A Lesson Learned: Wear Your Back Protectors

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CaleruxShearer

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I had a fall a couple of weeks ago whilst jumping, wasnt wearing a back protector. I thought I was fine at the time, got back on and continued, however that night I was literally crippled with Sciatica (sp?) went to the chiropracter who told me I had knocked the lower verterbrae (sp?) out of place (L7?) any way, he crunched me around and told me to ice my back each day for 20 mins. Did so and returned to him for my follow up appointment tonight, my back hasn't been any better this week. So after knocking me around he stuck a tuning fork one my back, knock my upper back, felt nothing just a little vibration, when he did the same on my lower back, where it was hurt, I almost jumped of the bed in pain, literally the worst pain. Anyway apparently that often means a fractured verterbrae. I haven't been x rayed tonight - he is reluctant to x ray me due to my age and the fact that I am still growing but I have to return on Tuesday when if it is no better he will x ray.
So the short and short of it is; I'm now not riding until I've been x rayed, and if it is fractured I won't be riding for up to 3 months
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So guys WEAR YOUR BACK PROTECTORS. I know there hot and uncomfortable and that was precisley the reason I was not wearing mine, however it took literally no more than 30 seconds to all go hideously wrong.
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i would go to a&e and get xrayed strayed away, exuse my bluntness but bugger your age! your health is far more important!
 
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My mum is an A & E sister at our local hospital and has said there is no point in going anywhere tonight as it is hell on earth down there at the min and even if it is fractured they won't do anything.
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Just so upset at the idea of not being able to ride for most of the summer not to mention the fact that I now hurt. A lot
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Always wear mine and shoulder pads whatever the weather, a lady I met at a ride had broken her collar bone, she was only walking across the yard and the horse slipped on the concrete and she came off, I dont understand people who say they only wear it for hunting or jumping etc, you can come off anytime even at a walk
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not only do you have the pain of the injury but the frustration of looking at your lovely animal and not being able to ride it, I couldn't ride for 9 weeks, did my head in
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Ummm wouldn't x-ray you because of your age!? Did you used to hang around chynobyl or something? I've never heard that before. My 87 year old grandfather had loads of x-rays in the last few months and I had loads as a child
 
Poor you.

You don't have a L7 btw, there are only 5 lumber vertabre.

Your chiro does xrays? I would highly recommend not going back to a chiro till you have been seen in hospital.
 
I would go to A&E, even if he does X-rays, who does he get to report on them. The NHSm has serious problems but for acute services the're pretty good. Spinal fractures can be missed, in A&E the X-rays will be reported on by a trained Radiologist. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT have any manipulation done until your spine has been cleared. PS I am a BE doctor
 
When my back was acting up more than normal I just went to the chrio, he had a quick feel and said that I should go to the doctors, it was too dangerous for him to do something without being able to see. Turns out i'd dislocated a rib and done some sevear muscular damage. Chrio sorted me out when it was confirmed though. Chrios are COMPLIAMENTARY medicine, not ALTERNATIVE.
 
I would go and get it x-rayed probably at A&E. Age is completely irrelevant if you have injured yourself - no one wants unnecessary x-rays, but I have never been told not to have them done when I have injured myself because of my age. The amount of radiation if very small, and I was told is about the same radiation as taking a trans atlantic flight (yet you don't see children being stopped from flying because of it).

If you have fractured your spine, it can have very dire consequences. Having seen a couple of friends break their backs, I know how serious it can be. If you have chipped a bone, who knows what damage that could cause. It simply isn't the case that they don't do anything for fractured backs - toes maybe! I injured my L4/5 a few years ago in a car accident, many many x-rays to check that nothing could cause further damage, and when I have seen a chiropractor, they have ALWAYS insisted on x-rays before they manipulate me when I have given them my medical history, as if there is damage to a vertabra, manipulation can cause further damage, including paralysis. Chiros are qualified in what they do, but they are not doctors, they cannot prescibe painkillers or anti inflammatory drugs, they can't perform any sort of surgery, and they don't have the knowledge to know when surgery is appropriate / needed. Don't get me wrong, I think my chiro is great, but he also knows his limitations and would send me to A&E in a heart beat (likely on a back board) if he thought I had fractured my back.
 
I think you are right not to go tonight as you could be there for most of the night, but can you go first thing in the morning before the mid-morning rush of sports-induced injuries?! A couple of xrays won't do you any harm.
 
think thats whats going to happen - mother is currently on the phone to chiro bothering him about his qualifications ( my dad takes me to see, he is VERY highly qualified and was in fact head of the british chiropractic association )
 
There is a chiro around my way who does his own Xrays - a few years ago he was treating a friend of mine who was absolutely crippled with lower back pain. She showed me her Xrays (he was still treating by manipulation) and I advised her to go see my neurologist asap. Two days later she had a private consultation and was admitted as an NHS emergency for surgery - which was what she needed all along.

The point being, an alternative POV is a good thing and I would be wary about the chiro directing your treatment based solely on their interpretation of Xrays.
 
Hospital, first thing in the morning.

Chiros are great when you know that what you have is not serious, any potential spinal injury should be dealt with by a doctor. Hopefully it will be nothing serious but better to be safe than sorry. Plus, doctors can prescribe painkillers and other drugs which will make you feel better.

BTW: totally agree about the BP though. Hot, sticky but worth it. Promised the OH I would ride in one whatever after my last big fall. Have been tempted to not bother definatly will keep wearing now.
 
I fell off my grey quite badly a few years ago (think of him running off bucking and rearing with lots of dipping shoulders and me with one stirrup) and it was the worst fall since I was a kid, I learnt I do not bounce like I use to!

Since then hubby bought me a racesafe 2000 and insists I wear it, because of my athritis, Lupus and I am also minus one part of my immunne system, he thinks I need bubblewrap when I ride lol, I think I need less fuss but maybe he is right so I wear it.

I just feel so stiff in it and I know my mare is more edgy when I ride in it as I am more stiff and cant relax down on her through my legs, how on earth do you ride normally after years of not wearing a bodyprotector in my case (27 yrs of riding)?
 
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