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Natasha Richardson: falling, brain injuries and ski helmets
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The tragic death of Natasha Richardson has many people wondering about the safety of the ski slopes. After all, she was on a beginner slope, taking a private lesson. Since she was a renowned celebrity, I'm sure that she was assigned to one of Tremblant's best instructors. So why did such a minor fall result in such a tragic accident?
There are many speculations, and perhaps we will never know that truth. However, on a number of levels, the incident should serve as a warning for serious and novice skiers. First, let's talk about falling.
Warning: I take a contrarian view on this topic. Ski instructors have always told me not to be afraid of falling. Nothing seriously bad will happen. And that's the fourth biggest lie. In my 10 years of skiing, I could probably count my number of ski-related falls on one head. Okay, perhaps I'm exaggerating, but you get the picture. Two of my falls resulted in severs injuries: One MCL tear, and one ACL, medial meniscus and MCL tear . As such, I am obsessed with balance and agility training. Let my instructors continue to tell me that it's okay to fall. I choose to ignore their advice. Perhaps, it's okay to fall if you are a 20-something. However, even if you boast a high level of fitness, baby boomers are more prone to balance-related injuries. Richardson began skiing at age 45. Perhaps there were some age-related balance issues going on. Once again, we may never know, but her instructor should have insisted upon her wearing a helmet.
Would a helmet have lessened the severity of her injury? Again, another question mark. However, according to the research of Stewart Levy, M.D, it might have. Levy surveyed 261 skiers and snowboarders that were admitted to Saint Anthony’s Hospital in Denver for brain injuries. Sadly, only 13 of the injured snow sliders were wearing helmets. However, they were the fortunate ones. They only suffered mild concussions, and eventually had full recoveries. Those who were not wearing helmets suffered severe injuries. These included cerebral contusions, subdural hematomas or comas. Four percent of those who were injured died.
That said, to complicate matters, according to an article on Web MD, Richardson's death might have been the result of a pre-existing brain injury. Sadly, having recently gone through the ordeal of finding a reason for my own sudden bout of headaches, I know that these things are hard to diagnose. However, given that I know that there's something not right, I wouldn't dream of skiing without a helmet.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Natasha's family.
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