On the snow without risk

How to avoid small accidents that can happen on the ski slopes?

With the start of the winter season, skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts can’t wait to put on their boots and gloves to indulge in their favorite sport. But be careful: in order not to get hurt, especially in the first weekends on the snow and maybe ruin the whole ski year, it is better to follow some rules, valid for everyone.

Tricks to avoid the bosses

First of all, as with all sports, you need good physical preparation before tackling the slopes. It is above all the lower limbs that are most at risk and therefore must be well trained.

In the weeks preceding the first outing in the mountains it is good to do some pre-ski gymnastics. And when you put on the rackets, always remember to warm up your muscles, proceed step by step and study the slopes well before making the descents, to understand if they are within your reach.

Then you have to learn to evaluate your endurance, because distractions tend to increase when you are fatigued.

Finally, you need to know when you have to give up: in case of heavy snowfall or fog it is better to let it go. And, in any weather, never underestimate the warnings not to ski off-piste.

Contractures and hematomas

The most frequent “small” accidents on the slopes are falls and contractures. The former cause the classic blows, with the appearance of bruises and hematomas on the skin. Nothing serious: to cause them is the leakage of blood and the passage of liquids from the vessels into the surrounding tissues.

Edema may appear a few hours after the contusion. The tissues become soft at first, the skin appears pale, cold, shiny and, at times, cyanotic. Until the appearance of real swelling.

In addition to remaining at rest, you can use creams or gels based on escin – which promotes the reabsorption of liquids –, bromelain – which makes subcutaneous edema disappear – and arnica, which exerts a soothing action and gives a feeling of relief.

As for muscle contractures, the most natural remedy that can be used is heat: it induces vasodilation, thus favoring the supply of nutrients to the “depleted” cells and accelerates the elimination of molecules that induce pain and metabolic products (such as lactic acid), which fatigue the muscle. At home you can use hot water bottles, warm cloths or compresses. But it is also possible to benefit from the action of heat outside the home. In the pharmacy you can buy self-heating bands that in contact with the air are activated and develop heat keeping it for about eight hours.

What to do in case of muscle tear

Muscle tear is the breakdown of muscle fibers. It is usually a very painful event. The first thing to do is to immobilize the affected muscle, after which it is necessary to apply a little ice as soon as possible. Cold has a pain-relieving effect and promotes constriction of blood vessels, reducing the risk of hematoma.

Then you can apply anti-inflammatory active ingredients, the so-called NSAIDs in ointments or gels, which counteract inflammation. And if the pain is strong it becomes appropriate to take oral NSAIDs, such as those based on naproxen.