You’re carving down the mountain or landing a jump when you feel that sudden twist in your knee. You’re hoping it’s just sore and nothing more serious. Unfortunately, knee injuries from snowboarding are one of the most common reasons snowboarders are forced to take time off during the season. But that doesn’t have to be you.

In this guide, you’ll learn how knee injuries happen while snowboarding, the most common types of knee pain snowboarders experience, and what you can do to prevent them so you can stay strong and confident on the mountain all season long.

How do knee injuries happen while snowboarding?

Knee injuries from snowboarding often happen when unexpected forces or loads are placed on the joint that the body isn’t fully prepared to handle. This might look like a sudden twist during a fall, an awkward landing off a jump, or a sharp turn when your legs are fatigued.

These situations put stress on the knee ligaments, tendons, and muscles, especially when there’s underlying weakness in the hips, core, or other stabilizing areas. The good news is that you can train your body to better handle these forces.

By building strength, improving range of motion, addressing muscular imbalances, and increasing endurance, you can make your knees more resilient to the demands of snowboarding.

What are the most common knee injuries from snowboarding? 

While snowboarding is less stressful on the knees than skiing, knee injuries from snowboarding still happen. Most of these injuries involve the soft tissues that help stabilize and support the knee joint.

Here are some of the most common knee injuries snowboarders experience:

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Sprain or Tear

The ACL is one of the main stabilizing ligaments of the knee. This ligament helps to provide support or stability during twisting or pivoting movements. The ACL is commonly injured during awkward landings or when your body rotates while your foot is fixed to the board. Symptoms of an ACL injury often include feeling a pop in the knee, significant swelling, and a feeling of instability or the knee giving out. It’s important to note that not all ACL injuries require surgery. Depending on the degree of the injury ACL sprains can be managed with conservative treatment and an adequate rehab plan

Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Sprain or Tear

The MCL runs along the inside of the knee and helps resist inward pressure. It’s frequently injured when your knee collapses inward after a fall or when catching an edge. Pain is usually felt along the inner knee. Mild to moderate sprains can often heal with proper rehab and strengthening.

Meniscus Tears

The meniscus is a pad that cushions the knee joint and acts as a shock absorber between your thigh and shin bone. It can be injured during deep twists, rotations, or compressive landings. If you’ve injured your meniscus you might notice locking, catching, or swelling around the knee joint.

Patellar Tendonitis

This overuse injury occurs when the tendon connecting your kneecap to your shin becomes overworked. Injuries with the patellar tendon usually occur from doing too much too soon. Patellar tendonitis can develop at the start of the season if your body is unprepared for the demands of the sport. It can also occur towards the middle/end of the season with lots of time spent on the mountain. It typically presents as pain just below the kneecap that worsens with jumping or prolonged riding.

General Knee Pain or Discomfort

Even without a specific injury, long days on the mountain can expose things like weaknesses, muscular balances, limitations in mobility or faulty movement patterns that can lead to knee discomfort or pain. This type of soreness is often preventable with preseason strength and conditioning work.

How do I prevent knee injuries from snowboarding? 

Snowboarding is a very physically demanding sport. And the best way to prevent injuries on the mountain this season is to make sure your body is strong and resilient enough to handle the stress your body will be put through. 

Here are a few areas to focus on before and during the season:

Strength and Stability Training: Having strong muscles helps to provide protection to your joints. However, this doesn’t just include your bigger muscles in the body. It’s also just as if not more important to make sure your smaller stabilizing supporting muscles are strong too.

If the smaller muscles are strong it helps the bigger muscles do their job more better and more efficiently. Prioritize single-leg exercises like split squats, step-downs, and single-leg RDLs to improve knee control and balance.

Mobility and Range of Motion: Tight hips or ankles can force your knees to take on extra stress. Work on hip and ankle mobility to keep your movement smooth and reduce unwanted twisting at the knee.

Endurance and Conditioning: A lot of injuries on the mountain happen when fatigue starts to kick in. Your legs start to get tired, your mechanics and form start to become compromised and you tend to have less control. Building endurance through your training can help your knees stay more stable and strong all the way through your last run. 

Proper Warm Ups: A warm up is meant to properly prepare your body for the type of workout or exercising you are going to do. A warm up before your first run can make a big difference in how you feel and perform on the mountain. A quick dynamic warm-up before riding can prepare your knees and hips for the day ahead. 

Prioritizing Recovery: Optimizing your recovery can be the difference between a long, strong snowboard season and one that leaves you feeling rundown by mid-January. But recovery might not look like what you expect. While tools like foam rollers, massagers, compression boots may feel great, they only go so far if you’re neglecting the basics. Getting enough quality sleep, staying hydrated, maintaining proper electrolyte balance, managing stress, and fueling your body with the right nutrition are what truly support your body’s ability to repair, adapt, and perform all season long.

When should I see a physical therapist for a snowboarding knee injury?

If you’re dealing with knee pain after snowboarding, it can be tough to know whether it’s something you can manage on your own or if you should get it checked out. 

A good rule of thumb is if your pain isn’t improving after a few days off the mountain and gentle strengthening and stretching, if it’s getting worse, or returns after every day on the mountain it’s worth seeing a physical therapist.

Here are a few additional signs you might want to reach out to a physical therapy: 

• You felt a pop in the knee when the pain started 
• Your knee is chronically swollen 
• Your knee feels unstable or gives out on you
• You can’t fully bend or straighten your knee without pain
• You have sharp pain with twisting or squatting 
• You’ve taken time off from the mountain, but the pain comes back every time you ride 

Working with a physical therapist who understands the demands of snowboarding can help you identify what’s actually going on. A physical therapist can help you address the root cause, and rebuild the strength and control your knees need for long-term performance.

At Rise Performance and Physical Therapy, we help snowboarders and active adults recover from injuries, rebuild confidence in their movement, and return to the activities they love. We provide in-person sessions for snowboarders in Denver, Colorado, and virtual coaching through The Resilient Movement Project, our online rehab and performance program designed to help you overcome pain, build strength, and get back to doing what you love with confidence.