Falling Flat On the Back

[Gale Hawkins]

At 62 I know being on a farm can be dangerous. Six days ago (last Sunday) I was moving the cattle panel grazing circle over about 20 feet into taller grass for the daughter and have done it many times but mostly when it is a complete circle. I was in a rush and it was open on one side. Since I was moving it up a small grade I decided to move while it was open at one connection so it would not drag so much.

In short I lost my balance when it moved easier than I expected and it not being connected the wire panels near me just feel over offering no support. I heard crunching between the shoulder blades then the pop of my head hitting the ground but it did not knock me out so I got on my hands and knees but the back pain was too much so I got back on my back for like 15 minutes and tried again. The pain shut me down again and I had left my cell phone at the house so I rolled down the hill about 20' to where the cattle panels where still standing upright in a bend and pulled up. The pain was unreal. A neighbor heard her dog barking for 20-25 minutes then came but did not have her cell phone and had to walk to my house. The son came with the golf cart.

Monday I had xrays and nothing showed to be broken or cracked but the muscles were all in a spasm and got worse with movement.

I am doing better and can get around better. I have had a lot of falls but never flat on the back with full weight slamming the ground. I am glad we do not have rocks in the fields and it was dirt and grass I landed on.

Due to much of my spine being fused by ankylosing spondylitis form of arthritis I was really scared and some things did move that had not moved in years.

There is always time to be careful but I forget that fact. Aging and new limits is hard for me to grasp I guess.

 

[nybirdman]

Tough deal!I am about the same age as you and have found things don't work like they use to>>>>
My passion is deer hunting,out of elevated stands.I hunt alone for the most part(retired) and have been very careful.I always carry my cell and use all the safety equipment(fall harness).
I spent years working in the air on contruction sites,only the last few years we had any kind of fall protection.
Hope you heal soon.

 

[pacerron]

Take care Gail. Your gonna be sore for quite awhile.
Ron

 

[murphy1244]

Glad to hear your alright.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Thanks guys. There is just so much to do this time of the year with good working temps just getting here. After each accident the next one is just easier because of the damage done in the last one.

 

[rekees4300]

There is always time to be careful but I forget that fact. Aging and new limits is hard for me to grasp I guess.

I'm getting older and have definitely noticed that balance isn't what it used to be. Have had a few close calls with the chainsaw. Not a tool that is forgiving of carelessness! The main thing is to recognize the fact that adjustments must be made as we age and act accordingly. Glad you weren't seriously injured.

 

[jinman]

When I get out of bed in the morning, I have to sit about 10-15 seconds on the side of the bed. If I go from flat to standing, my back muscles tighten up and almost bring me to my knees. Five minutes later, it's like nothing was ever wrong as the muscles go out of panic spasm and everything is cool. I know one of these days it's gonna not quit hurting, but I sure am glad that for the present, it doesn't last very long.

Gale, I suspect you overstressed something as you were going down. The worst spasm I ever had was when I was drying off after a shower. I reached down with the towel to wipe the water off the tub lip and went to my knees. I couldn't stand up straight for the next week. It doesn't take much to put a hitch in the old sacroiliac.

 

[luvmexfood]

We can get hurt doing the simplest things. Glad you are ok. I fell on ice at work about 3 years ago and it was slightly downhill. Could not catch myself it was so fast. Busted my chin open so bad that the workmans comp doctor would not sew it up. Told him I didn't mind adding a scar to my collection. He refused and sent me to a plastic surgen. Just a fall. Bad thing was that I was the 4th or 5th employee that fell in this area. Big cooling towers and instead of piping out the drain water they were letting it run out on the ground.

They did put in a drain after two more falls in the same area.

 

[Gary Fowler]

That type fall can be deadly in after effect. I had an uncle that was trimming up a downed tree and standing on the tree, cutting off sections. Eventually the weight relieved and the main truck jumped up tossing him from about 4 feet in the air flat on his back. He wasn't in pain that much but thought that he better get checked out by a doctor. He went to the hospital for xrays but nothing was broken so they released him. He died that night from a blood clot to the brain. Evidently the fall caused some internal bleeding to the arteries and the tiny blood clot later broke loose and blocked blood flow to the brain.
Be careful for several days or weeks to give your body time to heal properly.

 

[stuckmotor]

Gale,
I too am a member of the crop of 51. Take care of your self.

 

[troutsqueezer]

I fell on my chest a month ago and bruised the ribs. It really does take a full two weeks for rib pain to go away. Hope yours goes away sooner.

 

[brin]

Gale ...get well soon....Getting older sucks but beats the alternative...I always try to keep that in mind...

 

[TripleR]

Gale, I'm so sorry to hear about your fall, been there done that, older than you so I got a head start. We just have to make adjustments as we age to keep us in one piece and mobile; best of wishes.

 

[dave1949]

Ouch! Sorry you took a tumble and hope you heal soon.

I don't mean this to sound idiotic, as not all have a choice, such as Gale with a chronic condition. But I think the best thing for backs is to use them, keep the muscles toned up, maintain flexibility and so forth.

My back feels better and stronger when I do physical work like splitting wood by hand or moving rocks, or visit the gym twice a week and do light to medium resistance weight work. They say, assuming it is safe otherwise, we are never too old to benefit from that type of conditioning.

Once in a while the rock wins but I've had back pain far more often from just sitting crooked, or an action like Jinman described, than from lifting carefully.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Thanks to all for well wishes. dave1949 makes a good point about staying active with in reason. I had just lost the 25 pounds of the 75 and was in better shape than in years. Not sure I could have got up and on the way back to the house had it happened two months ago.

The 265 MF was down because of a very dead battery and we had just picked up the new one the day before the fall so the son and I set out to get the old 86 pound battery off, do a clean up and install the new one. Since we could not move the tractor to a better position Austin said he would take the sprayer off the golf cart (sets on rear seat foot rest) so we would convert the back seat to a flat bed. That worked out great and we never had to lift but transferred the battery using a 3.5' 2x6. We even did the same to get the old one back into the PU to go to Interstate.

I am OK walking and sitting and even getting on the tractor as I backed it out after getting the battery on it. If I try to bend too much or just lay down to fast a spasm can catch me. Once the xrays showed clear I knew the pain was muscle spasms. Over the last 40 years 98% of my pain has been muscle spasms vs joint pain.

It is so nice today so supper time is over and back outside.

 

[pacerron]

Once the xrays showed clear I knew the pain was muscle spasms. Over the last 40 years 98% of my pain has been muscle spasms vs joint pain.

Gail,
I'm sure with 40 years of muscle spasm pain you know about Acupressure on the pinched muscle lumps.
Works great for neck, shoulders, under shoulder blades, etc. Sometimes that is the only way I can get rid of a pain like that. Have my wife bury a thumb, knuckle or fist hard on the spot until it goes down, then the pain goes away. I've even used door frames when nobody is around but more pressure can be applied by another person.
Ron

 

[farmgirl19]

Gale; Sorry to hear of your fall, but am relieved that it appears no serious damage, even if you will be painful for a while.

I second acupuncture, acupressure for a lot of things. I was in a truck wreck 22 years ago, that left me with a lot of back pain. I began having acupuncture done on it regularly, and there is little that I can't do, that I used to before the wreck now.

Please take care! Sending best wishes for you.

 

[Soundguy]

take it easy man.. be carefull.

this farm stuff ain't always safe.

my blind horse bolted going into his pen this am knocking me over.. feed bucket went flying.

hope you turn out ok and just sore muscles!!

 

[sodamo]

Geez Gale, be careful. How you expect to get as old as the rest of us???? Several years ago I was walking out the back of my garage headed for the tractor shed, enjoying the last of my cup of coffee. Next thing I knew I was headed for the ground (actually concrete) face first, the only thing between us a price of 4x10 about 3 ft long standing on end. Naturally, it didn't save me, but did end up between my chest and the concrete. Broke my coffee cup and my ribs hurt like dickens about two weeks. Still haven't a clue how I tripped, just clumsy I guess. Be careful out there. David Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[Bob77064]

Gale, I am sorry to hear that.