Avoiding Injuries on the Ice

[Edge 0]

Okay, let me start out by saying that I am not a "scrawny"(sp?) kid. I'm pretty well built and solid, but it seems like lately, everytime I take a big, hard hit in games, or even in practice, I GET HURT! No i'm not talking about a little ache, I'm talking about pretty serious injuries that keep me out. A few months ago, I got hit and broke my hand. That was my first injury this season. After that, I got a pretty big hit and fractured a vertebrae in my back and strained my lower back muscles. That finally got better and in this past weekend's regional tournament, I get hit in the corner, and I pinch a nerve and my leg goes numb, my back is screwed up again!!! I thought I was paralyzed for a second there. So tonight, I go to practice and am doing pretty well. I get a hit from a pretty hard hitter on our team, and now my shoulder is screwed up. I can hardly pick up my stick now. and it pops every time i move it.

So to get to the point, is there ANYTHING I can do to prevent these type of things from happening? My bones are pretty strong....I drink milk and everything I just don't know what to do at this point, and it is starting to affect my game. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Adam91 0]

maybe try icing your self after every icetime even if you not hurting, get massages, and streching everyday

[Chadd 916]

Learn to avoid taking direct hits. How many times did you ever see Gretz get lit up?

[Edge 0]

hmm, well i mean I stretch before and after every practice, so i dont think that is the problem. I'll try the icing even if i dont get hurt idea. And it's kind of hard avoiding the hits that i'm getting. Like the one last night, i was skating the puck out of the zone for a drill and the forward's job in the drill was to angle off the defenseman(me) and hit.. <_<

[mack 44]

The best way I've learned to handle not getting hurt (other than the obvious preventative things) is to not worry about getting hurt. That creeping thought in the back of the head is probably more responsible for things I've seen than anything else.

[lecavalier 0]

Try bracing yourself more when you see a train coming.

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

Heads up, avoids hit, and don't be afraid to get hurt(if you are afraid to go in the corner or to get hit, you will get injured, but if your not afraid, you won't get injured). Strech more and more is another way to prevent this...

[chippa13 1844]

One thing that could help is to roll along with the hit instead of trying to fight against it.

[golfpuck 0]

try stretching and/or massages after games/practices as well, as it can help relieve tight muscles. also work on your general flexibility.

secondly might want to see a medical doctor and/or a chiropractor.

if your bones are out of alignment, such as your spine you could be more suspectable to back aches, as well as broken bones as things arent in the right places can reduce the bodies ability to absorb any impacts.

[hockechamp14 0]

Keep your knees bent, don't come up when someone is going to hit you. That could possibly be your problem. If moving with a hit is that hard for you, start wearing suspenders like a bunch of the euro players do.

[wingsfan7777 0]

Just keep skating, never ever stop moving. Unfortunately I have broken my collarbone twice just to realize that you should never stop skating. Also dont get right up against the boards if that was the case. Always leave a little room between you and the boards to let the boards and your whole body absorb the shock instead of jsut one place like the shoulder area.

[Adam91 0]

like wingsfan7777 said try to absorb the hit as much as you can just like the way absorb a pass form a teamate

[Edge 0]

Thanks for all of the advice guys. :D

[biff44 0]

Hockey can be rough on a body! Congrats for having the stones to keep at it!

Some ideas:

How much weight lifting do you do? Do you do a lot of squats to build up the lower body, one leged squats to build up balance, chin ups (can you do at least 15?) amd seated rowing to make sure your back muscles are as strong as your chest muscles, core exercised with a medicine ball, etc, etc? You may be big, but not muscular. By lifting weights you build up the muscle, the surrounding bones get bigger and stronger, and all the ligaments and tendons get tougher. You have a long summer coming up, start slow but end strong!

Have your % body fat tested. Many health clubs can do it. They use a plastic caliper and measure skin folds at 10 spots on the body and compute the % body fat. If you are 6 to 10%, great. If you are 18%, then all that size you think you have is just useless flab! In the later case, you need to get onto a low carb diet coupled with serious weight lifting. In addition to building up your muscles for fewer injuries, you will skate MUCH faster after losing the flab!

Even at Junior level one often sees players skating with their head down. You also see them routinely taking massive hits and sitting out weeks on the injured list. You would have thought that Darwins Natural Selection theory would have eliminated them all by then! If you skate with your head down watching the puck, you might as well put a big taget on your back. Maybe you do not even realize you are doing it. Maybe you have a video tape of yourself in a game, are you skating heads up? If not, get a golf ball or one of those stick handling balls and stickhandle it in the basement all summer long. Stick a visor or something under your nose so you can not see the ball, do it all by feel.

Stretching is good to do AFTER the game. There is, however, great discussion about stretching before a game. Some say it does more harm than good to try to statically stretch while your muscles are still cold. They think you are just tearing the muscles--not stretching them out. All agree that Dynamic Stretching before a game is good. So before you even suit up, get into the stands and do a lot of dynamic stretching. Run some stairs, jump some rope. Here is one site, there are probably better ones out there:

http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/dynamic.htm

What else do you do over the summer? After a few weeks of rest and recuperation, you can start a good program to build up the body for better results next season. Lifting weights is a good one, as stated above. But how about something new? Do you have a Judo dojo nearby? Judo sounds like a perfect sport for you. You learn dynamic balance, how to fall correctly without getting hurt, and how throw the other guy instead of you getting thrown. Other martial arts, expecially any that use grappling are also great for balance and core strength.

Get some instruction. I have never found any on-ice checking instruction worth a darn! That is a shame, since a lot could be taught. So get a copy of this Sean Skinner checking for ice hockey, and especially pay attention to the parts about how to take a check:

http://www.stickhandling.com/shop/index.ph...b0c7dfa026f046a

Good luck!

[biff44 0]

Another thing to consider, your attitude on the ice. When you get out onto the ice at the start of a game, do you go out there and line up a big guy for a massive check of your own? You would be surprised how many players will avoid physical contact with you for the rest of the game if they think you are wheeling and dealing.

[Edge 0]

I stretch before and after every ice slot. Yes, I have my head up. I think I was wrong about my shoulder injury. It IS NOT the bone, it is the muscle that runs from your neck down to the shoulder. I know how to recieve a check by the way. I've been playing long enough to know how to do that kind of stuff. Thanks for your reply.

[biff44 0]

Sounds like you just need to work out a lot to make everything tougher. Most hockey players have weak backs. That is because they are doing all sorts of stickhandling and moving players with the front side of their bodies, but seldom use their backside muscles. Muscles work in pairs. If your front side is overdeveloped, and your backside is underdeveloped, that is a problem in the making. Joints get pulled out of shape, the core strength is not there to take a hit or move someone from an awkward position. The most common symptom of this is a guy that can bench press 200 lbs but only do 2 chin ups!

[chippa13 1844]

Usually before I stretch out I will do a quick couple laps to get the blood going and warm the legs a little. I have found it helps me to loosen up when stretching.

[Edge 0]

any strengthening excersises you can think of to make my back and shoulders stronger?

[biff44 0]

Well, let me think. If you have access to a machine, a seated row is good. Pull ups. One where you lay face down on a bench, and start with 2 dumbells on the ground and raise them up to your sides until even with the bench (can use one of those big exercise balls to lay on too). A roman chair where you do a kind of reverse sit up for the lower back. Take a 5 or 10 pound weight plate, start with it at you side, keep your arm stiff, and raise your arm until it is even with your eyes (good for upper back/neck).

On second thought, here is a link to a bunch of them:

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/BackWt.html

[RadioGaGa 162]

Usually before I stretch out I will do a quick couple laps to get the blood going and warm the legs a little. I have found it helps me to loosen up when stretching.

That's the right way to do it. You're not supposed to stretch cold muscles...you can do more harm than good.

Get a couple laps in then stretch.

[tokes 0]

The best way I've learned to handle not getting hurt (other than the obvious preventative things) is to not worry about getting hurt. That creeping thought in the back of the head is probably more responsible for things I've seen than anything else.

I agree, it makes you tense up and get off your game. It's like how in accidents drunks are usually less injured, because they don't know whats going on and they dont tense up, while the sober people see it coming, and tense up, and see a lot more soft tissue injuries.

[Chesterfield12 0]

Just keep skating, never ever stop moving. Unfortunately I have broken my collarbone twice just to realize that you should never stop skating. Also dont get right up against the boards if that was the case. Always leave a little room between you and the boards to let the boards and your whole body absorb the shock instead of jsut one place like the shoulder area.

when you say leave room i hope u mean only a few inches. if u stay to far someone will level you and u will go flying into the boards. ive broken bothe shoulder and now have pins , one was becuase i was 5 feet of the board when i got crushed in the corner.

[Edge 0]

Cool, thanks

[bvapor2004 0]

skate faster and dont take the hits