Skier’s Thumb Help

M

mikemac

Active member
Jammed my hand into the snow with my pole straps on a few times during some early season jibbing..... what do now?

been icing and bracing for a few days now but I still have somewhat pathetic dexterity

sounds like the classic pole strap “skiers thumb” is actually ligament damage, does anyone have experience with this and know at what point it’s serious/ worth having it looked at?

.
 
If you get it looked at all they’re gonna say is brace it or cast it for a few weeks until the swelling goes down and give you an anti inflammatory scrip. Technically it is ligament damage but it’ll heal back to normal eventually. Once it’s not too painful try and bend it as much as possible to work on your range of motion, so bend it up and down in place, and also work on bending and going across your hand to touch the base of your pinky.
 
About 4 or 5 years ago I jammed my thumb into my pole after falling off a rail and it was about 2 weeks until it was back to normal, though after week I could move it pretty normally. I had gone to a doctor after a couple days just to make sure I didn't need a cast and he thought it was probably just a small chip and just gave me a finger splint to wear for a few weeks.

Icing helps to reduce pain but it can also delay healing because it reduces blood flow to the injured area. If possible try to get an online appointment/zoom meeting with a doctor to get their opinion on if they think its a fracture, ligament damage, etc..
 
I did the same thing when I was 12 and broke the fuck out of my thumb. If it concerns you it’s worth going to a doctor for it.
 
If it's swollen then get it checked out by a doctor. I ripped the ligament out of the bone when I got it and had to have surgery to get it reattached. I thought it was just a bad jam when I did it and waited a few weeks to see the doc. They told me that if I had waited another week the ligament would have retracted to the point that it couldn't have been reattached.

**This post was edited on Dec 7th 2020 at 3:55:39pm
 
14208323:CENTORE said:
If you get it looked at all they’re gonna say is brace it or cast it for a few weeks until the swelling goes down and give you an anti inflammatory scrip. Technically it is ligament damage but it’ll heal back to normal eventually. Once it’s not too painful try and bend it as much as possible to work on your range of motion, so bend it up and down in place, and also work on bending and going across your hand to touch the base of your pinky.
Click to expand...

Ya I should clarify that in my specific situation like 10/11 years ago it was just ligament damage and that was my experience but I’m no doctor.. good luck homie
 
If you have health insurance you may as well get it looked at. I never did, and lost about 25% mobility in said thumb. It also now sounds like crinkling crunching paper every time I flex it.
 
I cracked my thumb a long time ago landing bad. I avoid putting my hands down as a shield when i crash. My puny hands and arms wont slow down a 170lb meatbag anyway
 
Something that has really helped me over the years is using the pole straps to support your thumbs. Instead of just looping the straps around your wrists and calling it a day, stick your hand through and then grab the remainder of the strap between the pole and your palm. This braces your thumb with the strap itself, and it's really surprising how much it can help.

983911.jpeg

983912.jpeg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top