The case of pain without trauma

Knee pain from skiing?!

Some skiers suffer more or less quickly on the skis as soon as they put on their shoes without a particular pathology or injury being involved. There is still time to find curative solutions. Bootfitting, osteopaths, exoskeletons, weight training, ... allow you to reposition effort or relieve pressure to take pleasure for longer.

But it is also possible to extend the experience with sliding activities that take all pressure off the knee joint.

Skiing while avoiding knee pain

The most obvious solution is to take the pressure associated with skiing on the knee joint. Impossible you tell me? Well it’s really simple, we just have to look beyond our habits and our conditioning.

The pleasure of skiing is mainly in the control of speed, the sensations of gliding, the curves and the inclination that can be obtained thanks to the centrifugal force. The adrenaline of speed of course but also the precision of the piloting ... Is that what you like?

To properly prepare your knees, you can consult our blog “Strengthen your knees before the ski season” 

Well, standing isn't the only way to get these sensations. Quite the contrary. sitting skiing allows you to feel these bursts of emotion. Sometimes even with more intensity. a bit like when you go from your car to go karting. A few centimeters from the ground, the sensations of speed are multiplied.

How pain is triggered when skiing

First of all, you have to be aware that the stress on your joints is much greater in skiing than in our everyday life. The joints are therefore very stressed during their bending and by vibrations. These efforts can be indicative of a bad position in general. A fragile knee promotes the onset of these pains.

Go to the osteopath: Without knowing it, you have a blocked hip and every day you start with the lower joints: the knee and ankle

On skis, as the ankle is blocked by the rigid boot, only the knee can compensate which can lead to over-stress and end up in tendonitis.

A first step is to go for a visit to the osteoarthritis when pain occurs to make sure that it is not a purely mechanical problem.

Knee pain related to position and ski equipment

Having the feet parallel in the axis of the walk is not a natural position for the human body. As we pointed out previously, the ankle, knee and hip work together to correct imbalances or physical peculiarities. In skiing, only the knee and the hip participate in the task, with moreover this foot positioned in the axis. It is logically the knee which toasts first. It is possible to improve the working position of the knee by adapting its material.

Choice of shoes to relieve the knees: 

Choose a model adapted to the morphology of your feet since there too, intolerances can have repercussions on your knees. Fischer's Somatec technology allows the foot to be shifted slightly outside the axis of the sole in order to better respect the natural position of the feet. The disengagement of the collar more and more present on the boots allows each stop to easily release the bending position imposed by a ski boot. Details that can make the difference!

Bootfitting to relieve knee pain:

If the foot is not flat, the malleolus crashes inwards, which often causes pain and tends to pull the knee in, which results in pretty X-shaped legs. Repeated flexions and vibrations gradually come to create pain in this knee which does not work in its usual axis. Depending on your pain / injury, soft injection slippers allow you to perfectly wedge your feet so that they work in the axis most suited to your body type.

Adapted skis limit knee pain

The right skis for the right conditions: Skis adapted to your level and your practice improve your comfort. Good quality piste skis vibrate much less than less solid ones. In powder, wide skis will help you. On the other hand, it is out of the question to ski on piste with fat skis which tend to "stick out the knees"!

Ski conditions to protect your knees

Choose your snow: Heavy snow, when it is necessary to force to take out the spatula, is to be avoided, just like concrete, too vibratory as soon as you skid. It's about being responsive and taking advantage of the directions to stay on the right snow.

Choose the right equipment: Choosing the right gear is key to getting the most out of your ski season, and here at Snooc we bring you the best winter gear for those with knee pain. The Snooc sit-ski sled is the equipment you need.

You can check our Snooc equipment by clicking here.