Riding with back injury?

[Pretttywaste]

3-4 weeks ago I decided to ride my newish mare in my dressage saddle. It apparently didn’t fit, and she apparently had underlying back pain issues… shortest ride of my life! The second my butt hit the saddle she took 2 or 3 head in the air trot strides and then I was on the ground… literally did not even have time to react. Went to the ER who was useless and have been to several drs since… finally had an MRI and got my diagnosis today.

Mild compressed disc which he is not worried about as it is not affecting any nerves - and the bad news, my L1 vertebrae is fractured.

I have continued riding this whole time (with drs permission and not on the horse that threw me). I have been riding almost daily very lightly mostly walking and posting trot and some trot poles… no cantering or jumping - on my very trustworthy super pony mare. Riding has actually HELPED my back, not sure if it’s keeping the muscles looser or what but I can definitely tell a difference on days I do and days I do not ride. Everyone seems horrified when they find out I’m still riding but honestly I am being very careful, under the supervision of a trainer, and none of the drs I have seen have told me not to. My only instruction was “don’t fall off” lol.

As of right now the plan is to just take it easy for a month (although because I have crohns disease it could take up to 3 months) while the bone heals and then start physical therapy. I will most likely have long term issues as far as arthritis,etc bc I am more prone to them from the crohns but I will most likely NOT need any kind of surgery - which is good.

Another problem is it is nearly impossible to rest my back. I work at a vet clinic and my job is VERY physical - lots of lifting and restraining and standing on my feet for 10 hours at a time. They have been less than cooperative about my back and I have been expected to perform as usual. I did get a note today finally saying I am not to lift over 20lbs and no repeetative bending - so hopefully this will let them know that yest there really IS a problem and I’m not just trying to get out of work.

Has anyone else continued to ride with a back injury? Again I have been given permission by all of my drs. Just curious of your stories… and also if you have any advice on my work not really understanding that I cannot lift 100lb dogs anymore. I am glad I have the note now so hopefully that will help but nervous about their reactions. If it comes down to it I will find another job but I really hate for it to come to that.

[Zu_Zu]

Jingles for you ~ your “work” should understand this issue as it happens frequently to others ~ hope you are back to normal soon ~

[00pisces]

I have a compression fracture on my T12 from a fall in August. I’m not riding. If I get hurt worse, I don’t have anyone to help me. I don’t even have a bathtub ro soak in–just a shower. Assuming I don’t fall, I don’t think the riding will be much of an issue, but I can’t imagine picking out a hoof right now. Mostly, I feel like dismounting would really be uncomfortable. I was still biking pretty regularly right after it happened, so I didn’t heal the way I should have. I went to Urgent Care that day and they said it was a muscle injury. Ten weeks later, I was still hurting, so I went back to the doctor and got an x-ray.

[Murphy_s_Mom]

Many years ago I tore a muscle along my spine. Something to do with an extra piece of bone on my last lumbar vertebrae catching it. Happened while I was jumping, but the doctor said it could have happened if I bent down to tie my shoe. Anyway, it was extremely painful and I could barely move. The doctor told me that I could ride as long as I used a mounting block to get on and off the horse and kept it to a walk. He said the movement of the horse was actually a good thing for my back. Of course, I was young and stupid and kept galloping around. Finally my back was so bad that I had to take a full year off of riding. So, if the doctor says it’s ok I say ride, but try not to overdo it.

[JSwan]

The most important thing is to allow yourself to heal. You can’t get around that.

The second thing is that now that you know what is going on with your back - you need to get very very very very very serious about physical fitness. And I don’t mean riding a few days a week or going for walks.

I mean doing the back exercises your PT gives you - and do them religiously.

Try yoga or Pilates, and building up those back muscles - the muscles support your spine and can mitigate future back pain - and with that compressed disc it may only be a matter of time before it herniates or you develop problems with the facet joints.

And trust me - facet joint problems can be horrific and debilitating. You won’t be complaining about lifting a dog, you won’t be able to do much of anything.

Overall fitness for your back means total body fitness. Your hamstrings, quadriceps and gluteal muscles. Your abductor muscles. All these muscles must be strong as they all play into supporting your back. Riders often have weak abductors and strong adductors. Tight hamstrings. These muscles, when not balanced with corresponding muscles, place unnatural stresses on the back.

You’re already compromised - but since you know that you can take steps now to mitigate or even prevent future injuries and pain.

Sorry for the long post but I know from personal experience how what appears to be a little injury can be life changing down the road. You might want to PM the COTH poster Whicker - she can give you some good advice. She came back from a horrible back injury.

Good luck.

[thathorse]

I fractured L2, 3, and 4 this spring. Hubby and chiropracter both convinced me to behave and stay out of the saddle the full 8 weeks. (ok, I did sneak a few “pony rides” But I’m glad I did- way too much at stake. Took advantage of the break (no pun intended) to start up tai chi again.

Take care of yourself

[thathorse]

I had the reply window opened before Jswan posted so just now read it. VERY well spoken.

And as an added plug for PT, the exercises I’m getting for the break is addressing long-painful chronic issues well. JSwan hit the nail on the head with the importance of strong, balanced musculature for a healthy back… plus it makes us all better riders

[midkniggit]

It’ll also depend on exactly where the vertebra was damaged. I fractured my C2 and T9-12 in a riding accident about 18 mos ago. However, the T9-12 were basically non-structural breaks - I just snapped off the spinous process of each one, so another fall wouldn’t have really made anything worse. The C2 - well, I was lucky and it just cracked. That was really what kept me out of the saddle for a while.

The surprising thing to me was how quickly I was able to do everything again, and once we knew the C2 was healed my doc was very encouraging that I get out and be active, including riding.

[whicker]

Strategy

Hi Pretttywaste,

I posted on Luv’s back thread, so please take a look at it for inspiration.

The vertebrae that you fractured is luckily in a part of your back that I have been told doesn’t have to deal with as much movement and stress as the lower ones. That doesn’t mean that you can neglect the back care that JSwan posted, as that is what is going to keep you sound enough to enjoy life. The core strength is critical and you really can’t figure that once the vertebrae is healed that you can just fudge and forget the pt rehab exercises. You lose strength and mobility very fast- faster than a horse.

I screw up and figure that I’m doing enough work in the barn and farm and I don’t need to do the exercises. Then I lose the feeling in my leg or hurt too much to sleep and drag myself back in to pt. Last time I had lost 30% range of motion and strength in about 6 weeks of thinking I was just fine and too busy. Then it takes a long time to gain it back.

My pt knows me well after 5 years of re- habbing. She came up with a plan that takes 5 minutes and no brain that I can do either during the day in bits and pieces, or just before I fall asleep. Some of them I can do in bed or the shower. The bait is that I feel immediately better, so I get a reward- pain goes away or gets better. That really gets my attention.

Being a true horseperson, I take better care of my horses than I do me. I have the determination and drive to proper re-hab my horses. At the moment, I’m close to the end of a several month long regime of 30 minutes at a trot on the asphalt road, dodging cars, dead deer and their friendly vultures. My back aches after that pounding. Then the other horses and work still has to be done. I do ask for help with Bending, Lifting , Twisting(BLT). About 20 lbs is about as much as I can do, without paying for it. That’s a saddle, so I’m happy.

I am concerned about the cavalier attitude of your workplace. If your letter doesn’t specify your limitations for BLT, then they don’t know how real your injury is. Communication is key to their understanding. The letter falls under federal law, so there is power there. If they can’t change your work, you do need to think hard about changing jobs. If you think this acute injury is bad, wait until the irritated and shifting parts get into the act. Not Fun at All.

JSwan and I have worked hard to come back and foxhunt. This isn’t easy,but you can do it with the goal of following your passion to ride.

Please feel free to P.M. me and we can talk.

[gdolapp]

Three years ago broke L-1 obleterated L-2 broke L-3 compresed L-1 - L -5
tipped everything above L-1 1/2 inch to the left, obliterated all mylower back muscle. Had surgery to repair L-2, L-3 fracture was in a y shape with the center of the y gone and I have herniated out of that. Seven months after the accident I started riding again. (accident was a buck off) I haven’t ridden much as I have chronic severe back pain the muscles will never heal
as the cement in L-2 divides my back into two backs everything above
L-1 works as one back everything below L-2 as a second back. I can
throw my back out just by getting out of bed. The muscle will never heal
because of this. The trauma swelling has never went down.

What I have found is stay ahead of the pain. I take IBU first thing in morning with my muscle relaxer, If I have a bad day then I hit the prescription pain meds. I am on a life long nothing over ten pounds
weight lifting restriction.

Ice has become my best friend. I put the icepack in the waist band of my pants wich the waist band holds it in place. I also can not bend or stoop
or twist.

the most import thing in the healing process is doing what your doctor tells you to do and resting your back as much as possible.