Internet forums are full of questions concerning the connection between back pain and trampoline use. Many different types of injuries can occur from jumping on a trampoline, from pulled muscles to head trauma. The types of injury below may cause back pain.
Pulled Muscle
Back pain after trampolining may be a result of a muscle strain. Jumping on a trampoline works muscles throughout the legs, pelvis and back, particularly stabilizer muscles. Stabilizer muscles work to protect the spine; they engage before you perform an activity, bracing the spine against harmful compression. Ideally, this bracing protects spinal discs and joints by keeping the spine aligned and absorbing some of the impact exerted on the body by movements like jumping up and down.
If your stabilizer muscles are weak, they will likely become strained (or “pulled”) from trampolining. Tense muscles suffer small tears that generally heal within three days. Localized inflammation causes pain, swelling, and tenderness to the touch. A pulled muscle also hurts when it is used. Since the muscles of the back are used in nearly every motion, they can cause a significant amount of pain when pulled and take a little extra time to heal.
It is particularly easy to strain stabilizer muscles if you have an awkward or uncontrolled movement on a trampoline. As mentioned above, stabilizers engage before movement to protect the spine. If a movement occurs unexpectedly, your body doesn’t have time to prepare; the stabilizers will tense up suddenly in a last-second attempt to protect the spine. This sudden tensing can cause muscle strain.
Trampolining is generally viewed as a leisure activity, but it is also exercise. As such, it is crucial to warm up with dynamic stretches before jumping and to cool down with static stretches after jumping. It is an excellent idea to develop core strength before spending prolonged periods on a trampoline; stronger muscles suffer less strain.
Spinal Injury
There is also a high chance of severe injury to the spine, especially if you fell off the trampoline, hit the side of it, or already have a degenerative spinal issue.
If you happen to off the trampoline, you may incur a dislocation of a spinal joint (subluxation) or a vertebral fracture. The affect areas usually occur in spinal segments from the lower back to the neck. Symptoms of subluxation are pain, tenderness, and soreness surrounding the affected portion, muscle spasms, stiffness and weakness in the surrounding area, reduced spinal mobility and/or pain, weakness, or numbness in the extremities.
Vertebral fracture causes sudden and severe pain that is worsened by standing, walking, bending, and twisting. Seek immediate examination by a medical professional, if you experience any of these symptoms after an awkward landing or fall on the trampoline.
The jarring associated with jumping on a trampoline can exacerbate preexisting disc degeneration. Discs work to absorb shock between vertebrae; when a disc is worn, bulging or herniated, it fails to cushion the bones around it. Herniated or bulging discs may compress nerves as they exit the spine, causing pain, numbness, and weakness along the nerve pathway into an arm or leg. Jumping on a trampoline can cause asymptomatic disc abnormalities to become symptomatic or can make already-present symptoms worse. Though disc wear can occur in younger people, it is more of a concern for people over 30.
The above injuries are not the only concerns associated with trampolining. Statistics of severe injuries, mostly incurred by children, have spurred the American Academy of Pediatrics to call for a ban on trampolines for backyard use. For a list of statistics and other injury types, see [https://pedemmorsels.com/trampoline-injuries/]
