 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
I had a bad fall skiing last year and snapped my ACL. It's been fixed but the knee is still far from normal yet. I'm thinking about going skiing again next year, but worried about causing any damage to the new graft.
I am wondering if snowboarding puts less pressure on the knees, but I guess I don't want to get a broken wrist instead!
What about those really short mini-ski's?
I could quite happily live with not skiing ever again, but the rest of the family still want to go. I don't care about going fast, I'm happy to potter about on greens for ever and never fall over again. I was never an adrenaline person and now I will most definatly being playing it safely now. It would be nice to get out on the slopes, and if I can ski with my 5 and 7 yr olds that will be quite enough for me.
Any thoughts on the potentially least damaging for knees or safest way to get out on a slope? My husband suggested a skidoo! Or cross-country skiing.
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Best thing is plenty of gym work to strengthen your legs and protect the knee . Get yourself fit and strong . Most acl injuries happen to unfit women on easy slopes . Are you having physio ?
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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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My husband suggested a skidoo! Or cross-country skiing.
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neither would enable you to have a relaxing time on greens and blues with the kids. Apart from following Helen Beaumont's excellent advice, which is vital, I'd suggest that short skis (not very mini ones, just kind of chin height) would make life easier, unless you're very heavy for your height. If you don't want to do faster skiing no point in longer ones, they're just more effort. Snowblades are also harder on the knees than ordinary skis. Starting to learn snowboarding is a bit of a mission - you have to be prepared to fall a lot, and hurt yourself a lot. It IS easier on the knees, but harder on most other parts of the anatomy. Cross country is not an easy option either - I found it harder to learn than snowboarding; it needs much finer balance unless you're just plodging round a flat track, which is very boring.
The other thing is to become a better skier - which doesn't have to mean tearing round at top speed leaping off cliffs, just getting round efficiently with better balance and less risk of hurting yourself. That's what I'm doing - as I intend to ski till I'm at least 80 I have to be able to do it efficiently. That means having lessons - and a couple of private lessons would also be the best way back in after an injury. Explain to an instructor exactly what you want to achieve - quiet, efficient, effortless, safe, skiing on undemanding pistes. Sounds very pleasant though your kids will, of course, soon be tearing around jumping off cliffs. 
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blueberry, You are going to fall over if you are learning Boarding from scratch, and your justifiable fear of falling is likely to make the task harder. Helen's advice is best, not only for skiing but for your recovery in general.
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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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blueberry, Telemark  No really - much less force on the skis. Mrs Ski has taken it up after an ACL reconstruction, softer on the knees and body generally. But you do need some fitness.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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ski, Yeah we had this discussion recently, I am 3 months in to post op ACL and thinking about the future and amazingly Telemarking comes third after skiing and boarding for likelihood of knee injury. My physio was telling me this week that not only do women have far greater chance of sustaining ACL injuries than men but those odds get even greater when it is the time of the month.
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Thanks for the replies,
Yes Helen, I have been doing non stop physio both at home and the gym for over a year now...
I had a summersault high speed fall after catching an edge and loosing it completely, then my binding did not release.
I can get my muscles strong, but I'm stuck with my ligaments - they are all really loose - I have quite marked hypermobility and the graft I had put in has stretched quite badly already, and I think will be more prone to snapping than most would be.
The whole reason I had the graft and operation was so that I could get back to all the activites that I enjoy, but the past year has been a real rollercoaster with post-op problems (Gsyfreerider - I was still in an immobiliser and 2 crutches at 3 months post-op!) so I'm not sure I'll ever be back at 100% because all the ligaments around my knee are affected to a degree, as well as the ACL.
We did some cross-country when we visited Lapland and I could convince the family that's where we'd be going for all our holidays, but maybe not if it's still comes so high in the list of knee injury causes.
Interesting that the mini-skis put more force on the knees? Do you know how come?. I would have though in a fall as they are shorter there would be less rotation and twisting on the knees?
If I do ever go back to skiing I'd try things out at the snowdome first, and have a couple of private lessons in resort when I'd follow Pam's advice and explain what I want to get out of skiing.
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Do you know how come?. I would have though in a fall as they are shorter there would be less rotation and twisting on the knees?
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Yes, in a fall they might put less rotation - but then all skis should, release, anyway. And I guess you always have your bindings set loose? I am just under 10 stone and have mine set at just 4 - they don't pre-release as I'm not an aggressive skier but I can be sure they will come off when they need to.
But just skiing around and standing up - if you don't fall all day - on snowblades is harder work than on ordinary skis (including ordinary short skis, maybe 120 cms, not to be confused with skiboards/snowblades). Why? Not too sure, really. You have to do a lot more walking/skating because they don't glide - that's one reason. Also the balance is more critical, so I imagine your legs are constantly adjusting, in small ways, to weight shifting. After a few hours on snowblades I find a proper pair of skis feel really relaxing - you can just stand on them and go. Stopping from any speed is also quite aggressive on the knees, compared to a nice controlled hockey stop on skis. Obviously, with weak knees, you're not going to go onto a pair of highly demanding skis - but any ordinary on-piste carvers, shortish given your weight/height, should be fine.
My knees are not great. A hard days skiing - especially if the snow itself is hard - can leave them quite red and swollen and sore and I have to take it easy for a day or two. But these days, I hardly ever do a hard days skiing! Few hours pottering, stop for lunch, another hour pottering and home.
Improving my technique - and in particularly getting my weight properly stacked over my feet - has made a big difference to me. So yes, I think the key thing is lessons.
If your kids fancy learning to snowboard you could join them - but they'll learn far faster than you. I'm hoping to be able to go snowboarding with my grand daughter one day, but she's only 6 and only just learning how to ski, so I'm not banking on it. My worst knee twist in five years, actually, was on a snowboard - getting off a chairlift with only the front foot in the binding - I fell down and the free end of the board dug in and gave my knee a massive twist, with no chance of the binding releasing. That gave me quite a fright, though it was OK after half an hour or so. Now I get off lifts with both feet strapped in, though it's not the right way, really.
I'm not convinced by the advice about telemarking; just watching them makes my knees ache.
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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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As Ski said, Telemarking less strain on the knees due to load being taken on knees and ankles/feet also that weight is equal on both skiis. I really does kill the thighs until you get used to it and the strength built up. Besides if sticking to the gentle slopes for a while it would be a good time to learn
See if we can get another convert 
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Rocksteadee, I'd love to give it a go, but I fear I've left it too late! I do enjoy watching them, though.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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never say its too late, I was teaching a lady last year 80 years old, never been on skiis before (on her list to do) not in Tele but alpine.
skied with a lady today with a snapped ACL waiting for op, in a brace, only been on tele's for 4 weeks (?) she was doing quite well, would never had known that she had a knee problem, only problems were the classic errors when transferring from Alpine to Tele but that is normal
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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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I gave up skiing after having terrible knee problems from football including 3 ops, one of which was an acl repair. Very poor knees still, running and even kneeling down with my daughter aren't good, but I've never had any problems at all whilst boarding. As others have said though the first few days take a lot of getting through during which time
you'll fall a lot.
My wife is a bit timid on the slopes and struggled to really take to boarding when she tried before giving up returning to skis.
So in conclusion; easier on the knees? Definately. The right choice for somebody timid on the slopes? Probably not.
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blueberry, replied to you on the other board.
As you know skiing stick with what you know and then think about maybe learning something new.
Sue
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You know it makes sense.
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Try Mono skiing as the lateral forces are shared by both legs as both legs are together all of the time.
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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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blueberry, I am also recovering from ACL reconstruction on my second knee, I am approaching month 4 and am wishing that I hadn't cancelled my Easter ski holiday,but I am realistic enough to know better. I have already booked up for next year , sorry, but there is no way you'll get me doing anything other than good old downhill.
Have you thought about a knee brace http://www.return2fitness.co.uk/Supports_And_Braces/Knee_Supports
You can call these guys and talk with them, as there is a lot of differing opinion on braces.
I didn't use one after my last ACL operation and that was 5 years ago, but if I felt I needed it I would this time.
Are you sure you are getting the best advice, as my physio has said my graft will be stronger than the original and the way it is feeling I don't doubt it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Blueberry,
Everyone is different so what works for me may not work for you.
I have had an ACL replacement and, following that, two other less serious knee sprains. I was really nervous about skiing after my op and sprained my knee almost straight away as I was being a wimp and skiing to cautiously.
Following that I threw myself into lessons - I had tons of lessons to improve my technique and that really helped - skiing badly is much more strain on knees that skiing well. I had lots of knee pain at first but I found that the more I ski the less the pain. Every time I start skiing after a break it still hurts at first but nothing near as much as a couple of years ago and I know the pain will fade after a couple of runs so I take it easy on the first morning. (My consultant reckons it may be a little scar tissue).
Physio has helped massively also - tons of hard graft to recover all the muscles wasted away from the trauma of the injury and op.
And I had a solid knee brace fitted (Technology in motion in Wimbledon are excellent) which I wear religiously (I think its a crutch now rather than a brace!)
X-country skiing - I tried this for the first time this year, doing classic style, and I liked it. Going downhill is very interesting - I haven't mastered that yet! But I am assured that it's pretty hard to injure yourself
Blades - avoid like the plague would be my advice - even though they now have proper bindings, there isn't a lot of ski so you may have falls where the binding just doesn't exerience enough torque to come off. I am saying this with no actual experience of trying them though.
Another alternative is snowshoeing - that's really lovely
I hope that helps. In the meantime, good luck with your rehab
CP
PS - every doc and physio now says that my grafted ACL is now much better than my ACL on my other knee, so don't let fear of putting strain on the graft put you off trying
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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But I am assured that it's pretty hard to injure yourself
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I sat in the doctor's next to a woman in a lot of pain after a fall on an icy X-country track (those downhill sections are really horrible in icy conditions). To my inexpert eye it looked like she had broken her arm. But I suspect you wouldn't injure your knees very often.
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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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But I am assured that it's pretty hard to injure yourself
I sat in the doctor's next to a woman in a lot of pain after a fall on an icy X-country track (those downhill sections are really horrible in icy conditions). To my inexpert eye it looked like she had broken her arm. But I suspect you wouldn't injure your knees very often.
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Sorry - I did mean specifically knees. It is very possible to fall while xcountry skiing so - yes - possible to injure yourself. But twisted knees are not so much of a risk as with downhill
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