CHICAGO, Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Nothing can make a winter weekend or spring break ski trip as chilling as a visit to the emergency room with a downhill sports injury.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), snow sports account for the most outdoor recreational emergency visits, with snowboarding as the top cause.  A report released last month showed injuries at Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico rose by 13 percent in the two years after snowboarders were permitted on the slopes. Other studies show that a person is 50 to 70 percent more likely to be injured from snowboarding as opposed to skiing. 

For boarders and skiers, wrists and thumbs are at highest risk of injury.  Boarders naturally outstretch their hands to catch a fall, which can result in sprains and fractures of the wrist and fingers," says Dr. Robert Wysocki, hand, wrist and elbow physician at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush.  "Alternatively, skiers frequently hurt their thumbs when they forget to release ski poles as they fall." 

Dr. Wysocki, and his colleagues, Dr. Mark Cohen and Dr. John Fernandez, all nationally recognized hand, wrist and elbow surgeons, see an increase in wrist and hand injuries this time of year because of downhill sports. They offer the following tips to skiers and snowboarders who want to prevent injuries while enjoying winters sports:

• Wear protective gear, such as wrist guards
• Check equipment
• Take a lesson before hitting the slopes 
• Learn how to fall from an instructor
• Stay hydrated.
• Take breaks.

For more detailed tips and information, download a free winter sports injury prevention brochure at: www.rushortho.com.

SOURCE Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush