The Winter Sports And Wrist Injuries

Wrist Injuries
It doesn't matter whether we are snowboarding at speed or walking down the street, if we fall then our instinctive reaction is to put our hands out to break our fall. This can lead to a variety of injuries, with the risk amplified where a high speed fall is added into the equation.
After the weekends activities the competitive spirit is high as everyone bids for glory. Winter sports provide a great spectacle for the public with snowboarding disciplines such as slopestyle wowing us with some amazing tricks and participants displaying amazing bravery at high speed.
In winter sports the faster you go the harder you fall when it all goes wrong, hence the importance of having the correct ski equipment to minimise the risk of injury. Injuries can affect the best professional or the amateur taking to the slopes for the first time and this article will focuses on the different types of wrist injuries you may encounter.
The most common wrist injuries are the simple sprain, where the joint has moved beyond its normal range of motion to damage the tendons which can cause inflammation, lead to restricted use of your wrist as well as being quite painful. The condition itself is largely self-limiting and applying ice to manage the inflammation and resting the joint will see you back in action following a few days of rest.
Where there is a greater impact on the joint it can lead to a break in the bone due to the amount of pressure applied on the bone from the fall. Wrist injuries are more common in snowboarding than skiing due to the balancing involved and that when a boarder falls they rarely have any other option other than using their arms to protect against impact damage. A broken wrist will see an athlete sidelined for a few months and may even require surgery depending on the severity of the break, followed by strengthening exercises to rebuild strength in the wrist.
Different wrist support options
Following any type of wrist injury a wrist support can be used to help offer the patient an additional level of support or even stability. With each condition of the wrist slightly different it is important to select a brace which can offer you the best possible results and can typically be broken down into those which help manage inflammation and those offering stability.
Following a sprained wrist resulting in inflammation then you need a wrist support designed to offer compression, helping to manage inflammation and pain and give you additional mobility of the joint. Where there is a weakness in the joint and additional stability is required you need a longer brace which can immobilise movement of the joint to protect against further damage when mobile.
Following any wrist injury it is important to stop what you are doing and rest to avoid potentially damaging the joint further. When considering the use of a wrist support, if you are unsure which is best then you should speak with your doctor or clinician as any brace or support should work in conjunction with your recovery plan to help you return to fitness faster.