Wakeboarding Injuries, Clavicle and Rib Discomfort

The Summer months are a wonderful time here in Loveland Colorado. For those lucky enough to have access to Lake Loveland it means days filled with boating and swimming. Some of the most popular sports to be had on the lake when I grew up were waterskiing, wind surfing and tubing but today's youth has taken up a few new ones: wakeboarding and kneeboarding.

Both of these sports are fun and I've seen them push the possibilities of tow-in water activities. The focus has moved away from speed and turning, when I was younger, to air and hang time. New booms elevate the rope so riders can get more air and even do flips! This is all good and fun but the stresses of being pulled through the air, sometimes by just one arm, with the added weight of a board strapped to your feet or knees can do a number on the ribs, back and clavicle alignment. This is especially true for people who might have been in school or working all winter and then jumped back in full steam. This can also happen to the weekend warrior type that is sedentary for five days and then participates in strainuous activities on the weekend.

Any sport or activity that puts high tension and stress on the upper body, especially uneaven tension as with wakeboarding, can cause upper body stiffness. I recommend stretching out before participating in these activities and when possible conditioning the body parts that will be used. There are several stretches and workouts that are good for wakeboarders to try in the offseason and you can see a few of them demonstrated along with pictures at WakeWorld here or listed below for your convenience. I'm not an expert in this subject area so these workout areas are just shared to help you seek out your own routine. I believe that students at Loveland High can also participate in weight training courses and that would be a great way to learn the proper way to condition your body. For those who are no longer in high school Chilson Recreation Center offers weight training equipment along with several other private gyms around town that provide personal trainers:

Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
Flat Bench press
Incline Dumbbell Press
Incline Fly
Dumbbell Overhead Press
Lateral Raises
Upright Rows - Wide Grip
Tricep Push Downs
Hanging Leg Raises
Rope Crunches

Back, Biceps, & Traps
Wide Grip Pull Downs
Overhand Rows
Close Grip Pull Downs
Upright Rows, Close Grip Upright Rows
Shrugs
Dumbbell Curls
Hammer Curls
Reverse Curls Reverse Curls
Hyper Extensions

I am not a professional weight trainer or coach so these exercise recommendations are purely that, just something to consider to keep your back and chest in shape for wakeboarding and other summertime activities. WakeWorld also recommends a lowerbody workout so visit that article and do another Google search for more tips.

Sometimes even with the best preparation and skill we still fall or strain our muscles and ligaments. Just as you can sprain your ankle, your chest and shoulders can get strained. Aside from actually being dislocated, our ribs and clavicle can get tight and even click or pop making it irritating to breathe. I have several methods for dealing with this type of condition much the way I would address a neck that had fallen out of allignment. Gases and tension build up where the cartilage and bones connect and I can release that tension and pop them back into place allowing the surrounding muscles to relax and heal.

If you wakeboard, waterski, jetski, or kneeboard (or participate in some other activity that causes chest, shoulder or rib discomfort) stop by the office and I will work to realign your ribcage and other systems so you can feel better!