Are Trampolines Good For Your Back? Causes of Back Pain
Hi there, trampoline-lovers! We have a real treat for you today. How many times did you ask yourself: “Why does my back hurt on a trampoline?” Well, in this article we’ll go over a number of reasons how you can hurt your back on a trampoline. Additionally, we’re going to cover the topic on how good (or bad) can jumping on a trampoline be for your back.
In fact, when it comes to this question, there seems to be a conflict of opinions. A number of people will say that jumping on a trampoline is dangerous for the lower/upper and middle back. However, there are those who claim that jumping on a trampoline can even be beneficial and can help alleviate back pain.
As a matter of fact, both of them are right. There are so many sources of lower back pain. And while trampolining might worsen the pain for some, for others it can play a huge role in making the pain go away.
Essentially, in this article, we’ll shed light on all kinds of back-related injuries that might happen due to jumping on a trampoline. In addition to that, we’ll share with you some of the best techniques and methods on how to deal with these injuries. So sit back, relax and keep reading!
Trampoline Back Pain 101
Is jumping on a trampoline bad for your back?
As we’ve mentioned earlier, the answer to this question can be both affirmative and negative. The motion of jumping on a trampoline causes your body to tighten the back muscles, with the aim of protecting the spine.
However, if you suffer from degenerative disc or herniated disc issues, muscle tightening is just going to further damage the spine. That way, you’ll discover that your back hurts after a trampoline even more than it did before.
On the other hand, there are conditions in which you can find relief for your back pain on a trampoline. For example, people who suffer from spondylolisthesis (a condition that leads to the inability of joints and ligaments to hold your spine properly), might benefit from trampolining. Basically, trampoline workouts can strengthen the core of those ligaments, which will lead to keeping them in better shape.
Bottom line is, trampolining can go both ways. It can make your pain worse, but it can make it go away too. So to those who suffer from any kind of back condition, we’d recommend consulting the doctor beforehand.
Trampolining itself is not an activity that will necessarily hurt your back. If done properly, it is a great way of having a good low-impact workout!
Can you hurt your back on a trampoline?
Basically, the answer is YES. You CAN hurt your back on a trampoline, but not necessarily.
There are all sorts of scenarios that might occur and lead to serious back pain after jumping on a trampoline. Firstly, if you have a pre-existing condition, by jumping on a trampoline you can make it worse. Secondly, if you don’t do a proper warm-up, the chances are that you’ll strain your muscles and hurt yourself. Finally, and this is the worst case scenario, you can even fall from a trampoline and seriously injure your spinal cord.
However, if you do a proper warm-up and stay conscious of your movements while jumping, you’re good to go. Essentially, we’d recommend doing everything you can to protect yourself from injuries and reacting even at the slightest pain in your back.
Have you experienced upper back pain on a trampoline?
If you experience upper back pain after jumping on a trampoline, the chances are you’ve either strained your muscles or have injured the ligaments or discs.
Here’s how you can detect that your upper back was hurt:
- Firstly, you’ll most likely feel a sharp, burning pain in your upper back.
- Secondly, you’ll experience serious muscle stiffness and tightness.
- Finally, you could be feeling weakness in your arms and legs too.
You can treat this kind of back pain with massages, over-the-counter drugs and regular application of ice and heat.
What about lower-back pain?
Experiencing lower-back pain is quite common for those that like jumping on a trampoline. Basically, the trampoline works the muscles of your back, legs, and pelvis. The role of the muscles here is to protect the spine from the impact. However, those who don’t have strong muscles are prone to having lower back issues after jumping on a trampoline. Their muscles have to work harder in order to protect the spine. As a result, the muscles tend to tense up which causes muscle fatigue and pain.
In worst case scenarios, landing in a way that your body isn’t used to might even cause a pulled muscle or a spinal injury. That’s why we’d like to recommend taking it easy on a trampoline. Especially if you’re new to this kind of activity and your body isn’t used to it. You should start by mastering the proper form and movements and everything else will come naturally.
The risk of getting a spinal injury from jumping on a trampoline
As we’ve mentioned earlier, it’s possible to hurt your spine while jumping on a trampoline. The severity of the injury depends on the type of the fall, and it can be considered a minor injury, or it can lead to paraplegia, quadriplegia or even death.
Essentially, we can classify the spine injury as complete or incomplete. If a person has fallen from the trampoline, hurt their spine and can still feel or move to a certain degree, we’d call that an incomplete injury. On the other hand, a complete injury would mean that the person who hurt their spine cannot feel anything or move in any way below the area affected by the injury.
There are clear symptoms of a serious spinal cord injury, such as weakness in muscles, problems while breathing, limited to no movement in arms or legs and more.
In case this kind of injury happens, it’s important not to move the person that took the fall and wait for medical assistance.
We’d like to note that, while there are many cases of minor injuries when jumping on a trampoline, this kind of spinal injury is extremely rare and, if you use the trampoline wisely, you shouldn’t be worried about hurting yourself this badly.
Trampolining is not only a fun leisure activity, but it is also a great way to strengthen your muscles and work out in an extraordinary way.
How to fix back pain from jumping on a trampoline?
If you’re experiencing back pain caused by jumping on a trampoline, there’s a number of things you can do in order to alleviate it and make it go away.
First off, we’d recommend you examine your spinal cord to see if there’s any curving. Also, you need to see if your back pain is limited to only one side of your back, or if it affects both sides. In addition to that, you need to locate the main area where you feel the pain (lower, middle or upper back).
The most common way to relieve yourself from back pain is getting a really hot shower. The water should fall straight to the area where you feel the pain. Essentially, hot water is great and extremely effective when it comes to alleviating back pain and relaxing the muscles.
Additionally, you could do some low-intensity corrective and bending exercises. However, you should be careful with this one, as improper movements might just worsen your back pain.
Finally, try getting a massage in order to relax the tightened muscles.
If none of this works, we recommend seeing a doctor who will help you with your condition by prescribing some medications or other types of therapy.
Final Thoughts
Jumping on a trampoline has always been a source of fulfillment and fun for people of all ages. However, specific movements do pose a certain level of threat of getting injured on a trampoline.
Some manufacturers state that their trampolines are the safest ones on the market. However, you need to know that there is no such thing as the world’s safest trampoline. Therefore, it all comes down to you being careful not to hurt yourself.
Back-related injuries are the most common types of injuries. Some of them are minor and some of them can be extremely serious. So what you need to do is learn how to stay in control of your movements while jumping on a trampoline. You should be mindful of how your body moves. In that case, you are going to reduce the chances of getting hurt significantly.
Don’t despair if you do end up hurting yourself. You just need to locate the source of the pain and try the techniques we talked about earlier.
Also, if you suffer from a pre-existing back condition, make sure to consult your doctor before jumping on a trampoline. Better safe than sorry, right?
That’s it, guys! We’ve arrived at the very end of this article. We sincerely hope that the information we’ve shared will help you avoid getting injured. Remember — Have fun jumping and stay safe while doing it!
