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Injury on the Ice

Bitter cold temperatures are good for at least one thing: ice.  Ice fisherman are out in full force these days, as are ice skaters.  Skating is a great w...

 

Bitter cold temperatures are good for at least one thing: ice.  Ice fisherman are out in full force these days, as are ice skaters.  Skating is a great wintertime activity, but it's a potentially dangerous one too.

The Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins make it look easy.  Hockey players, of course, are highly-skilled athletes whose job it is to skate.

"...which is certainly going to be different than the person who goes to Rockefeller Center and skates, or who waits for the lake to freeze and goes out for an hour maybe 2 to 3 times a year," said Dr. William Krywicki.  He takes care of the Pens during their season, and is also the Director of Orthopaedics at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center.  He says when it comes to the pros, he worries mainly about joint and muscle overuse, very different issues than for novice skaters, whose major concern should be falls.
"Wrist and hip issues...an older person may end up with a compression fracture in their back as they come down on their butt and land hard," said Dr. Krywicki.

Skating coach Karel Zubris met us at the Toyota SportsPlex in Wilkes-Barre to talk safety.  She's been skating for 30 years.

"When news broke that they were going to build this rink, we begged our parents, please get us new skates! And they did. So we were here the first time it opened, I have pictures, my sister and I, the first day," Zubris recalls.

She says safety is a big part of what she teaches her students, both kids and adults.  A few notes: make sure your skates fit properly to reduce the risk of ankle injuries; dress warmly but not heavily, which can throw off your balance; wear snow pants to better cushion a fall; watch the blades, obviously they're very sharp; and always wear a helmet.

"Just go to a store and buy a bicycle helmet. There are hockey helmets as well. Make sure they're good and secure," Zubris notes.

There are more people skating at the rink these days than General Manager Jason Jarecki could have ever imagined.

"I think when the Penguins and the arena came into town, I think that changed the whole game," Jarecki said.

His best advice is to find an introductory class to show you the basics to best prevent injury.

 

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