In January, 23-year-old Austrian ski jumper Lukas Mueller crashed during a test run before the World Championships in Vienna, leaving him partially paralyzed. Although he underwent surgery on his lower spine hours after crashing, and he has improved movement in his legs, his was a very serious spine injury with what was officially called, “unforeseeable consequences.”
This dramatic example may not apply to the average winter sports enthusiast, but one need not be ski jumping or training for a world championship competition to incur a back or spine injury. In fact, beginners taking it easy can be at risk, without doing anything especially dramatic or risky.
