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Busted thumbs dillema

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Chuxa
Posts: 71 - Karma: 106
Hey just wondering is it common with you fellow newschoolers to have constantly aching thumbs? Some days during this year I had to ski with no poles for couple of days cuase my thumbs couldn't take it anymore.

Is it normal to loose some flexibility in thumbs and feel pain when tensing the thumbs? Its been about 4 weeks since my last ski and they are still pretty sore, I saw one kid with tape around the thumbs what does that do and can I do it at home?

Thanks in advance. +K to everyone
May 2 2011 10:23AM
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SKI.ING
Posts: 2695 - Karma: 2,535
The tape is mainly to protect your fingers if you fail a grab or land on your hands with the edges of your skis. You'd be surprised how easily they cut through to your skin. As for your sore thumbs it may be the type of grip on your poles. I used to get hand fatigue but then switched to armada's poles for the round grip with no finger slots, and I haven't had the problem since. Hope that helps.
May 2 2011 11:34AM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
useless post is useless. the tape is to help protect the joints. the same tape job is applied to every linemans, and linebackers thumbs, as is used to help protect from skiers thumb. it essentially limits the range of motion, so you dont hyperextend it as often.

my advice is to not use pole straps, and just learn how to hold onto ur poles when you crash.
May 2 2011 12:12PM
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SKI.ING
Posts: 2695 - Karma: 2,535
There are a couple interviews where pro skiers state using tape to avoid some pretty serious cuts when doing alot of urban. I have never heard of a skier being concerned with hyperextending his thumbs? There is not enough pressure there to warrant such a thing, where as a lineman has 300 lbs on those fingers for whole games.
And if you enter your hand through the strap from the bottom it wouldn't be a problem, but I still agree no pole straps are better for shoulders, not thumbs. Just pointing out a useless post I guess.
May 2 2011 1:22PM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
whattayouthink skiers thumb is?
May 2 2011 1:34PM
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shralpingthegnar
Posts: 379 - Karma: 17
So I'd like to think I'm an authority on this subject having broken each of my thumbs twice when I was younger skiing gates. If you use the wrapover technique when putting on your ski pole straps you can avoid this injury more easily. If you are looking at the loop on the pole, put your arm and wrist thru it and then wrap only
May 2 2011 2:08PM
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shralpingthegnar
Posts: 379 - Karma: 17
your thumb over the top of the strap, thus protecting it a bit
May 2 2011 2:09PM
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zues
Posts: 6434 - Karma: -5,330
yea my right thumb is still fucked and i havn't skiid in 2 months....  its bad. 
May 2 2011 3:47PM
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ripper_shredder
Posts: 243 - Karma: 45
Hahha it hapens to me a lot. i can only bend my left thumb half as much as i can with my right. i find it happens more when i ski pipe
May 2 2011 4:10PM
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Chuxa
Posts: 71 - Karma: 106
I might go to physio and ask about the taping, btw here is a link to anyone who is interested how to rehabilitate/what the skiers thumb actually is. I learnt a fair bit from it. Permanent ligament damage does not sound all that attractive damn.

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/skiers_thumb/article_em.htm
May 2 2011 7:19PM
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Chuxa
Posts: 71 - Karma: 106
  • Skiers should be taught to consciously discard the ski pole during all falls. Falling onto an outstretched hand while skiing without the ski pole in hand should minimize the chance of injury.

  • Skiers should also be encouraged to use poles with finger-groove grips without any restraining devices such as a wrist strap or closed grip.


    Here  the thumb ligaments will stretch upon the impact and cuase the Skiers thumb:

    Click for larger image

Here the grip is not pushing the bones apart creating ligament damage hence no skiers thumb:

Click for larger image


Hope it helps everyone and dissolves some of the myths around busted thumbs, surely helped me to understand it.
May 2 2011 7:41PM
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