Musings on Head Injuries

[wardsgirl]

Is it just me, or has anyone else been thinking of the possibility of dying from a head injury in the field?

There's been a lot in the news about actress Natasha Richardson's untimely death today. Apparently, she hit her head in what sounds like a minor ski accident on relatively level terrain. Now, I figure that I generally fall at least once a day when hiking, I actually counted that I fell exactly 29 times on the LT last summer. You may know others who fall even more times than me. OK, maybe not. (No wonder no one wants to hike with me!) But seriously, I know I have hit my head before when traveling on ice, slippery stream crossings, the Long Trail, etc. Who would have thought that a simple slip and whack to the head could actually do you in? As a solo hiker, the possibility of whacking your head and dying may be magnified because of fewer people around to see what happened and render assistance. Has anyone else been thinking of the times they have hit their head- and survived? Scary!

 

[BlackBuffalo]

Sad news indeed.
I know freak accidents are possible, deadly even. At any point I could drop dead of something.

But if I had this on my brain all the time, everyday, I'd be too fearful to do any of things I enjoy. I'd use way to much precaution and it would cause me a world of stress.

A concussion landed me in the hospital as a kid, for a week. So, excuse my crazy logic.

DaveG.

 

[Silverfox]

While certainly the potential for head injury does exist in hiking I would guess the risk much less than skiing for example.. that being said

we have the 'Patty" rule in place on all group hikes which essentially is to warn people about blowdowns and overhanging trees etc..As some wear visors or caps all the time the perriphial vision suffers.. especially for those not in the front of the group ..where you can get in the habit of just following..step by step..watching other peoples shoes....One of the gals in our group has just about knocked herself cold several times by walking into a head high blowdown..one particular blowdown on garfield I was sure she had lost a tooth...ever dropped a coconut on the floor??
while we haven't as a group issued or recommended helmets while hiking we do as a courtesy announce "tree" from the leaders on back whenever something encroaches on the trail...

 

[PA Ridgerunner]

I always wear my helmet, but they can't seem to stop me from licking the school bus windows.

 

[dentonfabrics]

The only place where I've ever considered that is on the Caps Ridge Trail. A person could do some serious damage to the ol' cranium if they wiped out on those rocks.

I'm not the over-protective type. I dont always wear a helmut on my bike. But I'm somewhat surprised that some people (the over-protective types) dont consider wearing headgear for certain trails in certain conditions. There's helmuts for everything else, why not hiking?

 

[woodsxc]

I think about it sometimes. Thought about it a lot while on Longs Peak- rock fall danger in the Trough and huge drops above the East Face combined to remind me to maintain 3 points of contact and check up slope regularly. But other very exposed places, I don't think about dying from a head injury.

 

[Rik]

3 or 4 concussions ago I use to think about it alot. Now not so much. Wait, what was the question?

 

[Stash]

Bike: Always
In-line skate: Always
Outside climbing: Always
Indoor climbing: Never

Regular hiking: doubtful

Steeps on ice: Will as soon as I try it (after getting some education)

 

[MadRiver]

I’ve lost count how many times I’ve hit my head on a blowdown. My biggest concern, at least in winter hiking, is impaling myself on a rogue branch. A few times I’ve tripped over my own snowshoes and had gone headlong into a spike sticking out of the snow only to miss it by inches.

On personal note, I was deeply saddened by the death of Natasha Richardson. I had always enjoyed her work. The theatre has lost an extremely talented actress.

 

[sardog1]

I fell on icy level ground once and whacked the back of my head pretty hard. "As I lay pondering," I thought about the what if? for a couple of minutes. I travel solo 99.9% of the time and usually far from the madding crowd by preference. I resolved to take a helmet in future if the ice conditions warrant it, even if the slope or rock- or icefall hazards aren't blatant. Brain injuries are insidious, and your ability to recognize the symptoms and react on your own diminishes as they get worse.

 

[erugs]

Normally not a worrier.

I worried about it -- as I was falling down Carter Dome -- last Sunday afternoon.

I wondered about needing a helicopter rescue off the East Face route on Whitney last September when my arm cramped up solid to my shoulder and I still had a ways to climb.

 

[erugs]

There's helmuts for everything else, why not hiking?

Dentonfabrics - I walk into trees a lot, especially those that are hanging across the trail, which is why I most always wear a ball cap with a good size, solid bill.

 

[Maddy]

Several years ago I had what could have been a fatal accident on, of all places, the Norwottuck Rail Trail.
The temps were in the 90's and it was very humid. I debated with myself whether of not I should wear my helmet. It saved my life.
The accident happened in one of the concrete tunnels. I was in my lane and ayoung boy, approx 10 years of age, was daydreaming and hit me head on. I was knocked off my bike and my head slammed with considerable force into the concrete wall of the tunnel. I walked away with nothing more than an injury to my thumb and a sore neck.
I don't dwell on the possibility of sustaining a head injury but I do take the necessary precautions to try to avoid one. I am cautious on rocky terrain and I would rather take my time so as not to do myself in on slick rocks or roots.
I have used up too many of my "9 LIVES" and I would sooner not run out of them.

 

[dr_wu002]

There was this thread a few years ago: http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=6327

-Dr. Wu

 

[TCD]

Very sad event.

I wear a helmet skiing, biking and climbing. The Time article on Richardson made the point I make all the time to people: We're designed to withstand front end collisions at our top running speed. So you can run into a tree at 15 mph, and probably not die (although it would hurt, and I'm not going to test it). Anytime you put yourself in a situation outside that envelope, you are at risk.

What are the ways to go outside the envelope?

Speed - skiing, biking, climbing (leader fall), motorcycling, buttsliding, etc. all allow you to go faster than you can run. If there's any risk of hitting something hard, you should wear a helmet.

Fast moving objects - climbing / mountaineering (rockfall / icefall), hiking in areas with rockfall, etc.

Non frontal collisions - Your forehead is tough, because you are designed to run into things. The same impact elsewhere on your head is outside the envelope. When you are walking, hiking, running, and you fall, there are a lot of natural instincts that protect your head. But if you introduce technology that causes you to fall in an unnatural way (skis, bikes, climbing ropes), all bets are off.

So those are some situations to consider wearing a helmet. (Like Stash, I don't wear a helmet indoor climbing: top rope (no speed); no loose rocks at the top of the "cliff.")

Interestingly, in the standard beginners skiing fall (skis slip out, fall on butt, then onto back of head), the impact has very little to do with the speed the skier is going. On a flat beginners trail, almost all the momentum for the vector into the surface comes from how tall you are, and how far you fall vertically. Your speed parallel to the surface has almost no contribution, as long as the surface is relatively smooth.

Ironically, as long as the surface is smooth, and you don't hit a fixed object, or tumble, falls on very steep slopes will result in lower impacts than falls on flatter slopes (experienced fallers know this instinctively). On a very steep slope, only a part of the momentum vector from falling due to gravity resolves into the component normal to the surface (in "non-nerd," "you don't hit as hard because you slide.").

One of the most variable factors increasing injury potential is how hard the surface is. On ice or very hard snow, even minor falls can result in injury. In deep powder, you can often take amazing crashes and get up laughing. It would be interesting (albeit morbid) to know what the surface condition was at the spot where Richardson's head hit.

TCD

 

[Chip]

Winter solos (which I hardly ever do anymore) I will wear a helmet. I advocate for it, being old enough to not give a cr@p what people think when they see me on the trail. I'm not imune to tripping over my 'pons at the end of a long day and I think a head injury is a potentially deadly event that can easily be avoided.

 

[The Lisa]

Such a sad event prompted this thread but hopefully it makes everyone pause and reassess their protective gear needs.

I like TCD's analysis that 'We're designed to withstand front end collisions at our top running speed' not that I want to test that theory out either

I never wore a helmet while biking - who did when they were growing up? - but after a crash (into a fallen tree at greater than running speed) where I did hit my head I wised up and now wear my bike helmet all the time. And not just because of the lecturing from the emergency room staff. And my family.
I did not have a concussion - good to know I have a thick skull for future reference but I no longer tempt fate.
I wear a helmet skiing in resort and in the back country. I wear a helmet rockclimbing outdoors even if 'only' toproping - I could still swing sideways and smack my head.
I have never thought to wear one when hiking but that idea of bringing one for hiking solo in icy conditions is one I will keep in mind.

 

[David Metsky]

Skiing - always
Biking - always
Hiking - never even considered it

 

[bikehikeskifish]

My wife, a life-long skier, is now considering a helmet for herself. I should probably too. Both our kids always wear theirs. My son has been creamed twice this year by out-of-control adults.

I always wear a helmet on my bike. Well, 99.999% of the time--I've forgotten to put it on maybe 2-3 times in ~50K miles over 15 years. Of course when I was a kid, we never wore them.

Any time you slide, you reduce the force available to break a bone. True for skiing, walking, bicycling, hiking, etc.

Tim

 

[Stash]

Speed - skiing, biking, climbing (leader fall), motorcycling, buttsliding, etc. all allow you to go faster than you can run. If there's any risk of hitting something hard, you should wear a helmet.


TCD

I never considered a "traditional" climing helmet (http://en.petzl.com/petzl/SportProduits?Produit=98&Activite=0) real protection in a fall, though. Protection from falling stuff - yes. Hard bang to the head - The really don't have the impact absorbtion features of a bike or motorcycle helmet. Some of the newer one are going there (http://en.petzl.com/petzl/Produit?Produit=661) but it's still a bit of a trade-off.