on the ice again. (2 months just to WALK normally!!! 8O )

[sitspin89]

Ive only had two bad skating injuries.
1.) broke my hand by fallin g wrong on it atempting a flip
2.) pulled my sacralliac falling on double two. (Your sacralliac is in your lower back) this injury was by far the worst becasue now 2 years later my back still gives me troubles :frus:

[Chico]

I've had my share of injuries skating. Some worse than others. This is how I look at it....Nothing is without risk, we take risks in life all the time. Heck, you can break your neck falling down the stairs, have a car accident.... Life needs to be enjoyed, if risk of injury is going to happen at least I want to do it having a hoot. To really answer your question... I recieved a pretty nasty crack on the back of my head once. I pinched the nerve on the back of my head and it took months to heal. I also think I might have had a mild concussion. I also did something funny to my shoulder once. The doctor believed I dislocated something. Both injuries have healed and I'm fine now. I love the sport and the pluses outway the old injuries. YOU have to decide if the risk is worth it for you.

[icecatepairs]

wow....do you really want the list.....ok...anyway i see from the long list above i am not alone in bringing up the med insurance premiums.!!!
minor:
impaled my hand with my blade on a jump fall by putting it down behind me and managing to get my hand under my blade

3 concussions in the same week on novice three turn pattern

major:
broke my right anklw on a 2/1 sal

2 years later broke my left leg in 2 places an an axle

(both of these injuries occurred wearing k picks...they got stuck under the ice surface mid roataion!!!)

broke 2 ribs being kicked by another skater doing a spiral.

broke fingers putting my hand down in a 2/1 flip


chronic:

hip bursitis ...two cases 6 years a part. both requiring cortisone shots.

multiple stress fractures at bootline in landing leg



ok lets hope thats the final list......


ironically for all you pairs chicks out there...none of these were while skating pairs ....all happpened during singles ....over the head lifts , death spirals, throw axles ....no sir...no problem there.....um brain damage on a novice three turn anyone!!!!!!!!!!! isn't that crazy...

[Blosmbubbs]

I just sprained my ankle doing senior moves, and haven't been able too jump in 4 weeks. So icecatepairs, how long after you broke yours were you doing jumps? :cry:

[batikat]

Haven't broken anything yet - touch wood - so probably my worst is aggravating a dodgy sacroilliac joint (my chiropractor says my back has all the flexibility of an 80 year old 8O ) through practising spirals of all things, for a Free dance. Had to pull out of a competition and was off ice for 4 months but luckily it was just before the summer when I tend not to skate as much anyway. The first time I had physio and it eventually improved. When it happened again I went to a chiropractor (2 days before the same competition (but 2 years later)) and he fixed it instantly. I danced out of his office and won a medal in the competition!

Other than that, lots of bruises on the knees and one fall on my tailbone in Learn to Skate class is about all. Mind this probably explains why I'm still struggling on the single jumps - I dont' exactly throw myself into learning them with the abandon my coach would like.

The interesting thing is, skatepanew, that despite all these injuries, broken bones et al - none of these skaters on this thread have given up skating due to their injuries - that's how addictive this sport is! :lol:

[Perry]

When I was 13: Strained hip flexor, tendonitis, appofecitis, bursitis, a torn cartilage, torn labrum, torn ligament, inflamed fluid sack, stress fracture, avulsion fracture, bone spur, malformed growth plate, and the beginnings of arthritis.

It required surgery, six weeks on cruches, over a year off the ice, several streoid injections when I did start skating, and almost three years later, I'm still recovering, and will never be able to walk completely normally again. I'm stil on heavy anti-inflammatories, and now I have to be on GI medication because the anti-inflammatories killed my stomach...

All from nine years of overuse and skating four-six hour days and doing triples when I was growing.

[Michigansk8er]

I've been through the concussions, sprains, bumps and bruises that seem to be a given at one point or another.

In addition, I've managed a broken wrist (layback)........2 sprained ankles (dropped from an overhead lift in tennis shoes)..........stitches in my chin (Tano lutz gone wrong)..........herniated disc (sit spin with nothing wrong) that resulted in major surgery and a year off the ice.

Am I back on the ice? You bet!!!!