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They’re called “extreme sports” for a reason. Whether you enjoy skateboarding, mountain biking, or freestyle skiing, extreme sports are quite dangerous. In fact, extreme sports have been tied to approximately 40,000 head and neck injuries each year. When you consider that this number doesn’t include other injuries, such as broken bones, it is quite clear that extreme sports are not for the faint of heart.
As extreme sports are quite popular, that means it is critical to learn more about how to prevent and treat many of the more common forms of injuries sustained when partaking in such activities. Luckily, when you are armed with the proper information and tools, recovery from many of these injuries can be quite simple.
In this article, we will talk about the most common types of injuries sustained from extreme sports. We will also show you how use of a massage gun can help improve your recovery from any extreme sport injuries. Here at LifePro Fitness, we value your health and safety, so if you are looking to learn more about and possibly treat extreme sport injuries, continue reading this article.
Neck and Back Injury
As can be expected, neck and back injuries are far too common when doing extreme sports. One simple slip-up can be the difference between a fun experience and a hospital stay. That being said, when you know how to quickly recover from injury, the risk should not stop you from enjoying your favorite activities.
Armed with the proper tools, you can both speed up your recovery time and alleviate your pain. If you search online, you will find many tools available, such as massage guns or neck massagers. Make sure to check product reviews to make sure you’re getting something that is both affordable and reliable. Lifepro also offers many effective recovery tools that won’t break the bank. You can easily beat neck and shoulder tension with these tools.
Fractures
Unfortunately, fractures and extreme sports often go hand-in-hand. Athletes tend to assume the risk of fractures, however the rate is far too high. No matter how skilled you are at a specific sport, the longer you do it, the more likely you are to suffer a fracture. Even Tony Hawk, the legendary skateboarder, has broken multiple bones during his career.
It simply is the nature of sport injuries. No matter how hard you try to avoid them, odds are a fracture will happen at some point in your career. On average, a fracture will heal between 6 to 8 weeks, depending on the location. These 6 to 8 weeks are no walk in the park, as there usually is a decent amount of pain and discomfort during the healing process.
Concussions
One of the sneakiest, yet most serious forms of extreme sport injury is the concussion. Caused by a sudden hit to the head, concussions often lead to headaches, brain fog, confusion, nausea, and even memory problems. When gone untreated, these symptoms can persist for months or even years.
Due to the nature of extreme sports, concussions are a consistent risk. That said, swift treatment is the key to minimizing the damage and lowering the risk of long term complications. Whenever you experience any blow to the head, make sure to seek swift medical attention no matter how small. What you write off as a “minor bump” may be a concussion.
As far as healing is concerned, here at Lifepro we recommend rest and abstaining from physical exercise until you heal. Luckily, most concussions go away on their own between 7 to 14 days. As always, following the advice of medical professionals is key.
Lacerations
You’re surfing on a beautiful summer day. The next thing you know, you’re flying in the air and come crashing down, barely catching yourself on your surfboard. After you get back up, you notice you’ve cut your hand on your surfboard.
This is called a laceration, and it’s a fact of life for almost everyone who partakes in extreme sports. When you find yourself around sharp objects, such as surfboards or skateboards, lacerations become much more likely. They are also one of the more common ways to take you out of the game for a while.
Luckily, treatment and recovery for laceration is quite simple. The most important thing you can do is cover the wound to stop the bleeding with either a wrap or a band-aid. In many situations, this and daily cleansing of the wound are enough. If the wound is deep enough, it may require stitches. Regardless of how deep the wound is, you are going to want to keep it clean by washing the wound with soap and water twice a day. Before you know it, your wound will be healed and the stitches will be out!
Abrasions
Abrasions are perhaps the most common, yet quickest healing form of extreme sport injury. If you’ve ever suffered rope burn from climbing or felt some form of outward pain after a scrape or fall. This is because abrasions are caused by friction against the skin. As such, they are very easy to miss when the injury happens. However, it won’t be long before an abrasion becomes noticeable.
Luckily, they are also very simple to heal, especially compared to other forms of sport injuries. To speed up healing, the most important thing to do is keep it clean. This means washing it with water twice a day, as well as applying a bandage and Vaseline. The last thing you want to do is wash it with alcohol, because this will burn and ultimately slow down the healing process.
Here at Lifepro, our goal is to make sure you have access to the tools and information you need to live a healthier and happier lifestyle for years to come!
Author
Joel Gottehrer is the Co-Founder of Lifepro Fitness and has dedicated his life to helping people transform theirs. With over 12 years of experience in the fitness industry as a personal trainer and owner of two personal training studios, Joel has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to helping transform lives. After suffering from physical injuries, Joel and his business partner, Abraham Brach, came together with a common goal to alleviate the pain caused by their injuries.
They continued to find themselves disappointed with the results stemming from various products promising to relieve their pain, and with that – Lifepro Fitness was born. Joel's mission is to have a positive impact on millions of lives with the Lifepro brand. Whether it's finding new and innovative ways to help people recover from injuries or developing products to improve overall wellness, Joel is always looking for ways to push the boundaries. Thanks to his commitment to help people live their lives free of pain, Lifepro has been able to do this for thousands of people since its founding in 2017.
