Avoiding & Treating Skateboarding Hand & Wrist Injury
Spring has finally arrived – and kids across the Bloomfield Hills area are anxious to get out their skateboards and start enjoying the warmer weather. But while skateboarding can be great physical activity, there are some things parents should know to keep children safe before letting them step on their “deck.”
While skateboarding continues to steadily grown in popularity – injuries relating to the sport are also on the rise. In fact, there are about 50,000 visits to the emergency room each year due to skateboard injuries, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. So, it is essential to take safety precautions to minimize the chance of injury – especially when adolescents and teens are first learning to skateboard.
In this article, board certified Bloomfield Hills hand doctor Uzma Rehman offers safety tips to help protect kids from hand, wrist, arm, finger, elbow or shoulder injuries while having fun on their skateboards. And she provides information on understanding when your child should been seen by a doctor if they have suffered the typical falls, bumps and bruises that are part of skateboarding.
Ways to Prevent Skateboarding Injury
#1. Use Proper Skateboarding Equipment
It should go without saying that a helmet is essential for any child (or adult) who is skateboarding. But, while a helmet is essential to protecting the head, brain and face, a helmet will not prevent injuries to the limbs.
Protective equipment should also include elbow pads, knee pads and wrist guards. These can absorb the shock of the fall and prevent or at least minimize some injuries.
#2. Skateboard on the Right Surface
Encouraging your teen to skateboard on professionally constructed equipment in controlled environments – like a skate park – is preferable to skateboarding on sidewalks, curbs and steps that may have cracks or be rough and uneven.
And make sure that your child understands and agrees to follow the rules of the skate park. The regulations are in place specifically for the skateboarders’ safety.
Skateboarders should also be prohibited from boarding on streets where there are cars, and sidewalks or plazas where are pedestrians.
#3. Learn to Fall Properly when Skateboarding
Teach children NOT to put their hand or arm out to break their fall. The impact of landing on an outstretched hand can lead to breaks or sprains of the elbow, wrist, fingers or shoulder.
Skateboarders should practice trying to absorb the impact of a ‘wipe out” by rolling into the fall using the “tuck and roll” technique. This method disperses the impact of the fall across the whole body, putting less force on the more fragile limbs and joints.
#4. No Headphones or Earbuds When Skateboarding
Teens love music! But they need to be able to hear their surroundings when skateboarding. Wearing headphones can prevent them from hearing an approaching pedestrian, cyclist, car or other traffic nearby – and result in a collision.
#5. Exercise “Common Sense” When Skateboarding
Kids can get so wrapped up in their passion for skateboarding, that parents may need to remind them of some basic “common sense” skateboarding rules:
- Stay hydrated! Bring water and stop to drink it.
- Rest every couple of hours, even if you aren’t tired.
- Do not skateboard in the rain, snow or during lightening.
- Do not ignore pain or swelling from a fall – get it checked by an adult.
When to See a Doctor for Skateboard Injury
Wrist and hand injuries are the most common skateboarding injuries. Skateboarders inevitably suffer many superficial bumps, bruises and scrapes that they can “brush off”. But sprains and fractures (broken bones) require immediate medical attention to avoid long-term or permanent joint damage or mobility issues.
When you should see a doctor for a skateboarding injury:
- If there is any swelling
- If the hand or wrist is hard to move, or can’t move at all
- Whenever pain is intense or excruciating
- Milder pain and/or tenderness that lasts for more than a day or two
- Any visible deformity like a bent limb, shortened finger, crooked arm, depressed knuckle, etc.
How Hand Doctors Treat Skateboarding Injuries
Treatment of skateboarding hand and wrist injuries begins with comprehensive evaluation by experienced hand specialists like Dr. Uzma Rehman in the Bloomfield Hills area. This assessment typically includes detailed physical examination and advanced imaging to precisely identify the nature and extent of damage—critical information for developing effective treatment plans. For fractures, proper setting ensures bones heal in correct anatomical alignment, a step that may involve closed reduction (manual realignment without surgery) or open reduction for complex fractures requiring direct visualization. Early intervention proves particularly crucial for skateboarding injuries, as the high-impact nature of these traumas often creates complex injury patterns that benefit from specialist care within hours of occurrence.
Following diagnosis and initial treatment, immobilization through specialized splinting or casting protects injured structures while healing progresses. Unlike general medical providers, hand specialists create custom immobilization tailored to the specific injury pattern and the unique demands skateboarders place on their hands and wrists. These devices immobilize only what’s necessary while allowing safe movement in unaffected joints, helping maintain overall hand function during healing and preventing the stiffness that often results from overly restrictive immobilization. For skateboarders, this specialized approach proves especially valuable, as it addresses the sport’s characteristic injury patterns including scaphoid fractures, distal radius fractures, and ligament tears in the wrist.
More severe skateboarding injuries often require surgical intervention to restore proper function and strength. Dr. Rehman’s surgical approaches might include internal fixation using small plates, screws, or pins to stabilize fractures; ligament or tendon repair for tears; or more complex reconstruction for severely damaged joints. Advanced techniques like arthroscopy allow for minimally invasive treatment of certain wrist injuries, reducing surgical trauma and potentially accelerating recovery. Throughout the surgical planning process, Dr. Rehman considers the unique demands skateboarding places on the upper extremities, including impact forces during falls, grip requirements, and wrist positioning during tricks and transitions.
Rehab After a Skateboard Injury
The rehabilitation phase proves equally important for ensuring skateboarders can safely return to their sport with full function and minimal re-injury risk. Hand therapy typically begins as soon as healing allows, often with protected movement of uninvolved joints even while immobilization devices remain in place. As healing progresses, therapy advances through carefully staged protocols focusing first on restoring range of motion, then building strength and stability, and finally developing sport-specific skills necessary for safe return to skateboarding.
In the Bloomfield Hills area, Dr. Rehman collaborates with our certified in-house hand therapists to develop progressive rehabilitation programs that address each skateboarder’s specific injury pattern while incorporating elements that mimic the hand and wrist stresses encountered during skateboarding. This comprehensive approach ensures skateboarders can return to their sport safely while minimizing the risk of recurrent injury.
Skateboard Injury Doctor | Bloomfield Hills Area
If your child is suffering from any pain, swelling or deformity in their fingers, wrist, elbow, shoulder or arm, after a skateboarding fall, contact board certified hand surgeon Doctor Rehman for a comprehensive evaluation and consultation.
Especially in children, early detection, diagnosis and treatment is the most effective way to minimize pain, and prevent long-term complications or permanent damage that can limit mobility or functioning for the rest of their life.
Doctor Rehman will assess your child or teen’s individual situation, and prescribe the treatments and therapies that are best for their condition – so they can safely get back to their regular activities as soon as possible.
