Advice for getting back after injury? | Golden Skate

Advice for getting back after injury?

dreamingangel

Spectator
Joined
May 25, 2019
Hey! So, about 3 weeks ago, I went to a after hockey game skate with 1. Brand new skates 2. 12:00 at night (not sleeping much the night before) 3. Over 100 people in the ice. Yes, I know, ALOT of strikes against me, but I didn’t really thing much about it. I went to do a trick my teacher had been teaching me and I knew right when I did it, it wasn’t gonna go well. I slipped and hit the back of my head and woke up with paramedics by me and tears down my face. I closed my eyes and then I was home with my parents scared. That’s literally all I remember, I lost my memory, had nausea, all that good stuff :) But now, I literally can’t even pivot without panicking. Any advice on how to maybe get over it a bit? Thanks!! 💕
 

sandraskates

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Country
United-States
That's a pretty serious fall. Have you seen a doctor and been cleared to go back to skating????

I saw this happen to an adult while in his Adult 6 group class. His approximate age was late 30s. He was off the ice for a few MONTHS. And when he returned to skating he had purchased protective head gear (a helmet, but not a hockey helmet).
 

dreamingangel

Spectator
Joined
May 25, 2019
Yes I have! I’m 15 so I was open to more things insurance would cover lol. Paramedics cleared me, I got head X-ray and everything was fine and it feels like it didn’t even happen now. Now the mental aspect is a different story 😂
 

WednesdayMarch

Nicer When Fed
Medalist
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
Country
United-Kingdom
The first thing to try is head protection. A friend hit her head when she fell learning a mohawk. She adores skating but that knock really affected her confidence so she now wears an ice halo and feels much more comfortable about skating again.
 

hanyuufan5

✨**:。*
Medalist
Joined
May 19, 2018
Try to just keep in mind the the strikes against you that time and remind yourself that they were why it happened and have nothing to do with your skating now and in the future when you're not tired and up late and there aren't 100 people on the ice.

Good luck, and I'll be praying for you!
 

Annie122

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 3, 2018
I'm so sorry that happened to you. Take it in small steps and be kind to yourself when your brain gets freaked out. Start with easy stuff that feels like it's from muscle memory, work up to trying more complicated tricks. Be aware of how tired you are and body awareness. If you're feeling exhausted, take it easy on yourself.

I haven't used one, but I have heard of these halo headbands. Might be worth looking for something similar

https://www.icehalo.ca/
 

Snorlax

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 19, 2020
Country
United-Kingdom
I'd like to second Annie122 on this:

I'm so sorry that happened to you. Take it in small steps and be kind to yourself when your brain gets freaked out. Start with easy stuff that feels like it's from muscle memory, work up to trying more complicated tricks. Be aware of how tired you are and body awareness. If you're feeling exhausted, take it easy on yourself.

I actually had an accident with concussion when I was a child, because I was stupid and played this little game "jump off the swing at the highest possible point". I ended up jumping off and landed on solid concrete with my head first. After that, I was afraid of even sitting down onto a swing for quite a long time - which was completely unreasonable because obviously I wouldn't just jump off anymore. But in my tiny head I was afraid. At some point, I was so annoyed at myself for being unreasonable sheepish, I pushed myself to go back onto the swing. Started with baby steps - just sat down on it for a second, then off. Sat down for a few more seconds. Sat for a minute, sat down and lifted up my feet, sat down, lifted up feet and swung them etc. etc.

Sometimes, there is no secret trick on how to overcome panic and fear (althouth the ice halo sounds magnificient, so there you go!). Sometimes, you just have to expose yourself to whatever it is that you're afraid of. Maybe try dipping into the elements that make you feel uncomfortable but not panicky, and try to balance around that spot until you feel less uncomfortable, then go one step further.

I hope this helps and I wish you all the best for the future. You can figure it out, just give yourself and your head some time!
 

sandraskates

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Country
United-States
Besides the Halo band there is also the Crasche band and beanies: https://crasche.com/

Halos are thicker, Crashe more stylish. But I caution in thinking that these are the be-all-and-end-all to alleviate head injuries. They have been known to come off the head as the head hits the ice.
 

cl2

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
I'd like to second Annie122 on this:



I actually had an accident with concussion when I was a child, because I was stupid and played this little game "jump off the swing at the highest possible point". I ended up jumping off and landed on solid concrete with my head first. After that, I was afraid of even sitting down onto a swing for quite a long time - which was completely unreasonable because obviously I wouldn't just jump off anymore. But in my tiny head I was afraid. At some point, I was so annoyed at myself for being unreasonable sheepish, I pushed myself to go back onto the swing. Started with baby steps - just sat down on it for a second, then off. Sat down for a few more seconds. Sat for a minute, sat down and lifted up my feet, sat down, lifted up feet and swung them etc. etc.

Sometimes, there is no secret trick on how to overcome panic and fear (althouth the ice halo sounds magnificient, so there you go!). Sometimes, you just have to expose yourself to whatever it is that you're afraid of. Maybe try dipping into the elements that make you feel uncomfortable but not panicky, and try to balance around that spot until you feel less uncomfortable, then go one step further.

I hope this helps and I wish you all the best for the future. You can figure it out, just give yourself and your head some time!

Agree, take baby steps and be fully cognizant of your body.

For moves that I have a mental block on (e.g. BO3 turns which I broke my leg on), I also found it helpful to break it down into specific techniques and steps that I can focus my mind on. If I just "go by instinct", my instinctual mind will wander to negative thoughts and I get stuck. Even though my body already knows how to do it correctly, I am relearning the move afresh to disassociate the negative thoughts from the move.
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
Besides the Halo band there is also the Crasche band and beanies: https://crasche.com/

Halos are thicker, Crashe more stylish. But I caution in thinking that these are the be-all-and-end-all to alleviate head injuries. They have been known to come off the head as the head hits the ice.
Strongly second this caveat.

Over the years, I have directly witnessed three skaters wearing purportedly protective headbands fall backwards. I've also seen the aftermath of several similar falls (but not the actual falls themselves). The headbands are held on only by elastic tension. When the back of the head hits the ice, the headband can pop off. The head rebounds upward, and the (now totally unprotected) head whacks the ice again. I've seen instances in which there was blood left on the ice; and I've seen instances in which staff had to take the skaters off the ice for medical treatment. There are some versions with a chinstrap that are more secure. If you choose this minimal style of protection, you should at least consider one with a chinstrap.

OP: You haven't said what level of skating you're at. Don't know whether you would consider a helmet to be suitable. But given that you've had one bad concussion already, you should carefully weigh the priorities of aesthetics vs. safety.

I myself wear a hockey helmet. If you consider a hockey helmet, Virginia Tech has done detailed tests for concussion protection: https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/hockey-helmet-ratings.html. If you don't like the hockey-jock look, but want the protection of a helmet, you should take a look at "snow sports" helmets. They have a sleeker look than hockey helmets. They vary in protection from light duty to heavy duty (such as the ones that snowboarders wear). Virgina Tech hasn't tested this category yet, though. Good luck, and hope you overcome your anxiety soon.

ETA: There were discussions of helmets in this previous thread: https://goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?80538-LTS-fail-2. I gave more details on what to look for in a helmet (and what to avoid) in Reply #43 of that thread.
 

WednesdayMarch

Nicer When Fed
Medalist
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
Country
United-Kingdom
If you hate the look of a helmet, you can always put a fake fur headband around it, to soften the look. That's very popular with skiers, who now almost all wear safety helmets.

I had a bad accident in 1999 that necessitated a major operation and rehab, including relearning to walk as the nerves in my right leg were severed when my thigh muscle was removed above the knee. For years I couldn't even watch skating, especially when people were doing what I was when I fell. After 18 years, I got back on the ice and at first I couldn't even try the thing that I fell on, despite it being a core part of skating. I eventually tried it and now I try to spend more time each session working on it in order to rid myself of a bit more of the fear. It's working. Keep going, even if you get there slowly, you'll get there.
 

Snorlax

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 19, 2020
Country
United-Kingdom
I had a bad accident in 1999 that necessitated a major operation and rehab, including relearning to walk as the nerves in my right leg were severed when my thigh muscle was removed above the knee. For years I couldn't even watch skating, especially when people were doing what I was when I fell. After 18 years, I got back on the ice and at first I couldn't even try the thing that I fell on, despite it being a core part of skating. I eventually tried it and now I try to spend more time each session working on it in order to rid myself of a bit more of the fear. It's working. Keep going, even if you get there slowly, you'll get there.

Can I just say that I admire you for having such a backstory and still pushing yourself to go back skating (even if it took 18 years). This is a much better example than my silly swing accident and I wish you all the best for the future progress!!
 

WednesdayMarch

Nicer When Fed
Medalist
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
Country
United-Kingdom
Can I just say that I admire you for having such a backstory and still pushing yourself to go back skating (even if it took 18 years). This is a much better example than my silly swing accident and I wish you all the best for the future progress!!

I disagree. Your "silly swing accident" and how you overcame the subsequent fear was a perfect example, with helpful suggestions for the OP. As for me, I had to go back to skating. There wasn't an option not to do it. I honestly don't think I'd have made it through. Now I feel whole again.
 
Top