When you hang around a ski lodge long enough, you’re bound to hear at least one person complain about their knees. The odds are, in fact, that you’ll find far more than one.
If you’re among the more than 10 million winter sports enthusiasts who get on the slopes each year in the United States, you probably already know how commonplace knee pain is.
At our practice, board-certified surgeon Dr. William Schell certainly does, and we routinely help patients by repairing and rehabbing injured knees so that they can get back out to play during the winter months.
So, if you’re struggling with knee pain and you want to find your way back to the slopes, we can help.
We already mentioned that knee pain is a common topic in ski lodges — by the numbers, studies suggest that skiing injuries that involve the lower extremities account for between 43% and 77% of injuries on the slopes.
Far and away, the leading knee injury among skiers are anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears.
Decades ago, knee injuries were more common than they are now, but the introduction of releasable bindings really lowered the numbers. Unfortunately, even with the technological advances, your knees are still in the line of fire when you ski, and ACL injuries continue to be a fairly widespread problem.
Outside of ACL sprains and tears, other skiing-related knee injuries can include:
The knee arthritis issues aren’t exactly injuries, but skiing certainly places pressure on your knees and can lead to premature wear-and-tear issues like OA.
Whether the knee pain develops over time or due to an isolated injury, the end result is the same — a painful knee that’s preventing you from enjoying your favorite wintertime activity.
The first thing we want you to do if you’re dealing with a painful knee is to enact the RICE method:
Along with RICE, you can try over-the-counter, anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen.
If this brings you some relief and hits the reset button on your aching knee, proceed with caution.
If, however, RICE isn’t working and your knee pain is staying the same or getting worse, it’s time to pay us a visit. Knees are important joints, and the last thing you want to do is to make a bad problem worse, which you can do if you ignore knee pain.
As a knee specialist, Dr. Schell can quickly identify the issue and get you on the road to healthier knees. To do this, he first reviews your symptoms and physically exams your knee. Then, we turn to advanced imaging to get a closer look at what’s going on inside your knee.
If Dr. Schell is able to identify the issue right off the bat, he discusses next steps, which can range from rest and conservative management to surgery, such as an ACL repair.
There are times when advanced imaging isn’t enough in helping us to see what’s wrong, which is where knee arthroscopy comes in. With this minimally invasive approach, Dr. Schell can not only take a look inside your knee without creating large incisions, he can also use specialized tools to make repairs and clear out any foreign bodies that may be causing you discomfort.
In fact, knee arthroscopy is a true workhorse when it comes to orthopedic care of skiers’ knees. And we always keep in mind that the goal is to get you back on the slopes as quickly, and safely, as possible.
For expert care of your knee pain due to skiing, please contact Dr. Schell and our team at our New York City office — located on Columbus Circle on the Upper West Side — at 646-381-2646 to set up an appointment. You can also message us by clicking here.
