As of: February 11, 2024, 11:35 a.m
By: Andreas Beez
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There are dangers for our joints, especially in winter.
The expert Dr.
Manuel Köhne provides valuable knowledge.
The crucial question remains: When to go to the doctor?
Whether while skiing, on a winter hike or simply because of an unfortunate step: a fall on your knee, shoulder, wrist, hip or head can happen quickly and can have dire consequences.
Dr.
Manuel Köhne explains first aid measures for your joints and when you need to see a doctor.
Our expert: Chief physician of the ski aces
Dr.
Manuel Köhne operates on several hundred winter athletes every year.
© Photo: OCM
Surname |
Dr. Manuel Köhne |
Practice |
Orthopedic Surgery Munich (OCM) |
function |
Lead team doctor of the German National Alpine Ski Team |
Specialization |
Specialist in orthopedics and trauma surgery |
Specialty |
Knee injuries, especially operations (including interventions on cruciate ligaments and menisci; also joint replacements) |
The bad luck rule applies after falls on the joint
Risky fall: On the one hand, this skier is not wearing a helmet, and on the other hand, her bindings are set too hard and do not release.
© Panther Media
In general, the PECH rule applies after falls.
It stands for the terms break, ice, compression and elevation.
This is intended to prevent increased bleeding into the joint.
Tablets such as Ibuprofen or Voltaren, which also have an anti-inflammatory effect, help against the pain.
But these measures are not always enough.
There are indications as to when a visit to the doctor makes sense - and how quickly it should be done.
How to properly assess your knee injury
If there was a cracking noise when you fell and severe pain occurs, something worse has usually happened - especially if you can no longer put any weight on your leg.
Such symptoms indicate a bony injury.
The classic is a fracture of the tibial plateau.
This can only be diagnosed with an X-ray or a computer tomography, ideally in the ski resort.
If the leg can no longer be stretched or bent as usual, this indicates a pinched meniscus or a detached piece of cartilage.
You can't see it on an x-ray, you need an MRI.
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Have knee pain that lasts longer than three days checked out
If you have mild knee pain without a blockage, instability or pain when walking, you don't necessarily need to go to the doctor immediately.
It can also be caused by a relatively harmless capsular strain, compression or crushing of the knee joint.
In principle, however, the following applies: Any pain and swelling in a non-damaged knee that lasts longer than three days should be clarified.
Dr.
Manuel Köhne: Snapping and clicking noises in the knee indicate a torn cruciate ligament
Dr.
Manuel Köhne from the Munich Orthopedic Surgery Practice (OCM).
© Photo: OCM
If there is one or often even two snapping or clicking noises in the knee joint in quick succession and a subsequent feeling of instability without severe pain, there is often a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament.
As a rule, the knee swells slightly to moderately in the evening and there is moderate pain on the outside of the knee.
An MRI is required to determine the extent of the injury and possible associated injuries.
In almost all cases, surgery is recommended by a knee specialist around four to six weeks after the accident.
These are the sticking points when it comes to falls on the hip and thigh
If the thigh hurts over ten or 15 centimeters when straining over its entire length, tendons may be damaged, such as the adductors, the quadriceps tendon on the front or the hamstrings on the back.
When resting, these injuries cause little discomfort.
If you have very severe thigh pain after a fall, you should have an X-ray taken quickly to check for a possible fracture - especially if you can no longer walk properly.
An ultrasound examination, which is usually available quickly, can reveal muscle and tendon injuries.
How to correctly classify shoulder pain
Many athletes struggle with their shoulders.
© Zoonar/Imago
If you notice a kind of snapping in your arm and are in severe pain and can no longer move your arm, then your shoulder may be dislocated.
If the head of the humerus breaks, you will experience extreme pain, even if you can still move your arm easily.
A shoulder joint sprain also often occurs.
The patient usually only has spotty pain, but can hardly lift the arm above 90 degrees.
In the case of collarbone fractures, the pain usually occurs in the front of the shoulder.
You can often see a slight misalignment of the bone due to swelling under the skin.
A sign of a rotator cuff tendon injury is that the pain only gets worse with a delay, often only at night.
Immediately after the accident, those affected often only feel a slight pulling sensation in their shoulder.
Do not take aspirin tablets after falling on your head
Despite wearing a helmet, a relatively large number of skiers suffer a concussion on the slopes and especially in open terrain.
It manifests itself through headaches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes also through speech disorders and concentration problems.
If the patient was consciously going, he always has to go into the tube to rule out a cerebral hemorrhage with a computer tomography (CT).
Under no circumstances should you take aspirin tablets after a fall on your head because the blood-thinning medication could, in the worst case, cause a cerebral hemorrhage.
What you need to consider if you have wrist pain
In addition to broken wrists, fall victims often injure their ligaments - especially if the loops on the poles do not come loose while skiing.
Then we talk about a ski thumb.
Those affected have shooting pain, can no longer grip, and a bruise often forms.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to determine whether the ligament injuries can heal through immobilization or require surgery.
If a bone fracture is suspected, an X-ray is necessary, and if the fracture is displaced, a CT scan is also necessary.
In these cases, surgery is usually required.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Unfortunately, our editorial team cannot answer individual questions about medical conditions.