Can you ski on bad knees?

[Phaceplanter]

I'm relatively new to the sport. I have a cousin I grew up with that I'd love to take skiing. He's never been. When I asked him about it, he said he'd love to, but doesn't think he can because he had an ACL injury a few years ago that he never rehabbed. Just let it heal on its own because of no insurance.

Seems obvious to me that you need a good pair of knees, but I've read if you do properly and you're not doing expert black diamonds, you don't actually put a lot of stress on the knees. Do I have any of this right?

 

[Bad Bob]

Yes you can says someone with a bad knee. You stop more often.
A brace can help, even an off the shelf one from Walmart. If he has been living with this for a few years, he should be able to look at them and get an idea what can help.
Skiing smoothly with as little shock to the knee will help a lot too, but that will take some practice.

If he wants to ski he can.

 

[trailtrimmer]

If he has visions of blower pow in trees and slaying bumps, it's not going to happen.

However, trenching groomers where everything is smooth and more predictable is totally on the table.

Do you have a small local hill to go rent and test on? Getting out on narrow soft rental skis doing snow plows and wedge turns for an afternoon will tell you guys pretty quickly if there is a future in it.

 

[ADKmel]

I ski with old wrecked knees. severe arthritis, torn mcls. no surgery. no I can't jump 10ft into bowls, have to mind my ps and q's in the bumps and my knees tell me real fast 'don't do that" today's skis, boots I think help a lot. I love my Z-90's because they are so smooth and no pain ever skiing this ski.

I Suggest he do some strengthening exercises to get in shape to ski before going out to try it. Wedging will cause pain hope he can stem christie and parallel
Mind over matter helps too...

 

[Coach13]

My short answer is I do eveything on a bad knee including ski.

 

[RuleMiHa]

Yes you can, you will curse yourself every evening(after the euphoria of the day wears off), and appreciate the polypharmacy of modern medicine, but it can be done.

 

[noncrazycanuck]

yes you can,
my knees are bad, or at least one is ; the other is only at the awkward stage only one op so far
Seriously the first step is get on a local hill and discover if any pain is worth the enjoyment for your cousin.
There may be some and who would know more than your cousin. If he decides its a sport he wants to stick with eventually skill will trump pain.
I don't think there are any limitations on what anyone could ski with practice.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Many of my friends including racers have bad knees. They find that while skiing isn't painless it often is less painful than walking. One of my friends walks like she needs a cane but on skis, she is comfortable and smooth and smiling all the time.

Different knee problems respond differently when on skis. He'll just have to try it and find out.

 

[Coach13]

Many of my friends including racers have bad knees. They find that while skiing isn't painless it often is less painful than walking. One of my friends walks like she needs a cane but on skis, she is comfortable and smooth and smiling all the time.

Different knee problems respond differently when on skis. He'll just have to try it and find out.

That’s my deal. I can ski all day without issue but if I stand in a football field for a few hours I can barely walk. I’m not a big bump guy so for me skiing is just gliding down the hill.

 

[CalG]

I prefer you (or anyone else) not ski on mine!
There is just enough left in these knees to last a week without a recovery session. ;-)

 

[Tom K.]

Late to the party, but I'll give a qualified, less enthusiastic answer.

I've got significant osteoarthritis in both knees. They hurt a lot, and often, yet they ski "pretty well".

When I asked my doctor how this can be, he smiled and said it's because I've been doing it all my life and am efficient at it, and in no way could I take up skiing tomorrow, and a total beginner.

Food for thought, anyway.

 

[Dakine]

I skied for at of years with no ACL at all in one knee that was near bone on bone.
That said, it was a wave of pure joy the first time I walked across the lodge with my boots on after knee replacement with no pain.

 

[Scotty I.]

^^^ What he said. Knee replacement has been a Godsend for me.

 

[Dakine]

I skied for at of years with no ACL at all in one knee that was near bone on bone.
That said, it was a wave of pure joy the first time I walked across the lodge with my boots on after knee replacement with no pain.

At my two year checkup, after a season of skiing and windsurfing, the joint is showing no wear at all....

 

[EricG]

Yes I’m many cases you can. But you have to make sure your Dr is on board and you understand the risks. I have postponed surgery and just stick to intermediate-advanced terrain to keep myself in check. Im ok with it, others might not be ok with sticking to intermediate-advanced terrain.

 

[Rod9301]

With arthritic knees, the key is to have very strong legs. My doctor said: tree trunk legs is the only thing that will help.

And it does.

 

[Mike King]

I think there are two important aspects that haven't been mentioned: technique and equipment. If you ski efficiently, there will be much less stress on the knees. So, get into lessons and learn how to get the tail to follow the same path as the tip. Second, use a ski that is relatively narrow. Wide skis place (much) more force on the knees when they are on firm(er) snow. A narrow (less than 85mm underfoot) is still a great all mountain ski almost anywhere and will place less stress on the knee.

Mike

 

[Magi]

If you can stand - you can ski.

If you can stand/walk without pain - you can ski without pain if you have well fit boots and good technique.

Skiing isn't high impact if done well.