Hurt my back, but going to ride on Saturday

[EquusRider91]

So I haven't ridden since last summer because I don't get to go to the barn much now that I'm in highschool and because I injured my lower back during the winter(stupidly went sledding on a hill of ice). It's a lower back injury and though it's been over 6 months now, it is not exactly healed and hurts almost as much as it did the first day if I exert myself too much(go hiking or something). Anyway.. I'm going to ride this Saturday and I don't want to tell my instructor that I hurt it because she'll be the first to tell me to just take it easy(and by easy..i mean.. REALLY easy). I would really love to just go at some jumps right now.. been on the ground for too long.

So just wondering if any of you have had back injuries and how you dealt with it when you went back to riding. Were there exercises you did beforehand or did you adjust yourself on the horse a little bit to help? I know a few exercises from rehab, but they don't really help. -shrugs- Any feedback would be great :)

[Skib]

The answer is yes. I am an older woman with a degenerated lower spine. When it first happened, that meant great pain and it took many months of physio therapy to get anywhere near back to normal. So I sympathise withyou. Sometimes there are moments where it seems like it will never mend.

If you have a back injury that is within the last year and where the pain has not improved, my view is that you should be patient and get priorities right. You need the help of your doctor to get your back as far healed as possible. Riding now before you are healed, will make things worse.
After any injury the real dangers and complication come from re-injuring that area before the first injury has healed.

I was warned never to ride. After a few years I decided to try it. And all went well (though I take precautions). it is not relevant whether or not you tell your teacher because you may not feel the pain till the next day - as I do.

Back injuries are complicated not just because of the spinal cord running up the center but because the nerves to your lower body (bladder etc) and lower limbs run out of the spine. If those nerves get crushed between the vertebrae they bruise. And the bruising spreads. So one has to wait for the bruising to heal?

I dont know how badly your back was hurt, nor how, nor do I know the medical culture in the USA. Here in the UK we have a national health service and one reason they take lower back injury seriously here is that it can affect your bladder? And if that isnt fixed, can lead to kidney infection.
It sounds from your post as if you have been going long walks, not allowing your back time to recover and now are planning to stress it some more.

Sitting on a horse involves putting weight on the base of your spine and simultaneously spreading your hips,the muscles and nerves from which connect to your lower spine.

Everything depends on moderation. If your rehab didnt work, then maybe your over did it? You really need to talk to the rehab people and sort this out.
Same goes for exercise you choose to do to help yourself. Short walks are good. If the back were sufficiently healed and you were to take a short ride in walk and rising trot (avoid sitting jog and canter) you would probably find that it helped your back. I guess you really know that this is what your RI would suggest and she would be right. I hope now that you understand why.

For the long term future, I can tell you that riding has helped my lower back. And your injury should not prevent you riding again at the right time. But I hope you'll take care of yourself just at the moment and talk to your doctor and RI. That way you'll still be riding when you are a Granny like me.

[EquusRider91]

Hehehe thanks. I hope to be riding when I'm a "Granny".

I went to the doctors a while ago, and I got x-rays done. He said that it wasn't broken, but probably bruised. And he said I would be able to do track that spring. It hurt, but the rehab people said the pain was normal so I just kept running.

Ahh.... I'm not sure what to do. I will probably end up telling my RI because it's the main reason why I've stayed away from the barn all summer. I guess if it hurts I'll have to just take it easy.... >_<;; Why does it have to take so long to get better?

Oh, and I've never heard of lower back injuries resulting in kidney and bladder complications. But I can see how that would happen. ..

I hope you're back is happy now :) thanks for the advice, again.

[EquusRider91]

Hehehe thanks. I hope to be riding when I'm a "Granny".

I went to the doctors a while ago, and I got x-rays done. He said that it wasn't broken, but probably bruised. And he said I would be able to do track that spring. It hurt, but the rehab people said the pain was normal so I just kept running. Long walks don't usually affect my back, it's the climbing and the "hey! let's run up that path!" part of the hike that gets me. lol. I guess I'm just stupid about that.

Ahh.... I'm not sure what to do. I will probably end up telling my RI because it's the main reason why I've stayed away from the barn all summer. I guess if it hurts I'll have to just take it easy.... >_<;; Why does it have to take so long to get better?

Oh, and I've never heard of lower back injuries resulting in kidney and bladder complications. But I can see how that would happen. ..

I hope you're back is happy now :) thanks for the advice, again.

[coverblown]

Yes I had a back injury - fractured L2 vertebra - back in February.

I have been riding again since the end of May. But I do have to listen to my body and take things easy; and keep up exercise outside of riding. I must also try not to get obese (I am already a little overweight) as that puts much more strain on my back muscles.

After the injury I was signed off work for four months and truly rested. Just a little gentle walking and swimming after my first 6-week check up.

Please get checked out again, you really should be starting to heal by now, and do take lost of care - protect yourself with gentle and regular exercise, and then you'll end up riding when you're a granny - I aim to - (however I am not hastening parenthood on my children!)

A. x

[coverblown]

Yes I had a back injury - fractured L2 vertebra - back in February.

I have been riding again since the end of May. But I do have to listen to my body and take things easy; and keep up exercise outside of riding. I must also try not to get obese (I am already a little overweight) as that puts much more strain on my back muscles.

After the injury I was signed off work for four months and truly rested. Just a little gentle walking and swimming after my first 6-week check up.

Please get checked out again, you really should be starting to heal by now, and do take lost of care - protect yourself with gentle and regular exercise, and then you'll end up riding when you're a granny - I aim to - (however I am not hastening parenthood on my children!)

A. x

[coverblown]

Yes I had a back injury - fractured L2 vertebra - back in February.

I have been riding again since the end of May. But I do have to listen to my body and take things easy; and keep up exercise outside of riding. I must also try not to get obese (I am already a little overweight) as that puts much more strain on my back muscles.

After the injury I was signed off work for four months and truly rested. Just a little gentle walking and swimming after my first 6-week check up.

Please get checked out again, you really should be starting to heal by now, and do take lost of care - protect yourself with gentle and regular exercise, and then you'll end up riding when you're a granny - I aim to - (however I am not hastening parenthood on my children!)

A. x

[EquusRider91]

ahaha i'm digging our double and triple posts.. >_<; darn computer.

Anyhoo. It's definitely gotten better, but when it acts up it acts up. I'm planning on gettign it checked out again when I go for my physical before school. I wasn't checked out by my usual doctor.. so thsi time around I'm going to have my doctor check it out.

ahaha oh man, i know what you're talking about with the overweightness. I've gained a good 7 pounds, which on a 5'2'' person is more like... 20. ahahaa. i should probably get on that... oi vay.

[coverblown]

how did you get on?

[horsemadmandy]

Hi
I did not feel I would ever ride again after a lower back problem- I was advised not to ride again- I went to an emergency clinic one day when the pain took me away from work and being a mum- doctor was great and gave me a steroid injection into sacral illiac joint- needed another 6 weeks later and fingers crossed one year later still need to be careful but pain completely gone:) lots of sitting on exercise ball to improve posture has helped .