Acquiring rollerblading injury from a sport is highly likely because, for one, the body consistently receives force and pressure, which at times, can be in greater amount than the body can normally handle. There are also times when the environmental condition to which an athlete is exposed presents potential dangers that are out of his control. Other times, his behavior and judgment abilities are overridden by compulsive actions.
The same is true for rollerbladers. Researches show that as rollerblading becomes highly popular, the more injuries are recorded. In several countries, particularly the United States, Australia, and Canada, injury cases grow in an alarming pace.
While rollerblading injuries are likely to be more apparent among children and adolescents, statistics reveals that older individuals are as equally predisposed to injuries. In fact, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recorded injuries among people aged 65 years and above. Additionally, a previous study reported that injuries among male skaters are more usual than female skaters. There is no concrete reason for this, although researchers account it to the fact that there are more male skaters than female.
Dislocation, fractures, strains, and sprains are the most common injuries among skaters. Twenty-five percent of injuries occur in the wrist area, with the wrist fracture as the most commonly reported case. The wrist is highly vulnerable as it receives much of the force during a fall, especially when skaters fall with outstretched arms. Other areas frequently injured are elbows, knees, and head, although head injuries are quite rare, constituting only 5% of the reported cases. However, head injuries appear to be life-threatening and can cause long-term consequences both physically and financially. Deaths are not common. In a study, 31 of the 36 cases of death are caused by collision with vehicles.
Rollerblading injuries are said to cause by inability to stop, loss of balance, uncontrollable speed, performing tricks, and obstacles and surface irregularities. However, any injury from such events can be prevented if the skater wears the recommended protective gears: wrist guards, helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads. The fact that protective gears can save a skater from potential dangers shouldn’t be overlooked. A study revealed that those who wear protective gears are less likely to acquire injuries as opposed to those who don’t.
Moreover, most of the injured skaters didn’t have proper and formal training. This, therefore, emphasizes the importance of taking lessons from a certified skating instructor. Nothing can substitute the benefit of learning from an expert who teaches skating techniques that include proper braking and falling, balancing skills, and road regulations.
