 Poster: A snowHead
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My friend is coming to Banff with us on Wednesday. It was due to be his first ski trip but he's broken his 4th metacarpal playing rugby at the weekend!
It's not in a cast but is badly swollen at the moment. Do you think there is any chance he will be able to ski? As it's his first time on skis I predict many a fall which might make it difficult...
Has anyone skied with a broken hand before? Any advice?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My mate Jim boarded all last weekend and the one before at StA and Mayrhofen. We called him Monkey Paw. He has lost a knuckle, very odd looking.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Broke my hand in a skiing fall a few years ago. Doctor in the resort x-rayed it, and taped it up. An hour later, I untaped it, put my glove on, and taped the glove up. My skiing was a little "timid" for the rest of the week, as I was afraid of falling on it (I didn't). Luckily the hand wasn't too swollen, so no problems putting a glove on. Pole plants were very painful though.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Patch, no mittens ?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I took a bit of a fall during the second day of my week in steamboat a few years ago. My hand hurt instantly and I was unable to put my glove back on (in hindsight I shouldn't have taken it off) but was assured by friends that I would be ok.
I took the rest of the day off and swallowed a couple of painkillers. In the bar that night after several vodka redbulls I regained full use of my hand... strange that?!?!
The next morning it hurt again but after a cocktail of drugs all was good and in the bar that night I regained full use of my hand again this cycle continued for the remainder of the week and I was fine except that my little finger permanently pokes out from my hand and is about 3mm shorter but I figured this is a small price to pay... your friend will be fine.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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rayscoops, totally mittenless
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if he can get a glove on he can go! mate broke his hand just before going to atomic boot camp 07 in tignes and had a cast which just allowed my glove over and he got on fine. when we got back to the hotel after the last day skiing we cut the cast off in the bar with my leatherman and he just wore a wrist support until it was ok. if he is learning it might be a good idea for him to wear some sort of wrist/hand support just so he doesn't make it worse 
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i dont know about a beginner it would hurt real bad to fall on a broken hand....
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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rayscoops, as I recall Patch was offered mittens but they simply weren't coooool enough
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I broke a bone in my hand once and as skiing was my work back then I didn't have any choice but to ski, however I didn't pole plant with that hand for about 3 weeks and I'm very glad I never fell on it! However in certain weather conditions I do even now getting some aching like pain from that bone.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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One thing to do is for your friend to wear a wrist extension splint to help immobilise his hand and also if he did fall on this side he would not be able to put this hand out flat for saving reactions. This worked a treat for me following fracture of distal radius. Only problem is may result in fractured clavicle or upper arm when the elbow takes the brunt of a fall instead!!Main thing I found hard was gripping the ski pole. Also you may wanna think re; insurance and whether you're friend would actually be covered to ski with a broken hand?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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depends on how badly broken it is. It's swollen because that's the tissue's response to significant trauma. That may be why "they" haven't put his hand in a cast. If its a simple undisplaced fracture then a fall is unlikely to make things worse. However, him trying to protect the injury will make him more prone to ski abnormally which will increase his risk of adding to his injuries. Also, his ski insurance may not cover him if they find out he has a pre-existing injury
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks for all the replies...
I think he's going to give skiing a go! I'll let you all know how he gets on.
He's a rugby player so he should be able to grin and bear it!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I've just come back from a week where by I skied with a dislocated / relocated shoulder that I did on the first day. Had one day off, then was back out, albeit skiing way below my normal standard (i.e. not pushing myself). All all this without painkillers!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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I've skied with a broken wrist (radius). A broken hand should should be alright. Just tell him he doesn't need poles. Can he skate?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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OK here is what you need to do to protect his hand. Go buy a wrist/hand splint at the pharmacy. Also purshase the large foot bunion pads (adhesive kind). Cut the pads in strips and stick them along the bone on both sides and along the side of the hand. This will protect it somewhat, and you can put a MITTEN ONLY over it.
How I know is I broke the same bone and that is how I was able to ski and use a pole.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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There's always the gloves that also offer protection, I know Level do a range of gloves and mitts with plastic wrist protectors in them. All depends on exactly where he's damaged his hands really. If he's really determined then it might be worth popping into a shop when the swellings eased to try some gloves and mitts with protection in them?
A friend of mine broke his wrist right at the beginning of the NZ season. He carried on boarding for a good few weeks before he got anything done about, that said, he's utterly insane.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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skied with a fractured wrist in Selva a few years ago.. bandaged my pole into my gloved hand as i couldn't grip properly.... skied fine but eating spag bol in the restaurant at lunch with just one hand as my pole was still in situ proved more tricky.... took blades out the next day and had a hoot!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Main thing I found hard was gripping the ski pole. Also you may wanna think re; insurance and whether you're friend would actually be covered to ski with a broken hand?
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good points. Much better for beginners without poles anyway. But he should definitely check with his insurance or it could turn out a very expensive mistake if anything goes wrong.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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smudger, like SlimJim0001 I've had a few breaks due to dryslope skiing (left 5th metacarpal and right 1st/thumb metacarpal). First one I thought just a sprain and carried on skiing through it. Didn't make much difference at all. Second one I did in training, and raced with a couple of weeks later; it was then still too weak to lift skis properly - so I then went to the docs to get it seen to as the thumb is a bit important. 4th metacarpal I'd not worry about - just try and immobilise reasonably as suggested above.
If you do a ligament in though (as I did recently), as opposed to a bone, and the joint is then very unstable it does need seeing to as a matter of urgency.
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FAQ
Two weeks later I went to hospital and got it x-rayed where it turned out to be broken. Luckily I only had it on for a week as I was due to go skiing a few days later 
