Before You Head To Shred
Are you spending any time skiing in the mountains this winter? I am! Before you head to shred, take time to educate yourself on bodily injury prevention and treatment. No skier or snowboarder is immune to injuries like muscle damage, torn ligaments, or concussion. Even if you are an experienced mountain sports enthusiast, accidents happen and it’s important to know how to treat injuries so you can get back on the hill as quickly as possible.
One of the most common, yet often unrecognized and untreated injury on the mountain is a concussion. We really don’t have accurate data on how prevalent concussions are in skiing and snowboarding because most of them go unreported. While people with more severe concussions make their way to the medical clinic or emergency room, people with milder symptoms often fail to realize they’ve had a concussion. A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. Whether it’s catching an edge on a groomed run or trying out a new trick in the terrain park, any fall or collision can potentially lead to a concussion. Common symptoms after a concussion include: headaches, ringing of the ears (tinnitis), dizziness, fatigue and difficulty concentrating. The key to reducing an outbreak like the NFL has seen will be to convince skiers and snowboarders that the response to ringing their bells isn’t to play it tough, shake it off and continue shredding; yet instead seek medical attention, take a break and allow the injury to heal.
While the traditional focus of concussion treatment has been to rest, one of the most effective ways to accelerate the healing process is CranioSacral Therapy. A big word for a very non-invasive, gentle treatment, CranioSacral Therapy involves manipulating the CranioSacral system which includes the soft tissue and bones of the head, the spine and the pelvis. CranioSacral is one of the few therapies available that directly affects the brain’s repair and circulation . Counter to images that may flash through your mind of a chiropractor “cracking” your spine, CranioSacral Therapy uses a touch so light, many patients don’t even notice it. Instead of an “adjustment,” very light pressure is applied to the head and lower end of the spine, activating the body’s natural self-correcting mechanisms, which live in the CranioSacral System. Don’t delay, get treated today! I strongly recommend anyone who has had a concussion, even without loss of consciousness, to get craniosacral treatment as soon as possible after the accident.
Preventative CranioSacral Therapy will also help your body stay healthy and help keep your spine aligned, so that if you do find yourself with your skis in the air or your board stuck in powder, you are at less of a risk for injury. ALWAYS wear a helmet, no matter what when you’re on the mountain. But if you incur a concussion, CranioSacral Therapy is one of the best treatments for your injury because of it’s very light physical requirements and its ability to help your head, neck and brain heal on it’s own.
As a skier myself, I can say that CranioSacral Therapy keeps me healthy on the mountain both pre- and post-shred. Make an appointment at Be Still Physical Therapy to try CranioSacral Therapy before your next shred sesh to keep your body healthy or to get you back on the mountain faster after an injury.
