Colorado Orthopedic Surgeon Warns of Wrist Injuries From Snowboarding

GOLDEN, Colo., Jan. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- If all snowboarders wore wrist guards, Dr. Christopher Brian would be a lot less busy this time of year. He might even have time for his wife and kids.

"Each year I'm surprised by the number of wrist and forearm injuries I see from snowboarding," the Panorama Orthopedics and Spine Center hand/wrist surgeon said. "I think I'm seeing more of these injuries because more people are taking up this sport."

While statistics vary, generally 60 percent of all snowboarding injuries are to the hand or forearm, according to Dr. Brian. He said because of the way snowboarders typically fall, it's very important they wear wrist protection when enjoying this winter sport.

"Fortunately, more and more snowboarding gloves include wrist guards," Dr. Brian said. "There really is no excuse for not having wrist guards or helmets when snowboarding."

Wrist guards can reduce wrist injury by as much as 85 percent, according to European studies. Despite this, the number of boarders wearing this protection is very low -- almost certainly less that 10 percent, according to Dr. Brian.

Dr. Brian said his snowboarding injury patients are typically teenage boys and new snowboarders of all ages. "The learning curve for snowboarding is steep, and people often get hurt when they are just starting out," he said.

Snowboarders injure their wrists and forearms when they attempt to break a fall with their arms. Dr. Brian recommends resisting the urge to fall on an outstretched arm, since this can not only result in wrist injuries, it can also cause shoulder injuries. If you can't resist the temptation to break your fall with your arm, try to ball your hand into a fist as you are falling. Dr. Brian says this will make it less likely that you will injure your wrist.

In addition, Dr. Brian urges extreme caution before venturing into popular ski area terrain parks. "The increasing usage of these parks and their rails and half pipes has been paralleled by an increase in injuries. I think it's not just the structure of the parks, but the fact that there is often a lot of peer pressure to 'go bigger' than the guy before you," the surgeon said