Explaining Injuries

[Rob Dean]

So, in the practice thread I mentioned that I had an unusually painful fall on my lesson on Monday, whacking my head on a back progressive. Today I feel mostly fine, and my moves lesson with my regular coach (in sneakers rather than skates because of *her* injuries) went well last night.

However, I find that I am at a bit of a loss trying to explain to anyone why I would carry on with such an "obviously risky" activity, particularly with very risk averse people. Do you get much flak on this from people? The non-skating spouse seems like a problem area in particular...

Rob

[Skittl1321]

Lots of people do risky things- bungee jump, surfing, rock climbing. All these things get injuries just like skating.

Heck- even as an adult i've seen a pick up game of football result in injuries.

So I'd say I continue with skating because I see the risk of serious injury is worth the enjoyment of the sport. It's a gamble you have to take. And I think the payout is worth the risk. Really, at least at my level, the risk of serious injury isn't huge. I'll have to reconsider if I get to that point, which is why I don't dream of an axel. Yes, the risk of injury is definetly there, but you're hard pressed for find a physical activity where it isn't.

Glad to hear your head is doing better, I'm so scared about falling like that!

[liz_on_ice]

So, in the practice thread I mentioned that I had an unusually painful fall on my lesson on Monday, whacking my head on a back progressive. Today I feel mostly fine, and my moves lesson with my regular coach (in sneakers rather than skates because of *her* injuries) went well last night.

However, I find that I am at a bit of a loss trying to explain to anyone why I would carry on with such an "obviously risky" activity, particularly with very risk averse people. Do you get much flak on this from people? The non-skating spouse seems like a problem area in particular...

Rob

My husband is somewhat worried that I will be hurt, but it helps that the worst injury of my life so far was sustained in my backyard. It also helps that I've reaped so many benefits from skating and physical fitness in general that the risk is worth the payoff. I'm both physically and mentally stronger. I can get more done around the house, at my job, I just live more life.

[cherriee]

Why figure skating when it's so risky? Because it makes me feel good! My week goes faster because I look forward to my weekend lesson.

Many sports involve injuries. My worst injury happened riding a bicycle (I still don't. :oops: 3 doctors told me never get on a bike again).

If skating brings you joy, why not?

[Kim to the Max]

The way I see it...there is risk to just about everything...even walking outside your front door. I am doing something I love, and gosh-darn-it, I'm going to keep doing it!

I recently had a conversation with my mom about this as I was starting to get back into skating after about 9 years, and while I said it was a matter of mind over matter, she put it as, joints over ice...but as others said, other sports have plenty of injuries, but as long as you are doing something you love to do...as Nike says....JUST DO IT!

[sk8tmum]

The bumps, bruises, injuries etc: how DS validates to his friends that skating is NOT for wimps and sissies, that, it's the hockey players who with all of their padding who are the soft ones.

[Kim to the Max]

The bumps, bruises, injuries etc: how DS validates to his friends that skating is NOT for wimps and sissies, that, it's the hockey players who with all of their padding who are the soft ones.

Nice :) I enjoy that!

[Sessy]

However, I find that I am at a bit of a loss trying to explain to anyone why I would carry on with such an "obviously risky" activity, particularly with very risk averse people. Do you get much flak on this from people? The non-skating spouse seems like a problem area in particular...

I don't get it at all from people, but it's probably because I'm younger. At any rate, everybody knows I really love skating so nobody would dare to question it anyway. Some people ask if I happen to be a masochist though. Others just shake the head and say "you do it to yourself". But nobody ever asks why.

[doubletoe]

Why do women continue to have babies? There's pain, health risks, expense and LOTS of loss of sleep. But what do they all say? "Because it's SO WORTH IT!"

[cecealias]

a word of advice:

Injuries tend to happen when you're most tired or when you're least alert.

They also happen when you try to overdo a skill, especially when it's not working and you're frustrated because you could do it yesterday or a few hours ago. That's when skaters tend to try to force things to happen and it won't. Worse yet, it will lead to repetitive strain injuries..

Be smart and THINK about how your body feels when you're on the ice. This isn't an endurance sport. It requires a lot more smart choices and decisions than swimming or long distance running when you are training.

It you think and don't let emotions take over, you'll be better off in the long run and more likely injury free.

[jazzpants]

However, I find that I am at a bit of a loss trying to explain to anyone why I would carry on with such an "obviously risky" activity, particularly with very risk averse people. Do you get much flak on this from people? The non-skating spouse seems like a problem area in particular...B/c if we were to completely eliminate risks, we probably would lock ourselves in a padded room going NUTS!!! :twisted: :P :lol:

I have risks everyday to go to work, skating, working out at the gym and eating. (Driving with all these looney drivers in CA and stuff, risking my poor car for break-ins, risking myself for an attacker when walking alone at night, food poisoning...) Does it stop me from living life like that? Of course NOT!!!

So why worry about the risks? Deal with the setbacks, move on, and try again!

Why do women continue to have babies? There's pain, health risks, expense and LOTS of loss of sleep. But what do they all say? "Because it's SO WORTH IT!"I like your example better! :twisted: :P :lol:

The bumps, bruises, injuries etc: how DS validates to his friends that skating is NOT for wimps and sissies, that, it's the hockey players who with all of their padding who are the soft ones.YEAH!!! Ya hockey guys are just a bunch of SISSIES!!! :P (But we love 'ya anyway!!!) ;)

[Award]

Perhaps for practice only, they could start wearing things like....

http://www.madisonsport.com.au/football.php

A lady split the back of her head open the other day on the ice. But fortunately she was ok, but had to get carted off by ambulance. If she had some kind of protection on, things would have been much better. Falling is ok, if the fall is a 'controllable' one. It's the odd-one-out uncontrollable bad one that can do the damage.

[liz_on_ice]

Perhaps for practice only, they could start wearing things like....

http://www.madisonsport.com.au/football.php

A lady split the back of her head open the other day on the ice. But fortunately she was ok, but had to get carted off by ambulance. If she had some kind of protection on, things would have been much better. Falling is ok, if the fall is a 'controllable' one. It's the odd-one-out uncontrollable bad one that can do the damage.

I've seen an older gentleman skating in something like that. I've also seen a number of folks in hard helmets. The soft ones look much more comfortable.

[Caris]

My mum actually managed to cut her head open while doing yoga a few weeks ago. Seeing as she skates aswell, and has never cut her head open at the rink..............who's to say what will or won't be dangerous for you!

[doubletoe]

My mum actually managed to cut her head open while doing yoga a few weeks ago. Seeing as she skates aswell, and has never cut her head open at the rink..............who's to say what will or won't be dangerous for you!

Wow! That's unexpected. . . Just so I know what to look out for, what was she doing? 8O

[sk8pics]

When I get that from people, I tell them about the woman I met while I was in the hospital after breaking my ankle: she slipped and fell in her kitchen and had 6 screws and a plate in her ankle, while I only had 3 screws. I don't get too many comments, but I suspect some people are just too polite to make any.

I do get the opposite now, too: people saying how much they admire me for going back to skating. Either way, it's my own decision, not anyone else's, though I do appreciate the support.

[Award]

My mum actually managed to cut her head open while doing yoga a few weeks ago. Seeing as she skates aswell, and has never cut her head open at the rink..............who's to say what will or won't be dangerous for you!

True true. Maybe if some of these more advanced yoga moves were done using the head-gear, things could have been better too.

[Morgail]

Oh, yes - I've had quite a few people ask me if I plan on skating again (after breaking my fibula & getting a high ankle sprain that required surgery). Some have given me looks (as in, you're crazy) when I say "of course! As soon as I can!" A couple have said as much out loud (including my dad). Skating is a sport that has made me happier and has allowed me to finally lose weight, and it bugs me when people think I'd be better off without it.

But, I've noticed that those reactions have come mostly from people who are inactive. I've found more supportive reactions from those adults who do sports. I've had lots of injury-comparing conversations - like with the guy whose right knee is completely messed up and needs replacement surgery but he still plays basketball, another guy who's injured almost every part of his body playing soccer, a woman who had a major knee injury playing tennis but went back to playing afterwards, and, of course, the other adult skaters at my rinks. In a weird way, I think my injury has made the other non-skating adult athletes I know respect figure skating more than they did before.

My husband, out of worry, asked if I was sure I wanted to skate again. Once I told him of course I did, he's been nothing but supportive. Well, at least he will be until he sees the $500 bill we got today from my surgery:lol:

[teresa]

I love to skate. The reward is greater than the risk. Like mentioned, everything in life has risk. I want to live my life living it and not just watching it go by.

teresa

[dbny]

But, I've noticed that those reactions have come mostly from people who are inactive. I've found more supportive reactions from those adults who do sports.

When I broke my wrist and asked my orthopod when I could skate again, he commented that all the skaters are in a hurry to get back to skating. Then he explained that he became an orthopedic surgeon because he had broken so many bones as a kid himself. It made me trust his judgement about how long I should stay off the ice, even though it was longer than I wanted.

When I do get anxious about injuries, I remind myself that a neighbor broke his wrist the year before I did mine, slipping on the ice in front of his house.

[SkatingOnClouds]

As an adult skater, I hear from other adults who do no sort of sport at all: "I'd be too scared of falling, and someone chopping my fingers off with the metal thing" (blade). I heard this for the trillionth time today, not sure if I managed to avoid the eyes rolling back in my head this time.

I have never known anyone to have their fingers chopped off by someone else skating over their fingers when they've fallen. Is this an urban myth, or has anyone known it to happen? Ever?

As for falling, well I average twice per session, though my record is 10 falls in a 2 hour session. It isn't the ones you get from jumping that hurt you, it's the unexpected, standing still falls that injure.

I maintain that if you aren't falling over, you aren't extending yourself and learning something new.

[Award]

I have never known anyone to have their fingers chopped off by someone else skating over their fingers when they've fallen. Is this an urban myth, or has anyone known it to happen? Ever?

I haven't seen anyone with fingers chopped clean off. That would be so disgusting ... eek. But I have seen 2 rec skaters get run over while they just sat there on the ice with their hands casually placed on the ice. I really think that rink notice boards should tell newbies to tuck their hands whenever they can after they fall, or else the fingers could get run over in a crowded rec skate session. I personally know one person that got permanent nerve damage in the finger after they got their finger run over, and can't feel that part of the finger at all. That also occurred in a rec skate session.

As for free skate/free style sessions (non rec-skate), I've never heard of anyone getting fingers run over before.

Gee...as for getting fingers chopped off, which is quite a frightening thought, I've never heard of that yet. Although, I would not be surprised if such a thing could happen in a rec skate session. But I think that just getting nerve damage would be nasty enough.

[chowskates]

Why do women continue to have babies? There's pain, health risks, expense and LOTS of loss of sleep. But what do they all say? "Because it's SO WORTH IT!"

Well, well... I hope that will be what I say very soon...
But for now, I seem to have to explain to everyone why I'm still on the ice coaching!

[liz_on_ice]

I have never known anyone to have their fingers chopped off by someone else skating over their fingers when they've fallen. Is this an urban myth, or has anyone known it to happen? Ever?


I do know someone at work who lost most of his first two fingers unjamming his lawnmower. Which, along with my three broken fingers falling in my driveway (running from a wasp I'd annoyed) proves that gardening is a much more dangerous pastime than ice skating. :P

[Isk8NYC]

<snip>I heard this for the trillionth time today, not sure if I managed to avoid the eyes rolling back in my head this time.That'd be a good look for Halloween, though. lol

I have never known anyone to have their fingers chopped off by someone else skating over their fingers when they've fallen. Is this an urban myth, or has anyone known it to happen? Ever?Zamboni accidents, sure; just a runover? Nah - maybe you'd get a cuts on your hand or fingers. I agree - it's an urban legend. You should pick up your hands on crowded sessions after a fall. By the same token, the other skaters should go around a fallen skater.

As for falling, well I average twice per session, though my record is 10 falls in a 2 hour session. It isn't the ones you get from jumping that hurt you, it's the unexpected, standing still falls that injure. I maintain that if you aren't falling over, you aren't extending yourself and learning something new.Same here. I tell my students that it's fine to fall - it means you're learning and trying.

[kayskate]

How many cases of tennis elbow, tendonitis, knee problems due to jogging and other high impact activities do you hear about in adults? These adults are participating in "sensible" adult-friendly activities. I'm assuming the original poster is an adult. However, as an adult skater, I can comment on this from my perspective.

There have been several broken ankles discussed on this forum recently, one of them mine. When ppl ask why I go back to skating, I tell them 2 things.

1. I have been skating (ice and roller) for 30+ yrs w/o injury. That's a pretty good run.

2. I've only fallen once more than I've gotten up.

Now I'm trying to make a career of coaching, so it is more than just a hobby for me at this point.

Kay

[samba]

Try going to the docs with a black eye, my poor husband got some awful looks, when I explained to the doctor that I did it by entering the ice pad with my blade guards on, he said the story was so bizarre that he had to believe it.

[sue123]

Most of my bigger injuries came from falling either up or down the stairs. I had a nasty ankle sprain in college from falling down the stairs on the way to the library to return a book. The health center thought I broke it, so they sent me to teh ER. It wasn't broken, but it was a really nasty sprain. I also had a tiny hairline fracture in my wrist from falling up the stairs in my dorm room. As a baby, I fractured my skulll when I climbed onto the baby gate and tried to sit on it to see what the view looked like, leaned too far foward, and flew down a flight of wooden stairs. I think I should just avoid stairs in general.

[Mrs Redboots]

Perhaps for practice only, they could start wearing things like....

http://www.madisonsport.com.au/football.phpTrouble is, if you do that you could get dependent on it and be unable to skate without it. Some people are like that about gloves, even, and have to train themselves to be able to skate without gloves when they're testing or competing. Unless you have had a bad concussion, you aren't allowed to test or compete with a helmet on, as far as I know. Of course, for us women, wearing our hair up in some kind of bun or plait can provide good protection for the back of the head!

I have never known anyone to have their fingers chopped off by someone else skating over their fingers when they've fallen. Is this an urban myth, or has anyone known it to happen? Ever?
Not quite off, but very nearly - an ice dance couple tripped and fell while competing the Argentine Tango one day, and her blade caught his finger. He didn't quite lose it, but it's not a pretty sight to look at these days.

[Award]

Trouble is, if you do that you could get dependent on it and be unable to skate without it. Some people are like that about gloves, even, and have to train themselves to be able to skate without gloves when they're testing or competing.

That's very true indeed. I think that for those that get dependent on it, then better not use any protection if they are afraid that they'll stay dependent on it. For those that have no trouble with transitioning from protection to no protection, then it could be beneficial or useful for them. Just like some skaters (but not all) that first begin jumps....they use jumping harness, and understand that eventually they of course need to do it without safety aids.

[Skittl1321]

I have never known anyone to have their fingers chopped off by someone else skating over their fingers when they've fallen. Is this an urban myth, or has anyone known it to happen? Ever?

I maintain that if you aren't falling over, you aren't extending yourself and learning something new.

My mother had a good portion sliced off by someone else when she was young, and it had to be stitched back on.


I agree with you- and I'm fully aware I am progressing slower than I have to because I do not allow myself to fall.

[doubletoe]

Well, well... I hope that will be what I say very soon...
But for now, I seem to have to explain to everyone why I'm still on the ice coaching!

Probably because if you were still on the ice SKATING, they'd all give you a MUCH harder time! :lol:

When is the baby due? Do they make skates in Newborn size? ;)

[Sessy]

For those that have no trouble with transitioning from protection to no protection, then it could be beneficial or useful for them.

I don't have any sqeamishness about skating without protection (even wrist pads), but I do need my gloves for some reason if I'm not wearing wrist pads! :?? Without gloves even 3-turns don't go quite as smooth. I think it's something about having chafed all skin off my wrists on a public skating session on bad ice, twice.

[Sessy]

Why do women continue to have babies? There's pain, health risks, expense and LOTS of loss of sleep. But what do they all say? "Because it's SO WORTH IT!"

:bow: :bow: :bow:

[dbny]

I haven't seen anyone with fingers chopped clean off. That would be so disgusting ... eek.
<snip>
Gee...as for getting fingers chopped off, which is quite a frightening thought, I've never heard of that yet. Although, I would not be surprised if such a thing could happen in a rec skate session. But I think that just getting nerve damage would be nasty enough.

Well, I hate to even say this out loud, but exactly that did happen at a local rink just last week. It was a crowded Sat evening session, but happened towards the end when it wasn't that crowded anymore. A girl fell and her hand was splayed out on the ice, when her brother's friend came along right over it. As he hit the finger, he lurched down at the waist putting pressure on the front of his blade and slicing the finger off. The girl and her finger were rushed to a hospital and the finger was successfully (so far) re-attached.

[teresa]

I'm another skater who needs her gloves. =-) I feel naked without them!

teresa

[Isk8NYC]

Well, I hate to even say this out loud, but exactly that did happen at a local rink just last week. It was a crowded Sat evening session, but happened towards the end when it wasn't that crowded anymore. A girl fell and her hand was splayed out on the ice, when her brother's friend came along right over it. As he hit the finger, he lurched down at the waist putting pressure on the front of his blade and slicing the finger off. The girl and her finger were rushed to a hospital and the finger was successfully (so far) re-attached.
Wow! Poor kids. I still can't imagine it happening, that must take some force unless you run over a joint or something.
I'll send some healing light that kid's way.

[Kim to the Max]

I'm another skater who needs her gloves. =-) I feel naked without them!

teresa

I actually just started skating with gloves again because the rink I skate at is very cold...I would normally not skate with gloves...an old habit from trying to break the glove dependency years ago when I was competing. I hope I don't get too attached again...

[GordonSk8erBoi]

I'm another skater who needs her gloves. =-) I feel naked without them!

teresa

Me three! Going without gloves feels like "going commando"!

[SkatingOnClouds]

Well, I hate to even say this out loud, but exactly that did happen at a local rink just last week. It was a crowded Sat evening session, but happened towards the end when it wasn't that crowded anymore. A girl fell and her hand was splayed out on the ice, when her brother's friend came along right over it. As he hit the finger, he lurched down at the waist putting pressure on the front of his blade and slicing the finger off. The girl and her finger were rushed to a hospital and the finger was successfully (so far) re-attached.

Oh my goodness, so it really can happen ?8O
Ewwww!!

[Award]

That's it. I'm skipping dinner tonight. I hope that poor little girl can get feeling back in her finger after it was surgically re-attached. I'm guessing that she may have permanent nerve damage in the finger. But at the same time, hopefully it can recover and get full feeling in the finger.

[Ice Dancer]

I once asked my bf what he would do if I injured my hand and/or fingers at the rink resulting in me not being able to cook and wash up.

His response? Takeaways and ready meals!!!

I like to think it was his way of being supportive!

[sk8_4fun]

I dont have a problem justifying injuries. My OH is very supportive. However, it bugs me when people assume that if you hurt yourself you must be rubbish! Twice in the past year I have turned up at school injured, Once on crutches and once with my arm in a splint from a bad sprain and its the rolling of eyes and 'skating again was it?'. I'm sure they think that I'm a disaster on ice!!!:halo:

[chowskates]

Probably because if you were still on the ice SKATING, they'd all give you a MUCH harder time! :lol:

LOL yes, certainly!

When is the baby due? Do they make skates in Newborn size? ;)

The baby is due in Feb next year. I'm not sure about Newborn skates, though... it'd take some time before they even walk!! :D

[doubletoe]

LOL yes, certainly!



The baby is due in Feb next year. I'm not sure about Newborn skates, though... it'd take some time before they even walk!! :D

Uh-oh, she actually thought I was serious! :lol:

[chowskates]

Uh-oh, she actually thought I was serious! :lol:

Wait a minute, aren't you serious? Don't the young'uns need to get used to having this tight boot around them, and the feeling of blisters and corns on the feet... :lol: