The most common injuries in skateboarding
Today we are going to see together this great love story between skateboarding and injuries. Skateboarding is part of the extreme sports category. And who says extreme sport necessarily says risk taking, engagement, falls and sometimes injuries… Please note, this is not a medical post, but some real facts about the world of skateboarding that I am telling you since my personal experience.
I will explain better in another article, “How to properly heal a skateboard injury?”
The feet:
I think the most common injury for skaters is the sprained ankle. Although it’s a minor injury, it’s very common and each sprain will weaken the ligaments a little more. For my experience, after ten years of skateboarding I do not count these any more… I will just add that there are different types of sprains, from the simple stretching of the ligament, until the complete rupture of the latter.
Here are some recommendations for sprains and similar injuries.
The RICE method: Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate. Applicable for several skateboarding injuries.
First the rest of the ankle without stressing it too much for more or less 2-3 days. After this delay, you can lean a little on the ankle if it does not hurt you too much, because its articulation will promote healing. (More or less 6 weeks before resumption of sport for a sprain not too serious).
Apply cold to the area for 20 minutes several times a day. This will help reduce inflammation by constricting the blood vessels.
Compress the area, this will allow you to support damaged ligaments and reduce bruising.
When you can, lie down and raise your leg more or less 10cm above the heart. This will allow better circulation of blood and allow better evacuation of the inflammation fluid.
In addition you can also apply anti inflammatory creams on the area. Or make a poultice of green clay that will promote healing and reduce edema.
Still in relation to the feet, the toes can also be subjected to shocks: sprain, strain, fracture, etc.
After falling from a certain height, the heel can also get injured. To reduce the risk, I recommend the use of reinforced or orthopedic soles, or the special skate soles: footprint insoles. You can also check the new Neen Williams skate shoes, the FP Footwear Intercept Shoes.
Knee:
The knee and the cruciate ligaments, one of the great hauntings of the sportsman. An injury which can unfortunately happen to both beginners and more experienced … The knee is held by several ligaments (internal and external collateral ligament and anterior and posterior ligament). Following a false movement, we will find several stages of sprains ranging from the most benign to the rupture of the ligament. Today this injury is treated well, however the healing time of this injury is quite long. I think it’s approximately 6 months without sport before starting rehabilitation. As an anecdote, after a bowl session and sitting on my knee, I did a stage 2 knee sprain and I think I have gradually resumed the sport after 2-3 months. The use of a splint is strongly recommended.
The sciatic nerve:
Maybe some of you have experienced this kind of pain without knowing what it was all about. The sciatic nerve is a nerve that runs from the lower back to the feet. It is then easy to understand that if one of the parts on the path of the nerve is inflamed, discomfort or pain can be felt at another end. For example after a fall on the the buttock behind the thigh, intense pain is felt, which can affect tingling in another area of the leg.
Here is an exercise that I recommend for relieving pain from the sciatic nerve (this technique works with me). Step on stairs, leave your leg in the air and move back and forth parallel to the step. This will relieve the pain and unblock the compressed nerve a little.
Adductors :
A big gap, a broken board and you do a split… you will surely have a problem with adductors for a few days, and you would need to have a new fresh deck to your skate shop. Same if you push very hard without having warmed up, you might not feel anything the same day, but the next day it is possible to feel this discomfort. The inner part of the thigh shouldn’t hurt at rest, but the pain will be felt when you move the thigh apart. To calm it down, you can put some cold, have some massages, rest and a gentle recovery. From a few days to several weeks for recovery.
Hands :
At the level of the hands, wrists are also very stressed due to the fact of catching up by reflex on the hands, it can happen to make sprains, or even fractures. Still speaking about the hands, one of the most fragile parts of this area is the scaphoid! A small bone between the wrist and the forearm. This fracture is not very painful, but can be quite painful to treat.
It can also happen to twist a finger, but overall, injuries to the hands are much less disabling than others, since you will still be able to walk, run, maybe even skate gently (even if I recommend you to be very careful in your condition). For the wrist which will be fragile during recovery, you can use a splint to give it greater support.
Arms:
Aside from the “pizzas” (burns at the elbows) that will leave you with beautiful scars by dint of falling on them, a broken forearm is also one of the injuries known in the skateboarding world. This can happen if the arm receives a very strong shock. Or by applying too much weight to the arm while trying to absorb a fall with the hands on the ground.
Again there are several types of fractures, with displacement of the bones or not. A non-displaced fracture does not require surgery, but simply immobilization under plaster. (Resumption of sport is more or less between 10-12 weeks).
Shoulders and collabones :
A bad roll on the ground, or a too violent shock on your shoulder can involve a dislocation of the shoulder, or a sprain or fracture of the collarbone. For my part, I didn’t go as far as the broken collarbone (+/- 6 weeks of immobilization). But another stage 2 sprain and the appearance of the piano key due to the displacement of the collarbone. It happened to me and several of my friends, if we restart sport too early generally we do not escape to a second sprain…. So take the time to take care of all this.
Face:
Always have the reflex to protect your face. Whether you feel a deck comeback, as if you find yourself very unbalanced and dive towards a faceplant, try to protect your face with your hands.
In skateboarding, the most common injuries to the face are usually the chin, the arch, or more annoying, the teeth! Fortunately these days, we do wonders in the orthodontic environment. There is only to see the recovery of Ivan Monteiro after his fall on a 360 flip lipslide during the 2019 street league in Rio de Janeiro.
Head:
Head impacts are not the most common injuries in skateboarding. But they should not be taken lightly. If you have nodded your head, and despite the fact that you do not feel bad, do not hesitate to go to the hospital. Ask a friend to accompany you and they will do tests to check if everything is in order. After a head injury, vomiting may also be felt, due to stimulation of the trigger area (the vomiting area). If you lost consciousness don’t hesitate to call emergency services.
On top of that, the head is bleeding a lot. If you are a little open do not worry, we can sew you up without problem, even if I must admit that the feeling is very unpleasant.
I can only advise you to wear a helmet… especially for the youngest and people who are new to skateboarding.
Last important note:
If you fall, get back on your skateboard right away. Obviously within reason (if it is a figure that you think you can do and that is within your abilities without putting yourself in danger). Even if you don’t pass the figure it doesn’t matter. Getting back on the board and trying again will allow you not to have a psychological blockage. Which will give you a feeling of fear in your future skate sessions.
Skateboarding injuries are unfortunately part of the game when you skate. Thanks to your years of practice, you will learn to control your pain, avoid injuries as much as possible, and treat them as best as possible before getting back on your board.
If you witness a fall or accident, help the person right away. For the youngest, go get an adult who can help you in this situation. And in more serious cases, do not hesitate to contact the emergency services.
If you’ve stayed this far, thank you! I hope you enjoyed the article, and I hope you did not find this article because you are injured, if so I wish you the best recovery… I know it’s boring but with patience and a gradual resumption you will come back even stronger of this injury 💪
I take this opportunity to announce the opening of the online skate shop of La Skateosphere, which just opened a few days ago, and where you can find all the necessary skate equipment for your next sessions: decks, trucks, wheels, bearings…
Do not hesitate if you need advice, or if you are looking for a special product or a size not available on the site.
You can contact me directly from the email at the bottom of the page, or on @laskateosphere‘s Instagram.
With that being said, take care of yourself and have a good session guys!