With spring break season arriving for Alabamians and a ski or snowboard trip just a few hours away, Dr. Aaron Casp has some recommendations for staying safe on the slopes and making sure a ski vacation remains fun and injury-free.By Rubin E. Grant
Dr. Aaron Casp didn’t see himself becoming an economist, although he has a degree in economics from Princeton.
He was more interested in sports medicine, considering he had been around athletics most of his life and wrestled at Princeton. He witnessed firsthand how trainers and doctors helped athletes return to action following an injury.
So, after earning his undergraduate degree, Casp decided to go to medical school at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He was born and raised in a small town in western North Carolina.
“I guess I wasn’t paying too much attention in my economic classes,” Casp said jokingly, “so I decided to go to medical school and work with athletes, treating them so they would be able to get back from injuries.”
Casp completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Virginia and while there he cared for athletes at local high schools as well as Virginia and James Madison University.
Following residency, Casp completed a sports medicine fellowship at the world-renowned Steadman Clinic and Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Vail, Colorado. While there, he became a team doctor for the United States Alpine Ski Team, traveling to Austria to provide medical care for the U.S. Ski Team athletes. He also was responsible for the care of athletes from all over the world at the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships in Aspen, Colorado.
In August 2021, Casp, a resident of Homewood, moved to Birmingham, becoming an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a physician with UAB Medicine’s Sports and Exercise Medicine clinic. He also became a team physician for UAB athletics, Birmingham Legion FC, Birmingham Bulls hockey and the USFL.
Casp continues to travel internationally to tend to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team each year.
Casp himself skis, a skill that helps him in his medical care for the ski team.
“Fortunately or unfortunately, you have to be on the snow,” he said. “The slopes are a little steeper and icier, so it’s not as leisurely.”
With spring break season arriving for Alabamians and a ski or snowboard trip just a few hours away, Casp has some recommendations for staying safe on the slopes and making sure a ski vacation remains fun and injury-free.
“I’m always hearing about people coming back with a lot of injuries that could have been avoided with some extra forewarning,” Casp said. “Having worked out in Colorado, I’ve seen all the injuries that occur. Some of the most common injuries in skiing are knee ligament injuries, shin-bone fractures and shoulder/collarbone injuries. We see the same injuries in snowboarding, but we frequently see wrist injuries or wrist fractures as well.
“My goal is to keep people out of the ER, injury free and having fun.”
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