# So I Guess I Broke My Back



## Karasene

Aw snap! Sorry to hear bad news.
Yeah I remember the doctors when I went to the ER saying how they've seen times when people can crack a vertebrae and if its not a severe enough break to go to hospital sometimes the injury can go undetected other than some discomfort. I guess you're one of those people who fell into that category. 

Good thing you found an answer to your problems.. Sorry its bad news tho  

Did they give you any advice on what to do now that you know.. or advise you to see a Dr.?


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## Dano

As you of all people would know, the spinal cord runs down through the center of the vertebra. I've got 2 vertebra in my lower back that are now kind of "offset" making it easier to pinch or permanently damage the cord if I have another fall like that or some other kind of major trauma. I'm going to see my family doctor for a detailed explanation, I just hope this doesn't affect my career.


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## EagleTalons

Are you planning on getting them fused?

Also my grandpa had his back broke in an atv accident about 5 years ago. The pain just kept getting worse until he went and got surgery on it. His pain level has went way down now. It did limit his ability to bend, but the tradeoff for pain was worth it.


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## Dano

No, with how it healed and where it's sitting right now they say it's best to leave it as is right now. Surgery is an option got later down the road. Kind of have to leave it as is for as long as I can for now, surgery definitely has it's down sides


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## justdust

Scary stuff...good luck!


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## jyuen

can you describe the accident? i actually had a really bad bail several weeks ago off a 25 foot jump. I think similar to you, my heel edge slipped out. I was working on building my platform for fs 3's and slipped and landed on my hip and shoulder. were you able to ride after your slam? makes me kind of worried because my back is feeling kind of wonky. I actually think i got off pretty easy considering the size of the jump and the height of my drop upon impact... this post gets me worried.. or maybe i just got lucky?

hmm sorry i guess paraphrasing that paragraph. how did the pain affect your riding immediately after the injury and when did you notice that something was actually wrong?


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## mbesp

That is scary. Good thing there wasn't a splinter of bone to cut your spinal chord on.


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## lisevolution

I can totally relate to this... I actually have 2 herniated discs in my lower back L4/L5. I'm still not 100% sure what really caused the injury initially. What triggered me to go to the doctor and get an MRI done was waking up the monday after a weekend snowboarding trip and not being able to move. Thinking back there were definitely signs as I was dealing with minor sciatica pain in my left leg along with some numbness but nothing too uncomfortable. The doctor told me it could just be an injury that started out small and through being overweight and riding icy, hard packed slopes and the associated pressure on the back from the position your body is in while riding just got progressively worse. I've been getting epidural shots in the 2 discs about every 3-4 months since last January and that helps the pain go away but I know this is something I'm going to have to deal with for the rest of my life. Surgery is an option for me too, but I'm not so inclined to get that done at 30 yrs old. 

The fear of making this worse and waking up not being able to move has definitely made me adjust the way I ride and how long/hard I ride now. I very rarely ride more than a few hours at a clip anymore. I still enjoy the stoke but I am much more cautious than I was even 2 years ago.


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## BurtonAvenger

I used to be 6'3 I'm now 6 foot and a quarter. Back injuries suck but it's not the end of park riding or even aggressive riding at all. Stretching, yoga, eating right you'll be fine. I seriously thought my park days were behind me and now I'm riding park probably 90% of the time. I might pay for it down the road but I know my limits when I get tired I go home.


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## Sincraft

Dano said:


> Turns out this is an older injury i didnt know the severity of. It apparently happened during 1 of the 2 big falls i've had over the last 2 years. Either #1 When I seperated my AC joint coming shoulder/face down on an icy park jump and scorpioned myself, or #2 When I slipped off an icy ridge in Kicking horse heel edge and landed on my ass. I thought I broke my tailbone but now it might have been my back. Either way I fractured my L5 vertebra.
> 
> I had an X-ray done for a chiropractor because my lower back is both chronicly stiff & gets sore after running, and he gave me the good news. Obviously it could have been worse but I guess I'm stuck with chronic pain that'll get worse as I get older and it's going to be weaker now. Looks like park jumps are just an awesome memory from now on.
> 
> Moral of the story is get X-rays, you may think you know whats going on and try to power through it, but it could also be kind of serious.


Not sure if you've worked through this or not, or if you are still reviewing this thread, but just wanted to tell you that I too had this issue when I was young. I cracked two lower vertebrae, at the time, I didn't know. It was years later that docs noticed the bones looked healed. I suffer from pain , stiffness and mobility issues to this day. I am however not following docs guidelines to get injections etc, I just keep mobile. The more you move around the better, there are excercises you can do to help alleviate.

My father broke two lower vertebrae about 15 years ago too. He was working out on a weight machine doing presses and then the bench weld broke slamming him to the ground. He was in pretty bad pain for a long time, being older when his breaks occurred his pain was more intense than mine.

They wanted to do surgery to him, his BIG on keeping docs away as much as possible, esp when it comes to knives. His buddy (a very well known former coach for the NFL) had similar issues. He opted for the surgery, my father didn't. The surgery guy, is not doing well. bad. My father took the advice of a doc friend of his, and rode on an exercise bike, at least 30 minutes a day. Then returned to strength training to build up the muscles in the mid section. He is doing great. At 70+ he has an 8 pack, and while he will be stiff after washing the car here and there, for the most part he still does all the heavy stuff a homeowner would do in their 30's and 40's. 

My advice is to always seek the possibilities of 'working it out' before cutting it out. Seek quality medical care including a well known group that handles athletes for physical therapy.


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