Skiing is an excellent activity that burns a lot of calories, strengthens the lower body and core, improves flexibility, and is a great boost to endorphins as it gets people outside when they’re normally shut in during the winter.

Nonetheless, like all activities, there are still risks. Common skiing injuries include ligament ruptures, sprains, fractures, and dislocations. The overall injury rate is approximately one injury per 1,000 days skied.

Among skiing injuries, the knee is most commonly affected, accounting for around a quarter of ski injuries. Other common skiing injuries include skier’s thumb, which is an injury to the ulnar collateral ligament of the thumb, and shins splints.

Shockwave Therapy for Skiing Injuries

Shockwave therapy is a drug-free, non-invasive treatment option for many musculoskeletal issues. It sends short bursts of high-energy pulses to target areas, which stimulate a healing response by increasing blood flood and metabolism.

Scientific research has proven shockwave therapy’s effectiveness for many skiing injuries.

  • Knee pain

Patellar tendinopathy develops when one or more tendons in the knee are damaged, which is common for skiers. A recent study examined the efficacy of shockwave therapy in managing chronic patellar tendinopathy in athletes.

Researchers divided a group of 30 athletes into two groups. One group received shockwave therapy while the other group was treated with ice packs and isometric exercises. Outcomes were measured using the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment (VISA) test and a vertical jump test.

The shockwave therapy group saw significantly better outcomes in both scores. Researchers concluded that shockwave therapy “should be considered to be as a part of a treatment protocol for patellar tendinopathy.”

  • Skier’s thumb

Skier’s thumb is an injury to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the thumb, which most often occurs when the ski pole forces the thumb to deviate radially. There’s a serious risk of disabling chronic instability if not treated adequately.

Clinical studies have demonstrated shockwave therapy’s effectiveness in treating ligament injuries in the fingers and hand, such as de Quervain tenosynovitis and finger tenosynovitis (trigger digit).

  • Shins splints

Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS), also known as shin splints, is very common in cross-country skiing.

A recent systematic review assessed shockwave therapy’s ability to treat shin splints. Researchers identified three studies that compared 23, 12, and 22 participants in intervention groups with 19, 12, and 20 participants in control groups, respectively.

Researchers concluded that shockwave therapy reduced pain and recovery time and increased patient satisfaction. No adverse effects were noted.

Industry-Leading Technology

If you would like to use shockwave therapy to treat your patients with skiing injuries, Shockwave Canada offers the best devices on the market. We are the exclusive distributor of industry-leading Storz shockwave therapy machines, which have been a pioneer in the field for over 30 years.

Call 1-866-267-4162 or visit our website today to learn more.