For all of figure skating's grace and glamour, spectators rarely see pain. Pulled hamstrings, stress fractures, battered spines and arthritic hips are among the ailments elite skaters face. Olympic champion Tara Lipinski
says she struggled with back pain for years before her 1998 Olympic
win. She recalls taking days off from practice hoping the pain would
subside, but it never did....While figure skating is not a contact sport, like football or ice hockey, the injuries can be just as brutal.