How to Stay Safe from Skateboarding Injuries

Skateboarding delivers a rush, but it also comes with real physical challenges. Whether you’re mastering tricks or cruising along, this sport relies on balance and quick reflexes.

Injuries are a real risk for all skill levels, yet proper preparation can help you stay injury-free. Jason Simon, MD, a Mass General Brigham orthopedic surgeon who cares for patients at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, shares common skateboarding injuries and how to prevent them.

Common skateboarding injuries

Most skateboarding injuries are considered acute (sudden) injuries. These usually result from impact events, such as falls or failed tricks.

Skateboarding injuries can happen anywhere on the body. “You can really break any bone, depending on how you land,” Dr. Simon says. You can also get seriously injured if you get struck by a car while riding in the street.

Acute injuries Dr. Simon often sees in skateboarders include:

• Concussion: This is a mild brain injury that can occur if you fall and hit your head on the pavement or other object.
  
• Fracture: A fracture is a crack or break in a bone. This often happens in the ankles, elbows, forearms, knees, and wrists.
  
• Muscle strain: A strain is caused by stretching or tearing a muscle and/or tendon. In skateboarding, strains can affect the ankles, knees, shoulders, and wrists during falls.
  
• Sprain: Falling and landing awkwardly can cause a ligament to stretch or tear. Ankle sprains are most common and happen when the ankle rolls while landing. But elbow, shoulder, and wrist sprains also occur.

When to see a doctor for a skateboarding injury

Some injuries, such as mild sprains and strains, can be taken care of at home. These injuries cause symptoms, such as:

• Bruising
• Sudden discomfort or pain in a muscle or joint
• Swelling
• Tenderness when you touch the soft tissue of the area
• Weakness or instability of the joint or limb

Other injuries, such as fractures and severe sprains and strains, should get checked by a health care professional. “If you have to think twice about how you’re feeling, go get checked,” Dr. Simon urges.

Visit urgent care or the ER if you hit your head—you may have a concussion. Signs of a concussion include confusion, dizziness, and headache.

Injury prevention while skateboarding

“With any higher-impact, higher-risk activity, preparation is the number one thing you can do to prevent injury,” Dr. Simon says. These are the steps he recommends.

Learn how to fall properly on a skateboard.

Falling while skateboarding is unavoidable—even professional skateboarders often fall. Practicing proper falling techniques can help you limit your risk of injury. Key pointers include:

• Crouch down as you lose balance, so you don’t have to fall far.
• Land on fleshy body parts whenever possible.
• Relax your body instead of going stiff.
• Roll rather than absorb the force of the fall with your arms.

Check your board.

Inspect your skateboard before using it to ensure it’s in good shape. Don’t ride your board if you notice:

• A slippery surface
• Cracked wheels
• Sharp edges

Wear protective gear for skateboard safety.

Protect your skull with a well-fitting helmet in the event you fall and hit your head on the pavement. “Wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of concussion by 85%,” Dr. Simon says.

Similarly, wrist guards can decrease your odds of wrist injury by up to 90%. Dr. Simon also recommends knee and elbow pads to cushion your joints from landing on hard surfaces.

Stay aware.

Whether you’re practicing tricks at the skate park or navigating the sidewalk, it’s important to be aware of your environment. Watch for pedestrians and other skateboarders to avoid a collision. Remember to skate on the right side of the sidewalk and pass on the left.

And just as you’d (hopefully) never walk in the street, you also shouldn’t ride in the street. “It doesn’t matter if you’re on a skateboard, roller skates, or walking—if you get hit by a car, you get hit by a car,” Dr. Simon says.