Water landings aren’t always soft!
Anyone who has ever wiped out while wakeboarding or water-skiing, or executed an epic belly flop off the diving board, appreciates how unforgiving water can be.
Water sports, like the contact sports we discussed in the last article, carry risk of injury to the spine and neck.
Rather than collisions and rough tackles, the risks here arise from the strain that’s put on the upper body as the boat lifts you out of the water and accelerates, impact with obstacles in the water, impact with the water at high speed, and impact with the skis or board when wiping out.
Three flavours of injury
Ankle and foot injuries are of course common where the feet are anchored to skis or a board that can violently twist. The only real defence here is conditioning the lower legs and ankles to be strong and resistant to injury.
Shoulder injuries, which often impact the neck, have two common causes – the strain of take off and acceleration, and our natural tendency to put out an arm when we fall. It can be quite jarring if the arm is the first part of the body to hit the water at high speed. Shoulder injuries can range from strained muscles and impinged nerves to full dislocations.
Head and neck injuries also arise when you “catch an edge” when falling – the board or the ski strikes you. Serious cuts and fractures can result. And let’s not forget our old friend, the whiplash, which we covered in our previous post.
What can you do?
- Get stronger: Strong joints and muscles are always your first defence. Weight training is your best friend, to strengthen major muscle groups, as well as all the small muscles that can help guard against joint-related injuries, like a torn ACL in your knee, or a rotator cuff in the shoulder.
- Get limber: Stretch and warm up.
- Get protected: Wear the gear – approved helmets, goggles, and life jackets. You may also want to consider braces for the knees and elbows, as well as a mouth guard.
Watch for the warning signs
Signs of a neck or spine injury are the same as with any contact sport. Neck and/or shoulder pain are the most obvious. But watch as well for headaches, neck swelling, muscle spasms, numbness or tingling in your arms, nausea, difficulty swallowing, dizziness, and blurred vision. These may indicate nerve or disc damage and misaligned vertebrae, or even a concussion.
Remember, mildly strained or sprained muscles can recover in a few days with rest, and the appropriate application of ice or heat. But if you are experiencing any of the other symptoms listed above, seek medical attention immediately.
It’s important to remember that any injury to the neck, no matter how minor it may seem, can grow into a chronic problem over time without proper diagnosis and care.
We can help
At Hazeldean Family Chiropractic, we work with patients who have suffered for years with conditions that have led to deterioration of discs and vertebrae in the neck, and contributed to other health problems, all of which erodes their mobility and quality of life. In many cases, the onset of their condition can be traced back to a single event, such as an injury from sports, a car accident, or other physical activity, that was never properly addressed.
A wild weekend of waterskiing can be just as damaging to your body as car crash. We can diagnose and help with many of the sports-related injuries that involve the neck and spine, and work in conjunction with any other qualified healthcare providers who may be required given your situation.