These popular winter sports are a great way to stay active.  Although the incidence of injury in both skiing and snowboarding is relatively similar, on the body where these injuries occur are considerably different. Skiers tend to injure the lower extremity – most commonly the knee – while snowboarders are more likely to injure their backs and upper extremity – specifically areas such as the wrist.

The most common knee injuries in skiing are the MCL (medial collateral ligament) and ACL (anterior cruciate ligament).  They occur for different reasons based on the skier’s skill level, the most common being when the knee tilts inwards and the lower leg is forced forwards. This often happens during a fall or when catching an edge.  Preventing knee injuries when skiing is multifactorial. With the pediatric and youth skier, appropriate strength is required before jumping into ski boots. This also is true for the adult skier. Areas of specific focus should be in the hip stabilizers, knee stabilizers, hamstrings and lower back.  Knee braces are designed to prevent injury during skiing and provide support and stability after an injury to keep you on the slopes.  There are several different kinds of knee braces for ligament protection – light weight, designed to fit with ski boots, provide the highest level of twisting and lateral movement.

The most common snowboard injury is the wrist.  The upper body is used to help generate turning forces on the board. In the event of a loss of balance and a subsequent fall, the instinctive reaction of a snowboarder is to outstretch a hand to try and break their fall. This mechanism is commonly known as an ‘FOOSH’ ( Fall Onto an Out Stretched Hand).  There are wrist braces designed to provide maximum protection for the wrist while allowing a range of motion to match your needs.  Made of carbon fiber, they are incredibly strong and are designed for high impact sports.

Soles in Motion services and products are an excellent solution for everyone who wants to be healthier, more active and in less pain.  Whether you want to ski, skate or do your daily chores.  Our team works together to implement the best solution for you.  Soles in Motion also offers a 30-day free trial program on our Osteoarthritis hip and knee braces to make sure they are going to work for you before you commit to purchase.  We are dedicated to making sure our products work.