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15.04.03 Windsurfing injuries & prevention
It seems like there has been a significant increase in foot injuries over the last couple of years. These metatarsal bones (mid-foot) have troubled not only professional sailors like Iballa Ruano Moreno, Jason Polakov and Nik Baker but also some Kiwi sailors. If you're really unlucky, Lisfranc-joint fractures (fracture between the metatarsal bones) can be a real problem and sometimes even need surgery.
We've asked Dr. Steve Targett from Capital Sports in Wellington what he thinks about foot injuries and windsurfing:
"I do not think that any sort of taping will prevent foot injuries as the forces involved are so great. The only suggestion I could find by reading around was to make sure that your foot is not inserted too far into (just past the toes) the strap so that it can be released quickly in event of a fall and does not twist the whole midfoot but not being a windsurfer of any great experience am not sure how practical that would be when doing tricks. If injury occurs these Lisfranc injuries can be really nasty so it is worth looking into it - how about some sort of strap development to allow easy release with twisting akin to ski bindings? This fixed foot with twisting body situation is also responsible for significant knee ligament and cartilage (meniscus) injuries so it's worth looking into."
Well, it all sounds very similar to snowboarding, wakeboarding and kite surfing and until today, no-one really has found a solution so far.
Mark H., who is just back on the water after nearly 1 year off due to a lisfranc injury, adds the following:
" Unfortunately, the foot needs to be in the strap as far as possible (ie. strap basically touching the base of the shin) while waveriding, as this allows for the required control / drive in the bottom turns. It's impossible (for me at least) to waveride with tight straps and this is the first thing one should check if you feel bottom turns aren't really working out for you. So this release solution doesn't really work. The only recommendation I can make after totally stuffing up my recovery process, is to make a weight bearing x-ray, in the case that you feel you might have hurt your foot quite badly. In my case, the only thing that was done was regular x-rays and the problem is that with a Lisfranc injury, you don't see that on a regular x-ray. So in a nutshell: 1) Ask the doctor about a possible Lisfranc injury (if he doesn't know what that is, you might want to see a different doctor anyway), and 2) if you don't improve at least as quick as they say, go and see a sports doctor and do something about it asap !!!"
x-ray of Mark's foot after surgery. A bone graft & 3 screws hold together
the gap between the metatarsal bones (view from the side).
I guess it all comes down to prevention, a little bit of luck and how hard you play. It also helps to know, what actually could go wrong and the key to rapid return from serious windsurf injuries lies first in early accurate diagnosis.
We've done some research about specific windsurfing injuries. The most common types include sprains, lacerations, contusions and fractures:
| ankle: |
fractures, ligament damage |
| foot: |
fracture of metatarsal bones (risk of lisfranc-injury) or ligament damage, sprains |
| knee: |
tears of the key ligaments, tendons or cartilages (meniscus cartilage, cruciate ligaments (crisscross inside knee), collateral ligaments (on the sides of knee)) |
| shoulder: |
Disclocations, fractures, ligament damage |
| lower back: |
strain of the lumbar extensors or even disk disruption or herniation, chronic lower back pain from over-use |
| head: |
burst eardrums, concussions |
Most common risk factors and how to overcome them:
| Muscle fatigue: |
Do regular strengthening exercises (weights) |
| Limited range of movement: |
Do regular stretching exercises |
| Lack of concentration due to body fatigue: |
Your body sometimes needs a rest! Don't go out when you're too tired |
| Fear: |
Being afraid to go to the next level and try something new slows you down. Find those weak links in your body and work on them. Cross training can help here a lot. Know your limits. |
PREVENTION
Dr. Steve Targett recommends that you best speak to a personal trainer or a physiotherapist for specific stretching and strength exercises. If you have troubles with your shoulder, for example, you need to strengthen shoulder internal rotators to help prevent dislocation but once again - forces involved are so great, best prevention also is to get the technique right to avoid loading up the shoulder in an unstable position (above head and stretched out to the side) - knowing when to let go!? Last but not least, general core strength programme is also valuable for any sport.
We're not trying to put anyone off here…. If you check other sports, windsurfing is actually quite risk free, especially until you get to an advanced level or only sail on flat water. But with all extreme sports, injuries do happen sometimes and in case it happened to you, a speedy recovery will make you smile again soon.
Happy sailing!
Source: physsportsmed - issue May 2002
(c) S. Hollenstein - www.wellingtonwindsurfers.co.nz
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