Bumps, bruises, maybe a little blood; all good indicators of a great day of mountainboarding. Seeing a fellow rider get up after a huge spill and continue riding is a normal thing. We step into the bindings each time knowing that injury might await. Some injuries, however, need to be taken care of more immediately in order to prevent further damage. Knowing some basic first aid can help to keep you riding.

Fractures are bad news. There are different kinds of fractures. There are closed fractures, where the bone is fractured under the skin, and there are open fractures, where the bone had broken through the skin and is sticking out. Both need to be treated in order to prevent further injury.

It’s harder to tell if you have a closed fracture than it is for an open fracture (for obvious reasons). Some of the signs to look for are the following:

• It hurts when you move the injured part.
• You can’t move the injured part.
• The injured part looks deformed.
• Swelling or discoloration of the injured part.

If ever you’re in doubt, treat it as a fracture. Any time that a fracture is suspected, you have to exercises extreme care. The ends of broken bones are sharp and movement can cut tissue and blood vessels. If you are in a location where you can get a medical professional on the scene, do it, and avoid moving the injured person if possible. The following instruction is for those instances where you are not so lucky.

The key to treating a fracture is to hold it in place so it doesn’t move around while the person is taken to a professional. As mentioned before, movement of a fracture will only cause more injury. A splint is what is commonly used to hold the injured part still.

A splint can be anything that will hold its shape, just use what you have around you, your mountainboard if you have to. Whatever you choose to use, it should be secured in several places above and below the break. You want the splint to be secure and comfortable. Pad the inside of the splint if possible and never tie it so tight that circulation is lost.

If the fracture is an open fracture, it should still be dealt with in the same manner. With this type of fracture you will also need to treat the wound. Apply pressure to stop the bleeding and cover with a clean bandage (pressure should be applied with care in order to keep the bone from cutting more tissue).

The most important thing for a rider with any kind of fracture is to get professional medical attention. The sooner the better. Never try to reset a broken limb like they do in the movies. Sometimes the limb will look so unnatural that you will want to move it ‘back to normal.’ DO NOT MOVE IT! Let the pros do that part.

Above all, once your fixed, grab your mountainboard and go make up for lost time.

Check back next week for Part 2 of Basic First Aid for Mountainboarders.