How to Prevent Snowboarding Injuries Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Health and Safety How to Prevent Snowboarding Injuries By Elizabeth Quinn Elizabeth Quinn Elizabeth Quinn is an exercise physiologist, sports medicine writer, and fitness consultant for corporate wellness and rehabilitation clinics. Learn about our editorial process Updated on February 10, 2020 Medically reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and nutrition and exercise healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Michael Lau, PT, DPT Medically reviewed by Michael Lau, PT, DPT Michael Lau, PT, DPT, CSCS, is a licensed physical therapist, strength and conditioning coach, and co-founder of The Prehab Guys. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Cavan Images / Getty Images When you're heading to the mountain with your snowboard, you want to come back exhilarated, not with an injury. You don't want to be stuck drinking cocoa by the fire as your friends have all of the fun on the slopes. What causes snowboarding injuries and what can you do to prevent them? While similar in many ways, skiing and snowboarding do have their differences. These sports vary greatly when it comes to the type of injury typically sustained by participants. Conditioning for skiing requires speed, strength, balance, and flexibility. Snowboarding requires similar conditioning, however, the way the body moves in each sport is fundamentally different. This difference tends to result in very different injuries in each sport. Common Snowboarding Injuries First, let's look at skiing to contrast with snowboarding. Skiing tends to result in more knee injuries. The typical skiing injury involves torque-type injuries to the knees and lower extremities. This twisting of the upper leg one way, while the lower leg rotates the opposite way, often results in tears to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). In snowboarding, both feet are strapped onto the same board and always point the same direction. This protects the knees from any twisting. However, the upper extremity is in the position to take the force of a fall. When snowboarders fall, they land on their hands, shoulders, rear-ends, or heads. The most typical snowboarding injury is a wrist fracture. There are also wrist sprains and elbow contusions and dislocations. The shoulder takes a beating with contusions and rotator cuff injuries. Broken collarbones, concussions, and other head and neck injuries are common as well. Rotator cuff injuries in the shoulder are usually treated more conservatively with strengthening programs, anti-inflammatory medications for contusions and swelling, and rest for the general healing process. Intermittent application of ice (10 minutes three or four times a day) can be helpful in reducing pain, swelling, and inflammation in the first couple days. After that, compression and elevation will help to improve swelling. But inflammation takes time to resolve.It will improve as long as you protect the injury and avoid overworking the tissue and causing more damage Lastly, keep in mind that if a snowboarder attempts dangerous maneuvers — in the trees, going off jumps, and doing tricks — helmets are worth considering. Tips for Preventing Snowboarding Injuries Snowboarders, especially those just starting out, would be wise to stock up on some safety gear. Wrist and elbow guards can ease the force of falls on the joints of the upper body. Knee pads help prevent contusions, a pad for the tailbone is also a good idea, as new snowboarders spend a lot of time on their backside. To protect the shoulder from falls, it isn't a bad idea to learn a bit about its anatomy and function. Also, consider doing some exercises to strengthen the hips and knees in the weeks before you begin snowboarding. You'll boost your overall stability which may help to prevent a fall. Stability Exercises for Stronger Hips and Knees Finally, although both skiing and snowboarding happen in the snow on a mountain, they are very different in terms of technique. Keep in mind that just because you are a good skier, you may be a novice on a snowboard. Taking a lesson from a qualified instructor or an experienced snowboarder is a good idea for the beginner snowboarder. It will make your time on the mountain much more enjoyable. 2 Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Jordan MJ, Aagaard P, Herzog W. Anterior cruciate ligament injury/reinjury in alpine ski racing: a narrative review. Open Access J Sports Med. 2017;8:71-83. doi:10.2147/OAJSM.S106699 Dunn KA. What are the health hazards of snowboarding?. West J Med. 2001;174(2):128-30. doi:10.1136/ewjm.174.2.128 Additional Reading Kathleen A Dunn. What Are the Health Hazards of Snowboarding? West J Med. 2001 Feb; 174(2): 128–130. By Elizabeth Quinn Elizabeth Quinn is an exercise physiologist, sports medicine writer, and fitness consultant for corporate wellness and rehabilitation clinics. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? 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