Jackie Oliver, DPT, physical therapist with Excel Physical Therapy of Bozeman and Manhattan, recently completed the Kevin Wilk Shoulder and Knee Course in Seattle, Washington. This advanced-training course presented the most recent, relevant and state-of-the-art treatment options for the most challenging and unusual problems of the shoulder and knee joints. This evidence-based course also focused on the most comprehensive and effective information regarding shoulder and knee post-operative treatment as well as rehabilitation tactics for general knee and shoulder pain. Kevin Wilk is our country’s leading authority in sports and orthopedic injury rehabilitation.

Due to the repetitive stress from poling, Nordic skiers can develop overuse injuries of both the elbow and/or the shoulder. The most common of these are medial epicondylitis and shoulder impingement syndrome.   The underlying cause of the development of these injuries is multi-factorial: poling technique, pole length, and poor strength and conditioning.  

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Patellofemoral pain, or anterior knee pain, is the most common type of knee pain in Nordic skiing.   Repetitive stress to the soft tissue around the patella (knee cap) occurs due to poor tracking of the patella in the femoral groove.  This poor tracking can be the result of hip weakness causing poor control of movement of the femur (thigh bone), poor stabilization from the foot and ankle, and poor skiing technique.

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Low back pain has been found to be more common in cross-country skiers, than non-athletic controls¹.   Compared to skate skiing, low back pain is more prevalent in classic skiing because of the repetitive flexion-extension loading pattern of double poling.  (more…)

Often I think Nordic (cross-country) skiing is the perfect sport for fitness.  Nordic skiing is a great workout and way to enjoy the outdoors in winter.  Plus, it has a very low injury rate.  In fact compared to alpine skiing and snowboarding, Nordic skiing has 20X fewer severe injuries and 5X fewer injuries overall.¹

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Nearly all injuries in alpine skiing are classified as traumatic, or due to a fall.  As mentioned earlier, under Strength & Injury Prevention, the majority of knee injuries in alpine skiing occur on the left knee.   Therefore it is important to work on your ski technique to be able to turn equally well to your right and left.  With the snowpack being shallower and conditions not yet epic, the early season is a great time to work on perfecting your turns.  Aim to stay balanced on your skis with your hips centered and perfect your turns to both sides.  A Professional Ski Instructor or coach can make all the difference, so take the time to perfect your technique by taking a lesson at one or our local ski resorts, or sign-up for coaching from a community ski team such as the Bridger Ski Foundation (BSF).

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To reduce your risk of injury it is important to make sure your bindings are properly mounted and maintained.  Your ski is effectively a long lever arm and if your ski does not release properly it will put a tremendous amount of force through your knee.  Therefore it is important to make sure your DIN is set properly, and to check that the release mechanism is working properly regularly.  Keep in mind that due to gender differences in strength and morphology, the DIN on women’s bindings should be set at 15% below the recommended universal setting.   So before you get out for your first turns of the season, check your equipment and get assistance from your local independent ski shop if necessary. (more…)