Long Term Effects of Riding Roller Coasters

It's been said that laughter is the best medicine. When it comes to riding coasters, I don't know about the rest of y'all, but I'm usually laughing my a%# off.

Yes, Tekno, even on *that* coaster...;)

"How would you know uless there had been a clone of you that had never ridden the coasters?"

I'm all for making a clone...who's got plaster of paris? ;)

You're cloning....PARIS! Argh! ;)

I am with Coasterpunk....I was never quite *right* in the head anyway, so riding coasters wouldn't do much more damage. ;-)

Moosh, is this like a plaster caster of Paris? ;-)

-Tina

So Moosh, does that mean you'll be a racer or a dueller..? ;)

-Jim (coasters made me the fine upstanding pillar of the community that I am today) :)

And if he's a racer..........does he go backwards as well as forwards?

;-)

-Tina

Hi all,

"What happens to the brain during a roller coaster ride is really quite similar to what happens during a car accident or when a person is violently shaken," says Y. Bo-Abbas, MD

At the risk of stating the obvious, that's grossly exaggerating. The magnitude of the forces involved in even a low speed (30mph) collision would be far greater than even the most extreme coaster. There is also the rate of transition into the forces, the number and direction of forces, the duration of each of the forces. In any case, much of the damage caused by a car crash is the result of contact between the person and their immediate environment (steering wheel, windscreen, dashboard) precipitated by the forces and the debris sent flying by the forces.

As for being shaken, well now that's subject to a number of factors as well: age; physical strength; the magnitude and frequency of the shakes; location of the shaking motion; whether the person braces and so on and so on.

Sneezing is much worse....so stay away from pepper people! :-)

An MD should really know better!

Best, B

HI EVERYBODY!!- Dr Nick Riveria *** Edited 5/19/2004 9:28:27 AM UTC by BeyondOblivion***

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coasterqueenTRN said:
And if he's a racer..........does he go backwards as well as forwards?

-Tina

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Hmmm, backwards racing with inline seating - I like that idea ;)

-Jim

'coasting can also be good for your health:

It makes you feel alive, raises the level of adrenaline in your blood and enances blood circulation -

not to mention the psychological benefits of facing and overcoming your worst fears (like plummeting to death) which leads to feelings of success, strength and "fun".

I'd say, sitting in front of your computer all day will have much more pronounced long term effects than riding a good coaster from time to time.

People say I'm not right in the head either, lol :) H$!! I don't know the effects and I don't really care! Well as long as the restraints hold me in! Sometimes i repeat myself as well as talking to myself? I should see a doctor! a head doctor! lol j/k! :) :) :)

I actually did ask my doctor about this .. I've been having more and more little back problems over the last year. He told me that, in his opinion, coasters were fine .. and he suggested I do something to actually strengthen my back. I have since been swimming three days a week (a mile a day), cycling (10-20 miles a week during summer), and my back is now just so much better.

My doctor said something else that made a lot of sense: "Listen to your body". If you start to feel too tired, worn-out, headaches, greying out, etc .. then TAKE A BREAK. Popping pills to mask the symptoms is absolutely the worst thing you can do.

Also remember that every body is different .. what works for me, won't necessarily work for you. If you really are concerned then speak to your doctor, who knows you and is far more likely to give a meaningful answer than anyone on here.

Cam.

That's good advice Cam, unless that Dr happens to be called Bo-Abbas, MD!

Glad your back is better! Swimming is great exercise, but I'm guessing riding the waterslides doesn't count! ;-)

B

From the 1st link provided by 1EyedJack:

Last January, Toshio Fukutake, MD, of the Chiba University School of Medicine in Japan, reported in the journal Neurology the case of a healthy 24-year-old Japanese woman who developed a subdural hematoma after riding several roller coasters while spending the day at a Japanese amusement park.

That explains a lot. Japanese amusement parks are full of TOGO's. I've ridden Viper (once). The woman mentioned above is probably lucky to be alive if she rode "several".

K.

I know I am not right in the head... The point has NEVER been argued.

I actually ride Millie to LOWER my blood pressure... I sit very calmly with hands loosly on my lap, and let them fly in the air over the three air-time hils. First is right after the first tunnel, second is the one right next to it, and last is right by the station.

Try it sometime... It is actually more fun than riding with your hands up the entire way. Gives a true feeling of weightlessnes. Like being in space.

Coaster Kikky,

>case of a healthy 24-year-old Japanese woman >who developed a subdural hematoma after >riding several roller coasters while spending >the day at a Japanese amusement park

I know of cases involving people that have suffered a SDH due to straining on the toilet......not sure if the toilets in question were manufactured by TOGO! :-D

Best. B *** Edited 5/19/2004 4:56:49 PM UTC by BeyondOblivion*** *** Edited 5/20/2004 3:56:22 PM UTC by BeyondOblivion***

"What happens to the brain during a roller coaster ride is really quite similar to what happens during a car accident or when a person is violently shaken," says Y. Bo-Abbas, MD

Bull****.

Defining a "car accident" as an incident in which a vehicle's airbags go off, consider this:

Airbags are set off by sensors that measure deceleration. I know for a fact that the sensors on a certain mid 90's SUV are set to trigger upon a 7.0g pulse that lasts for more than 40 milliseconds. Show me a coaster that does that.

(BTW, that pulse works out to a frontal barrier collision at around 15~20 mph. There's no way a coaster ride equals the forces or decelerations of a full 30~55mph crash)

Later,
EV