Mountain Healthy

Broken Wrist

3/7/10

Broken wrist are common among snowboarders and the injury can range from a minor hairline fracture to a completely dislocated bone.  I tend to write about what I know, so if you’re looking to learn what to expect from a dislocated broken wrist you’re in the right spot.  Please note that this is based on personal experience and this is not professional advice.

 

The First Two Weeks:

When you get to the ER they will try to reset the bone.  If this is done successfully it’s your lucky day and you ‘ve probably dodged the surgery bullet.  If not, then surgery may be imminent. You’re first cast will go slightly above your elbow and you will have to sport it for about two weeks.  The FIRST TWO WEEKS of your injury are crucial to proper healing. Elevate it, ice it, and lay low while the bone works on healing itself. 

 

The next four weeks:

For the next stage of healing you will have the more traditional cast that covers about 3/4′s of your forearm.  I thought this cast was going to be magical since it was waterproof and smaller.  What I didn’t plan on is the increased discomfort I experienced from my arm having more freedom.  My intentions were for my life to go back to “business as usual” when I got this cast, but that was not the case.  I still had to take it easy and I still had only limited use of my right hand.  During this stage as time passes the discomfort does get better.  For me, The BEST part about having a smaller cast was being able to strap back into my board.

Riding again:

Do not rush back into riding.  I took two weekends off before deciding to go back, but you should wait until you are completely comfortable with the thought of being back on a board.  When I went back I only did easy runs with my kids. I took some time to work on my skills and didn’t put myself in situations where I would fall. 

Six weeks down & still not 100%

At week six my cast was removed and I was given a splint to wear for up to another six weeks.  When my doctor told me I was going to be in the splint for 6 weeks my jaw dropped.  At this point I was completely fed up with this injury and ready to MOVE ON from it.  When it first happened I planned on it disrupting my life for about two weeks – haha.  No such luck.  When you have a broken wrist where the bone was completely dislocated, plan on it taking 3+ months before you will have a free wrist again.  Just plan on it.  Since I did not PLAN on it taking so long to heal the processes has been really frustrating.  FINALLY, I have excepted it for what it is.

Physical Therapy:

I started PT at week 7 after my cast was removed.  I go three times a week and it has been very helpful.  In my case, my range of motion may never be the same again.  Also, it could take up to a year to get my wrist looking pretty again…well as pretty as a wrist can look. 

What to wear:

I could not find any mittens to fit over my cast so I ended up using a small  knit glove to go over my hand. Then I would grip a hand warmer and put my coat on.  My hand was in my coat sleeve.  Then (because it was COLD) I would put a neck warmer in the hand opening of my coat.  Once the cast was removed and I had my splint on I could fit into my glove. I still put my coat on so my hand was actually in my coat.  It felt sturdy and protected and eliminated me from instinctively using my hand. This weekend - 9 weeks since I broke my wrist – was the first weekend I had my hand out of my sleeve.  It was nice to feel comfortably balanced again!

 

If you have any questions feel free to comment or send me an email: snowboundaries@gmail.com

Training Tips

3/7/2010

If you snowboard, or plan to there are a couple of key things you should do to physically prepare yourself for it such as stretching and leg strengthening; however, the workout you choose to do really depends on the type of riding you want to do. 

Check out this link for snowboarding training tips.  Don’t let these tips overwhelm you. They are suggestions and something to consider if you will be at the mountain often.  http://bit.ly/4o4R0p

I workout three days a week using the treadmill & elliptical; I walk 10 minutes on the treadmill before & after I go on the elliptical.  I do the strengthening workout on the elliptical for 20 mins.  Also, I stretch before and after my workout. 

I have realized that my workout is not enough for riding moguls & black diamond trails. Often, when I’m halfway down a trail my legs are burning.  Recently, I decided to add squats to my workout.

Video on how do squats:  http://bit.ly/dCRHcK

What do you do to get fit for the season? Post your tips below, or email them to snowboundaries@gmail.com