head banger

[SierraLuLu]

I had a similar incident this weekend. Slipped and fell backwards at the bottom of the hill and landed on the back of my head. I had a headache in the front of my head for a couple hours (my goggle lenses were partially knocked out so I think my head must have bounced off the back of my helmet and hit the front of my helmet). I wasn’t disoriented and don’t think I have a concussion, but my neck has been sore for the past 3 days and I have to prop up my head every time I lay down. Probably whiplash. Ouch.

It’s a little comforting reading this thread and knowing I’m not the only person who’s done this. I hope everyone who posted here has healed nicely.

 

[MissySki]

I had a similar incident this weekend. Slipped and fell backwards at the bottom of the hill and landed on the back of my head. I had a headache in the front of my head for a couple hours (my goggle lenses were partially knocked out so I think my head must have bounced off the back of my helmet and hit the front of my helmet). I wasn’t disoriented and don’t think I have a concussion, but my neck has been sore for the past 3 days and I have to prop up my head every time I lay down. Probably whiplash. Ouch.

It’s a little comforting reading this thread and knowing I’m not the only person who’s done this. I hope everyone who posted here has healed nicely.

This has happened to me twice over my time skiing, whiplash stinks! Do make sure you check your helmet for any visible damage that signifies it may now be compromised in being able to protect you next time. Even if nothing is visible, many helmets are only designed to take one big hit, though with some technologies that’s not the case and it also depends how “significant” the crash is.

 

[newboots]

The bad news is, not only does your head bounce in your helmet, but it’s possible for your brain to be thrown against your skull and be injured opposite the impact. But likely that would produce worse symptoms.

I second the call for considering a new helmet. Most only have one significant whack in them and lose some of their protective function after that.

I am fully recovered! In fact, I forgot all about the falls I wrote about last season. (Hmm. Forgetting. That isn’t the best recommendation for my cognitive intactness!)

 

[SallyCat]

The bad news is, not only does your head bounce in your helmet, but it’s possible for your brain to be thrown against your skull and be injured opposite the impact. But likely that would produce worse symptoms.

^ Ditto this. ^ When your head stops suddenly, your brain can hit the skull in the direction of the force, and then again when it rebounds and hits the other side of the skull. Helmets are important, but they don't stop that internal impact, which can be severely damaging. See this recent study of ski-related head injuries from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. The headline says it all, really, but the bottom line is: Try very, very hard not to hit your head at all."

 

[SierraLuLu]

I checked my helmet thoroughly for damage and can’t seem to find anything different about it - everything seems firm, no dents, nothing displaced. However, when reading about helmet failures I stumbled upon MIPS helmets, which I have never heard of.

https://www.evo.com/guides/mips-hel...X89uf3MmGm8_ySQtwX3s9ScfV5Yb1i6kaAhJpEALw_wcB

Can anyone educate me? Do these work better at preventing concussions?

 

[marzNC]

I checked my helmet thoroughly for damage and can’t seem to find anything different about it - everything seems firm, no dents, nothing displaced. However, when reading about helmet failures I stumbled upon MIPS helmets, which I have never heard of.

https://www.evo.com/guides/mips-hel...X89uf3MmGm8_ySQtwX3s9ScfV5Yb1i6kaAhJpEALw_wcB

Can anyone educate me? Do these work better at preventing concussions?

MIPS has been around since the 1990s but only started becoming common in ski helmets in the last 5-10 years. It was invented in Sweden. Since there is an extra structure, MIPS helmets are always more expensive. Although the price difference isn't as much these days.

For a little history about MIPS:
https://road.cc/content/feature/252931-all-you-need-know-about-mips

Whether or not to replace a helmet after one fall is a personal decision. Obviously if there is visible damage, it should be replaced. If it's a new helmet and the contact wasn't that hard, the decision is less obvious. Note that the recommendation is to replace a helmet based on time, even with no falls. Have seen 5 years or 8 years, but generally there is agreement that after 10 years it's best to buy a new helmet. Plastic degrades. It's similar to the idea that when buying tires for a car, you want tires that haven't been sitting in a warehouse for 2+ years.