start jumping after back injury- advise?

[lynxie 0]

Have you had a broken back?

How did you know when you were strong enough to start jumping again?

Did you get any problems, because of the openings or anything else?

-- "If you can dream it, you can DO IT!" --

[LiveLifeGoJump 0]

NO, but I know a man that that did.

Restarted just over a year after but 'EACH TO THEIR OWN'. Only you (and your doctor) knows.

The only problem I've heard him talk about is the cold makes his back ache (so does too much work, standing etc.).

If you come back to the sport, pick the better jump days and leave the iffy one to the 'die hards'.

Have fun, be safe.

Get out, Land on a green bit. If you get the pull somewhere in between it would help.

[dayle 0]

Hi there, I haven't had a broken back, however I did have a compression fracture of my T8 vertabra that kept me out of the sport for a little while.

You'll know when you are strong enough, but I would just consult with a doctor prior to jumping. My Doctor told me back injuries are different that a regular broken bone. Instead of the regular 6 weeks, double it to 12 weeks.

My injury occured in March and my Doctor said I shouldn't jump until August. He then asked me if I smoked (yes) and said September. (smoking affects your bone density and healing time)

I however could not wait that long and started at the end of July. Only a Hop & Pop.

My biggest worry was opening shock and a possible hard opening, by not going terminal for awhile it helped. After opening, I played with the canopy a little and found only a little pain when I put the canopy in a hard spiraling dive. After a couple of weeks this went away and I'm jumping full time again.

Hope this helps.

Dayle

[flyangel2 2]

PM skybytch.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[LiveLifeGoJump 0]

Quote

Instead of the regular 6 weeks, double it to 12 weeks.

Yeah but a shattered vertabra (L2 I think) that needs a lot of metal (apart from the rods & screws [removed after about a year then new ones fitted shortly after because back still not right] I believe he had a 'cage' fitted to hold the bits together & bone grafts to the one above & below) takes longer still!

Get the doctors advice as he nkows your situation better than us.

ps. Metalwork can be viewed in the DZ bar when open.

Get out, Land on a green bit. If you get the pull somewhere in between it would help.

[skymick 0]

I crushed my L1 over a year ago and still got the usual rods/screws to hold it all together (should come out soon though). I had to wear a full torso brace for 4 months and by 6 months I was jumping again.

In that time I did a lot of physio even though I was told I didnt have to (lots of swimming and running) and even though my doc said not to jump until I had my metal out but I did anyway. I did listen to another doc who was an ex-jumper so was a bit more optimistic, what she said it basically came down to is: you'll be right as long as you dont fuck up.

Since then I've done about 150 jumps and havent had a problem at all... I ditched my Sabre and bought a Safire 2 and had no problems with hard openings or landings.

Edit: I had no idea if I was strong enough to start jumping again, my back felt pretty good, but I had no idea how it would cope with the stresses of jumping so the first 2 jumps I did were hop n pops just to test it out, once I found out it could handle that I moved onto terminal deployments

[AMax 0]

There is no straight answer because there are many variables. I had mine before I started to jump and the only problem was lack of ability to arch. Stretching on regular basis helped a lot but it was a painful experience in the beginning (actually, still is).
I would definitely chose a slow opening canopy (how critical the opening sppeds are will depend on particular type of injury) and refrain from doing aggressive freefall work (freeflying, 4-way) in the beginning.

Heal well!

[TheAnvil 0]

I think there are way too many variables with regards to back injuries for anyone other than your own doctor to give you any advice. When I injured my back I did a ton of physical therapy. I recommend checking with your doctor and seeing a PT about strengthening your back muscles.

Good luck. Heal well.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[Scrumpot 1]

AMax has your best "answer" so far:

Quote

There is no straight answer because there are many variables.

Most Doctors don't know SQUAT about jumping, so be careful really in obtaining your advise there. 8 out of 10 doctors would probably tell you NOT TO JUMP again AT ALL, period ...just because that is their base opinion of jumping in general!

Physio, then strength training are your best measures for preventing future problems. That, and a consistently soft opening canopy. I also "broke my back" (compression fractures of L1-L5 -all, and snapped-off transverse process -all on left side). 3 weeks of traction followed by 4 months full body brace then lots of physical therapy. Started back jumping right about 6 months total time out.

Interesting tidbit is that my doctor fully okay'd me to play football and rugby when asked. ...but Skydiving? ---Oh no, no, no, no, NO!

Best of luck to you for your own INDIVIDUAL situation.

Blue Skies,
-Grant

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[tandemphil 0]

I had a compression fracture at my t-12 (lost a toggle landing) and was able to make my next jump 10 weeks to the day after I did it. The answer really depends on the severity of your injury. I waited until my doc told my it was ok to jump again. He isn't a jumper, but he did ask a lot of questions on the types of forces we experience while skydiving. hope you're feeling good and jumping soon.

-phil

to do is to be
to be is to do
do be do be do

[Doogie320 0]

I injured my back thanks to a poor PLF doing a military jump with a round. At the time it was thought that I had strained muscles. After several weeks of pain X-rays indicated a hairline fracture in my L-5.

I jumped within 6 weeks of my injury, but then again it wasn't THAT serious (as compared to other options). To echo what others have said, each situation is different.

Here is what I did to return to mil and civilian jumping:
- strengthened my abs: crunches, sit ups, flutterkicks, etc. Back exercises helped obviously, but working my abs was the best thing that I could do (as advised by my Dr.)
- Stretch my hamstrings at least twice daily. Really you should do other stretches, but ALWAYS stretch your hammies.
- Loosen up before jumping: stretching.
- Pack a bit of a snivel.

Once I built up my muscles I was able to jump without any special or unusual packing methods and even had some hard openings that didn't bother me. Several years later I DID have a very hard landing that re-injured those back muscles, so I'd say you are more susceptible to future back injuries. To this day even if I don't exercise I will at least do ab exercises.

Good luck!

[skyjunior 0]

I broke my back on Jan 4. Sixty percent crush of L1 and 20 percent core compression. Talked to the Doc about when I could start wrestling again and he said 1 year from the injury, I then asked him about skydiving and got the same answer. So I will probably make my comeback in March sometime. I do plenty of specific and general exercises for my back. come Jan. I am going to start jumping off low stairs to see how the back feels and then try to progress to three feet over time. I would like to think that I have not made my last skydive, but if I do not feel confident and physically ready it will be a no go.

PLEASE REMEMB

[sabr190 0]

L2 10/03/97
L5 10/05/00
L3 11/03/02

Do what you Dr says and get a good PT.

BTW....only one of these injuries is due to skydiving

"The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few, or the one" - rehmwa

[nicknitro71 0]

I might come too strong on this one but for obvious reasons.

Be aware of MDs. The vast majority only want to make money off your injuries. Do your own research. Contact scientist in the field. It's your health not theirs.

I broke (burst fracture) L2 and L3 on May 15 of this year. The moron wanted to do surgery: Drill and plate six vertebrea. I did not have any neurological deficits. I requested the fracture numbers and they were within the limits so I told the moron to stick the hardware up his ass.

Unfortunately I could not do the same for my ankle because I was too drugged up so I signed the surgery form (stupid me). I even did not need the plate and the pin there! But hey he made 40 grand and bough a new wig. By the way the plate was put in wrog and last week I had taken it out by another guy by the way. The pin went too. I might sell the harware on e-bay now

I wore a hard brace for 2 1/2 months. Then hit the swimming pool for a month. I started stretching and weight lifting by the third month. By the fourth I was skydiving and by the fifth BASE jumping.

When the bones are healed work your ass off.

As for PT I went once: there were not pushing me hard enough and it would have taken forever to regain strength and flexibility. Hey they need your money too so the longer the better.

Good luck

Memento Audere Semper

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