Impact resistant gloves to avoid further injuries

[EveningSky]

Hi! I'm new here and I was reading a few posts on equipment and such. I've seen several different pads, ice halos, and wrist guards mentioned as far as equipment for beginners is concerned but I was looking for impact resistant gloves that would reduce the risk of spraining the hand/fingers/thumb.
I am a beginner adult skater in the Basic 1 LTS class at my local rink. On my second day of class, I fell and sprained my right thumb which was a bit rough for me since I am right handed and have job where I have to constantly write. I was hoping if I found the right type of gloves, I could gain some confidence back (now every time I try to skate backward my legs start shaking even if I'm not thinking about falling which obviously makes it more likely that I'll fall). I know I fell wrong but I'm worried it might happen again and am particularly worried about my thumb getting hurt again (it really sucks not having a thumb). Any suggestions?

[blue111moon]

I've never heard of impact-resistent glove, although you might check skateboard or snowboard sites for something that might be useful.

Although a sprain isn't really an impact injury.  Sprains are usually caused but an overextension of the join or a twisting mostion (when you fell, you probably landed on your hand and your thumb stuck out and got stretched too back or under).  So impact protection probably wouldn't help in a similar fall anyway.

I'm not a doctor but I would suggest either taping your thumb to your hand so that it can't stick out or simply tucking your thumb into the index finger part of your glove (a mitten would be easier) to keep it in until you regain confidence. 

And really, as far as injuries go, a sprained thumb, while incovenient, isn't that bad of an injury.  Chances are, you won't ever do that again.  You'll fall and hurt something else instead.  (Not very comforting, I know and I'm sorry, but skating is a sport and injuries happen, even to non-beginners.)

[lutefisk]

Like the previous replier I've not come across the type of gloves you mention, but after breaking an arm while skating, my observation is that wrist guards are a good thing if you're continued employment requires functioning hands (mine does).  The only time I skate without my wrist guards is when I'm skating in dance hold with my dance partner.  Ice is slippery, skates are designed to exploit that slipperiness, and falls, particularly when learning new skills, come with the territory.  Gearing up with wrist guards, good knee and hip pads, etc. may not prevent all possible injuries but those items do go a long way in preventing most and, at least for me, boost confidence while out on the ice.  Confident skaters tend to skate with better technique, edges, etc. which in turn helps them stay sunny side up.

[Neverdull44]

I actually broke my wrist skating. ( I've skated "on and off" for about 10 years, and it's the only thing I've broken.)   Anyway, I wore wrist protectos, like the type worn for inline roller skating for several weeks and it healed up.  I also wore them skating until I was comfortable again.  Definately, suit up enough so you are not afraid to fall.  When you fall and tense up, you are more likely to get hurt.  If you are protected, you may relax more.  Believe it or not, you actually learn how to fall.

[dlbritton]

I have been wearing my inline skating wrist guards since I started figure skating last summer (except for a few days). I feel almost naked without them now. After I had been skating for a few weeks with no falls and was feeling comfortable I decided I did not need my wrist guards after all. Then I started learning crossovers and took a few hard spills. Luckily nothing bad happened except sore palms/fingers and I decided it would be prudent to go back to wearing my wrist guards. I have had a few falls since them, one of which probably would have broken something had I not been wearing wrist guards.

If you get wrist guards make sure they have a plate on the front (palm) and on the back of the wrist. Some cheaper ones will just have a plate on the palm.

Regarding your sprained thumb, while I am not a medical professional in any capacity, from looking at my wrist guards I think they would do a good job at protecting me from thumb sprains. Most wrist guards curve out from the palm acting as a shock absorber if you fall. I would have to fall in a very strange way to "jam" my thumb with my wrist guards on.

Regarding other protection, I wear McDavid hex elbow pads because I like the flexibility they provide. I wear fairly plain "volleyball' type knee pads. I wear hard shell knee pads when I inline skate but that is for mostly abrasion protection. Since you generally slide on ice foam padding is sufficient in my mind. I do not wear hip pads since I am not attempting jumps yet.

I do not wear any type of head protection but have thought about the soft cap type like other members of this forum have mentioned (slcbelle for one I think). I always wear a helmet skiing but think the weight and bulk would be a distraction on ice.

At the rink I skate at I have only seen one other skater use wrist guards on a regular basis. Some skaters comment that it looks like a good idea, but I notice they still don't wear them. One of the skaters working on Bronze MITF wore a wrist guard for several weeks after she sprained her wrist in a fall, but as soon as it was healed she stopped wearing it. I have had other skates ask me what happened since they associate wearing wrist guards with with protecting an injury after the fact not as a preventative measure. 

[TDL]

Skating safe sells thin gel pads for the hands.  I insert mine under gloves and if I use my hands to stop  or brace a fall (you will train yourself out of that habit eventually), they do absorb quite a bit of the shock.

[ChristyRN]

I've broken both my wrist and ankle skating. I don't wear any padding or protection. I wouldn't have worn any when I broke my wrist (Christmas show) and the ankle was due to some kid taking the edges and rocker off my spinning blade.

Have I fallen and hurt myself? Yes. Will I do it again? Most definitely. Will I pad up? Probably not. The most I've done is wear a wrist guard for six months after the cast came off. I see padding as a crutch and if I want to test or compete, I won't be able to wear them then, so why get used to them. Of course, that might change if I ever start working on doubles or axel.

[slcbelle]

I skate with Burton Red Wrist Guards.  They are low profile and fit under the slimmest of gloves. http://www.allsportprotection.com/Burton_Wrist_Guards_Youth_p/red0025.htm?1=1&CartID=0

[Clarice]

I've heard lots of recommendations for wrist guards, and think they could be useful for you, for now at least.  I don't wear them myself, and I'm a professional musician and definitely need my wrists and hands in order to work!  Wear the wrist guards if you like, but the most important things are to learn where your weight should be on your blades and how to fall properly.  Falls are going to happen to all of us at one time or another, but you don't need to catch yourself with your hands or bump your head.  I've trained myself to tuck my chin, take the impact on my hip or shoulder, and slide so that the ice absorbs most of the force.  The first thing you should do when you feel your balance going is to bend your knees and lower your center of gravity, so you should be closer to the ice when you fall anyway.  I've skated now for over 15 years, and have never had a head, hand or wrist injury.  Could it happen?  Sure, accidents can happen to anybody.  But it will more than likely be on my own driveway in the winter than at the rink.

[EveningSky]

Thank you for all the suggestions everybody! I had my lesson today and was skating backward with more confidence. I think I will probably look into getting a wrist guard and maybe other equipment so I can practice falling (if it does happen).

[kiwiskater]

Its a personal choice to wear guards. I do all the time - I have had a near miss on a wrist fracture (skating) and I have also torn a ligament in my thumb (ironically from a cycling fall not skating). No guard is going to protect you 100% but I really like the docmeter/flexmeter guards on snowboardsecrets.com, they have splints on both sides of the wrist to prevent over extension injuries which cause things like scaphoid fractures, they absorb a lot of the impact.

[taka]

I really like the docmeter/flexmeter guards

Me too - they are the ones I  used for around a year after breaking my wrist. Kind of bulky as they go further up your arm than many but I liked the fact you could still flex your wrists in them. I tried other brands on before them and they all felt like I was wearing a cast!

[Query]

I can't tell you what gloves work best for what you want. Boxing gloves might provide some padding, but are expensive, and would not be stylish in a figure skating context. Though lots of people would stop you to ask questions. Who knows, you might start a trend. 

I picture wrapping your hands and wrists with a long strip of bubble wrap... Even more questions... 

But it is possible you hurt your finger or wrists because they were stiff. If you are stiff when you hit, that makes you brittle. For the most part, if your joints can move your bones don't have to bend and fracture, and your muscles and ligaments don't have to tear. Stay loose when you go down.

At first I tried the usual roller blade wrist protectors. But that just made me more rigid, and therefore more brittle. After learning to stay relaxed during falls, I've gone back to cheap knitted gloves, just to avoid scratches.

But fall practice takes a lot of time, to override the inappropriate stiffening reflexes you have developed over your lifetime.

I hope you find something that works for you, and do what you need to to feel safe.