The feel of powder as it swooshes beneath your skis or snowboard. The speed, the exhilaration, the beauty! All of these are wonderful things, but, you may also always have a nagging thought in the back of your head: the risk of injury.

No doubt, skiing and snowboarding can have their risks, but properly addressed, each can be an extraordinary experience. Injuries from skiing and snowboarding can include: head and knee injuries, fractures and dislocations.

By far, knee injury is the most common disabling injury for skiers and boarders. It accounts for 25 percent of all ski injuries. The two most common knee injuries are to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

Medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries occur most frequently in beginning and intermediate skiers. This is due to the fact that beginning skiers use a snowplow type of stance to stop and turn which places a tremendous amount of stress on the inside portion of the knee. Fortunately, a majority of these injuries can be treated without surgery. A brace, physical therapy and the tincture of time usually takes care of these injuries. In rare cases, surgical reconstruction is undertaken to treat these injuries.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries tend to occur in more advanced skiers and can be attributed to specific falling patterns. Despite wonderful engineering advances in skiing and snowboarding equipment which have reduced the rate of lower extremity fractures, these advances have failed to reduce the incidence of ACL injuries. In fact, there is an alarming increase in ACL injuries (almost a 240 percent increase) with some interesting theories for this increase.

While enjoying a day in the powder can be quite rewarding, it can unfortunately also result in injury. Don't let these injuries prevent you from doing what you love. At Pinnacle Physical Therapy we have two locations and all of our physical therapists experts in the treatment of sports related injuries. We can get you in within 24-48 hours, accept most forms of insurance (including Medicare/Medicaid), offer substantial prompt cash pay discounts, assistance in obtaining financing, and we get RESULTS! Choose the best, choose Pinnacle Physical Therapy: (208) 777-4242 or www.pinnaclephysicaltherapy.org.