BASE - Neck Injury Recovery

[crapflinger2000 1]

Hey... quick background on me

I accumulated about 30 jumps, all of bridges, mainly off the Burt n Don span....

About 14 months ago I jacked my neck fairly badly on a hard slider down opening (i.e. some numbness, MAJOR pain, etc)... have not made a fixed object jump since, though I am good for a moderate day of skydiving each weekend before I get pretty sore...

I went to go see drs, got MRIs X rays, etc... they say nothing is wrong with me that a little physical therapy won't fix. Basically it sounds like whatever injury I had cured itself, but the accumulated wear and tear from doing video for a few years has left me with arthritic shit in my neck (I am 31 and I hear gravel sounds in my neck when I move it.)

Basic question is... Has anyone had serious neck trauma and come back from it, leading a healthy and happy slider down BASE existence? I really feel like the therapy wouldn't ever get me to 100%, so why bother when I will just re-jack my neck on the first 2 second delay? Does phys therapy / chiropract / massage / other actually work???

Tom A. Of course I know all about your trauma (s), but was your neck involved much? I just picture my head flying the hell off my shoulders and into the river...

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What would Vic Mackey do?

[hookitt 1]

You already know my stance on this and my answer is yes good massage and PT and possibly Chiro works wonders.

I'll see if Bradstyle will be in the area to hook you up for at least one.

My neck was quite wrecked, no need to say why as it was a cumulative injury. Some compression injuries and many whiplash type injuries. The last straw was when I had a Swollen Disk ...please bring me as many drugs as you can so I can get up to pee .. type of incapacitaion.

After some first aid type chiroproactic. I went to a Massage therapist. A good one not afraid to mash the shit out of my neck and then made me stretch it back out. Woah.. what a difference. I had no Idea my range of motion was so big. For years I could only turn my head to the left about half way.

Hope that helps.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[bps 0]

Hello --

I am of the opinion that yes you can bounce back and return to slider down jumping.

Good massage therapy and chirpractic care does wonders. A good massage therapist can return range of motion in your neck that you probably forgot that you even had to begin with. It may take a good 3 or 4 sessions before you start to see a huge difference, but it will make a huge difference.

Combine this with solid stretching exercises every day and you will heal twice as fast.

Once you are healed, take 10 minutes a day and work on strenghtening the muscles in your neck to help withstand the occasional 2 or 3 second delay.

Preventive Medicine: Some jumpers use neck braces when they jump. Some people do not like the restricted range of motion, but some people swear by them. Either way, it's worth a shot.

I wrecked my neck 3 years ago -- received lots of massage therapy and chiro care and got back in the saddle surprisingly quick. Daily stretching and careful planning has kept my neck almost pain free, and that's not bad considering that I am a full-time skydiver and avid BASE jumper to boot.

Hope this helps,

Bryan

[caerdydd 0]

Got one word for ya:

Naprapath

What's that? Well, a naprapath is kinda like a cross between a chiropractor and a deep-tissue masseuse. They are "doctors", in the same way that chiropractors are, but they work with connective tissue and muscle and strectching and on and on. When they make a neck correction, it holds! I agree that these things will often take at least 4 or 5 treatments, but they work. I've been in despair with neck pain several times, but a few visits to my naprapath each time it flairs up, and all is right with the world.
Good luck!

[andy2 0]

not to mention if you visit a licensed massuese (sp?) you can probably get most if not all written off on insurance. Heal well, my prrrecioussss

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let my inspiration flow,
in token rhyme suggesting rhythm...

[BASE813 0]

funny shit! i get back from my first visit to the chiropractor for my neck and what should be posted!!

I had a whiplash injury about 2 years ago from a hard opening skydiving - ever since about once a month i turn my head and crack! it spasms and tightens up and i spend the next week with pain in my neck shoulder and back! i went to the chiropractor today for my first consultation and i have damaged the bones and joints in my neck - apparently with about 8 visits in the next month or so i should be back to 100% again! - why i have been putting up with this for 2 years i will never know!


It cant hurt can it?

[crapflinger2000 1]

Thanks all!

All your stuff seems much worse then mine so I guess I am running out of excuses here....

__________________________________________________
What would Vic Mackey do?

[hookitt 1]

Call me up when you're ready

Cheers

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[base386 0]

Yo 386 here, I had c-7 compression fracture in Febuary of this year from a freak accident in an ice storm, MRI showed a 50%loss of height in this vertebral body. No cord injury. I'm now back to both slider up and slider down jumps, though I'm going slider up at any opportunity....not that I like to climb but I love the longer delays. I delayed seeking any medical attention for almost a month after the incident, partly because I'm a e.r. doc myself and my wife thought I was just being a pussy!
Had I been seen by a neurosurgeon, I probably would have been splinted for 8 weeks and would have been grounded for a full year....(which is for the surgeon's peace of mind and fear of malpractice) Early p.t., which consisted of a bowflex machine in the first two weeks I believe helped a significant amount....That and friend's with vicoden!
Just made my last jump last night with two good friends from Cincinnati, and plan to jump again this week. P.T. the hell out of whatever hurts; and good luck.
BASE386

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[BASE813 0]

Well after loadsa visits to the chiropractor - I was still in rag order! I know see a physio who helps but again after a weekend jumping (and a fucking horrible landing) my neck has flared up good and proper! I am in alot of fucking pain!!

I am taking 2 months off jumping whilst i have some intensive physio work done on me - but at the moment and with my physio basically telling me that my neck is in a fucking bad state I cant see a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel..............

Anyone have any suggestions in maintaining this so it is at least managable and I can continue to jump without the fear of "this might hurt!"

Any other tips welcome!!!

I look like fucking R2D2 at the moment!!!

Laterzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[cygnusbase 0]

Hey Crapflinger,

With a whopping 10 head/neck injuries with 3 full on concussions I have some suggestions. After my last serious one which was a mid-air collision hard helmut to my soft face I had severe neck trauma resulting in my vertabrae fusing together with scar tissue. Months of regular massage/Chiro was not getting the consistent "back in action" results that I desired and I was getting frustrated with constant neck pain. There are a few Chiro's out there practicing ART(Active Release Technique). This is an agressive form of soft tissue manipulation. Although the treatment can be a small torture on a person's aching muscles, the results have proven excellent. There are even some massage therapists trained in ART. It is NOT an adjustment it is just an agreesive form of physical therapy.

ART gets mixed reviews among some of the hollistic folk because they believe it may be too aggresive to be considered a "Healing of the spirit". Personally, I can't speak much about that, I am not sure if my spirit is aching like my neck used to but everyone has their thing. All I know is that I can jump slider down and not be too concerned with neck injuries although I do not fly camera equipment in my BASE activity.