Hit Head During Practice | Golden Skate

Hit Head During Practice

HCOSurfer

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
So yesterday I was practicing my spins at my local ice rink. Toward the end of the session I did one last camel spin, slipped off of the back of my heel coming out, flew backward, and hit my head hard on the ice. My parents picked me up and brought me to the hospital where I was given a cat scan and a couple of neurological tests. The doctors informed me that I had a minor concussion and a couple of body bruises. My coach thinks that the problem might be that I'm using Mark IV blades rather than Pattern 99's.

Now I'm a bit nervous to get back on the ice. I mean I know it was probably a freak accident and I shouldn't really be worried, but there's always that what if factor. Anybody here have any advice for me? I'd really love to get back to the rink as soon as I get my nerve back.
 

jjane45

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 23, 2009
Now I'm a bit nervous to get back on the ice. I mean I know it was probably a freak accident and I shouldn't really be worried, but there's always that what if factor. Anybody here have any advice for me? I'd really love to get back to the rink as soon as I get my nerve back.

All my best for recovering from the concussion!! Not long after suffering a smaller accident involving my head and the ice (also from spins), I began to wear a helmet on a regular basis, it really gave me much more freedom while learning new skills. Very happy with it after getting used to the extra warmth, many actually complimented it's cute :sheesh: and the number of helmets on the session started to increase steadily. :laugh:
 
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HCOSurfer

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Do helmets interfere with learning jumps? My coach has already advised me to start wear gel pads, so I guess that's a step in the right direction.
 

jjane45

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 23, 2009
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Bennett

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Why don't you stay off ice until you completely recover first?
I had never worn head protection, but I took this kind of incident as a warning sign. Skating can be indeed dangerous, esp. incidents involving other skaters, and we need to think of safety as the first priority.
- Do enough stretch before taking on the ice.
- Take a break when you feel tired.
- When we are focusing on our own stuff too much, accidents involving others can happen.
- Always wear gloves.
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
There's the halo head band you could wear if you are really nervous about it. It's discrete and "cute" and protects your head.

Mark IV to Patterns is a big jump. Does your coach like any intermediate blades? Pattern 99's is usually for skaters working on high doubles/triples at the Juvenile+ level. Most coaches put their skaters in a Coronation Ace/MK Pro/Phantom/Vision/et al before a P99.
 

CdnSkateWatcher

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 21, 2010
How are you actually feeling- ? That's important. Concussions are serious injuries, and need to be taken care of properly. If you are still feeling the least bit wonky or ill, stay off the ice and rest. Don't over do it. Don't jump or spin ... your balance will/may be affected by the sideeffects of the concussion.

The best "protocol" for recovery: sit for a couple of days. Go for a short walk; it you feel okay, go for a longer walk. If you feel lousy (dizzy, ill) you're in need of more recovery time. Keep challenging yourself: short walk/longwalk/short jog/longer jog/short run and so on. If you are still suffering from side effects of the concussion you need to avoid physical exertion. Basically, you have a bruised brain: think about how nasty it is to fall on an existing bruise or jar bruised body parts ... you want the bruise to heal ...

As for getting back on the ice ... the halo head band is good if you're nervous.
 

HCOSurfer

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
I've actually been feeling a lot better lately. I still have a sore neck and get headaches from time to time, but it's eased up quite a bit. I told my coach that I'm taking a break for the next two weeks so I can fully recover without putting any strain on my head and the rest of my body. I'll make sure that next time I head down to the rink I'll be suited up in gel pads and more than likely a halo head band. Thank you guys for all of the advice :)

As far as blades go, my coach thinks that I'll probably land my jumps far more consistently with Pattern 99's than I would with other blades. She also said that I'll be able to spin a lot easier once I get used to them.
 

PROKOFIEV

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
I am so glad to hear that you are feeling better. My coach told me that pattern 99 is the best especially for spins. So I always used pattern 99. Nowadays, they made a parabolic pattern 99,but I do not know much about them
I hopoe you recover and get back on the ice soon.
 

Bennett

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
May I ask, what for? I used to be a syncro skater and nobody in our team wore gloves, so I don't know...
Because we often fall from hands. Then what if another skater skates on them? Even if not, you could have minor cuts by the ice, too. At my rink, it was mandatory to wear gloves during public sessions.
 
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