Afternoons on the Gulf are the best way to beat the heat, whether you’re splashing around or taking part in water sports. Of course, water sports come with their own set of risks. What are they and what should you do about them? We tell you in today’s article.
Water skiing injuries
Water skiing injuries are often orthopedic in nature, whether that is sprains and strains from overextended muscles and joints or worse, ligament tears. Where are the most common injuries? Not surprisingly, knees and shoulders. If you are holding onto the tow rope with bad form or you let go with one arm and the boat speeds up unexpectedly, you can dislocate your shoulder or tear muscles and ligaments around the joint. Regarding your knees, even if there is a quick release feature on the skis that is meant to save your joints in case of a wipeout, sometimes it still doesn’t let go. That means that your knee is probably still going forward while your ski isn’t – a surefire way to sprain it or tear a stabilizing ligament.
How can you protect yourself? First of all, start slowly. Make sure that the captain is experienced in towing skiers so that he doesn’t make sudden turns, cut into wakes or otherwise put you at risk. If you have an experienced captain and you still get injured, get back on shore and head in to your Spring Hill urgent care center to get it checked out, and if need be, get a referral to an orthopedic specialist.
Tubing injuries
Most injuries on tubes come from collisions between bodies and water: contusions, sprains and strains. According to a study in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, the most frequently injured body parts from tubing were the head and the upper extremities (as you put your arms out to “brace” the fall), while the most common injuries were sprains and strains and soft tissue injuries. Although impact with water was the most common source of injury, impact with another tuber was also quite frequent for younger children.
Make sure you keep one person to a tube to minimize injury in the case of a wipeout, and again ensure you have an experienced captain who knows how to avoid wakes and dangerous turns. If you or your child are injured while tubing, make your first stop on land our urgent care center Spring Hill.
Jet skiing
Although the exhilaration of riding a jet ski can’t be matched by other water sports, the level of injury from jet ski crashes also generally remains unmatched. That’s because jet skis’ speed, combined with their lack of regulation, means that there might be a lot of high-speed traffic on the water. A crash at 30mph an hour can hurt; a crash at 50mph can severely injure you. Most jet ski injuries are brain, head and spinal cord injuries that come from crashing into the water or into other jet skiers at high speeds. Depending on how fast you’re going at the time of the crash and the way you land, you could be critically injured.
Since you are the captain this time, our advice to avoid crashes is to slow down a bit, even if you like the thrill of going fast. Secondly, never operate a jet ski after having a drink – your judgment will be impaired and you may not be able to react in time to avoid a collision. If someone you know crashes and they are unresponsive and/or they cannot move their head, feet or arms, call for an ambulance immediately. If the person is responsive and moving, but not 100% him or herself, drive them immediately to our Spring Hill urgent care center and we will advise you on next steps.
We love water sports, but we want you to love them responsibly. Avoiding injury is the best situation, but if you do get injured, stop in to our walk in clinic Spring Hill to get treated fast. We are open 7 days a week, no appointment necessary.
