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I have had a pain in my left lower back every time i vault, i am right handed. I was wondering if any of you have experianced this. and what did you do to help. I think this has been talked about before but i cant find any of the posts. Thanks.

join the club!! Mine hurts all day everyday. I fractured my lower back about 5 years ago and it healed, but it has started to bother me while I'm vaulting. I'm too stubborn to go back to the doctor, but I just ice and heat it. Also, go to your trainer and get stem done, especially before a meet. It helps loosen everything up! Take Tylenol before a meet, but not everyday or your body will become immune to it. That should help but if not then I would go see a doctor.

See if you are taking off under. That always makes mine hurt.

Britdawg is on the right track. I had been having a lot of lower back pain and it can be cause by a couple of things. If it's a sharp peircing pain when you lean backwards (as in how your back compresses during takeoff), you should go to a doctor and have them look at it as it could very well be a fracture in your lower spine. Another thing you might want to consider is trying to do a lot of core strengthening...not ab work, but things that involve balance and so forth (do these while trying to bring your belly button to your spine, but still be able to breath and talk)......I only say all this because i am going through the same thing....if it's a stress fracture or such in the lower spine, you need to be careful....i'd say go get it checked by a doctor....hope it gets better soon

If it's really bad, it wouldn't hurt to get it checked out. You may have a slight stress fracture and you don't want to make it worse, when you can just layoff a little while to get it better.

If it's just a nagging pain it could well be from taking off under, OR not having your plant up all the way. Does your right shoulder hurt also? If it does your plant is not up all the way (it jerks you off the ground) and it can cause both your back and shoulder to ache.

Watch some video of yourself and make sure that the pole doesn't strike the back of the box until your toe is barely on the ground, or your toe has just left the ground. If your plant is up all the way in conjunction with that it will take a lot of pressure off of your back and shoulder and your vault will be smoother and much more dynamic, and you'll jump higher. Also, make sure you are jumping up and everything is moving up and across your takeoff and not diving into it.

When you are already injured and sore these may be hard adjustments since human nature is to cring a little on your plant if you know it's going to hurt your back or shoulder. If you can make the adjustment I'm confident you will like it much better.

Good luck with your back and always...

Vault High, Vault Safe!

I had a bad pain in my back so I took some time off, I could barely walk tohugh when I decided to take the time off becasue I was pole vaulting while it hurt and then i took off about a foot under. It delayed my pole vaulting for about a month and I wasnt able to make it back as soon as I wanted to by reno (I nh'ed from a short run), but Im glad i took the time off.

If it's over your SI joint on the left it's almost most likely your take off not only being under but not jumping up also will cause this. Ice after practice and see a chropractor!

Robert schmitt wrote:If it's over your SI joint ...

SI joint??

Sorry for the abrev. Sacro-Illiac joint (SI joint).

Robert schmitt wrote:Sorry for the abrev. Sacro-Illiac joint (SI joint).

Sacro what? LOL You lost me there. What is it, where is it? LOL Are you a chiropractor by any chance? or some sort of other medical professional? Sa-cro-Il-li-ac... You may need a masters degree just to pronounce it.

Sacro what? LOL You lost me there. What is it, where is it?

The SI is the joint made by the sacrum articulating with the ilium. Now the sacrum is the triangular shaped bone the the lumbar spin sits on. the ilium is what many people refer to as thier hip bone. If you look at your derier in the mirror you will see a litle dimple about 2" from the mid line of your back. If you feel that dimple you should feel mostly bone there. That is the posterior superior iliac spine (your ilium) move your finger alittle more to the centerline and you'll be on your sacrum.
Now if you go back on to the really boney portion and lift your leg up on that side or shift you wieght back and forth you'll feel it move. That movement is essential for you to be able to run as fast as you can and not cause injury to the lower lumbar spine. What happens from a poor take off (under or not jumping) is the ilium (on the take off leg side) is forced into too much internal rotation while the joint is being tractioned from being yanked off the ground. This damages the sacro iliac ligament. The resulting edema and fibrosis decreases the range of motion in the joint which puts a rotation shear into the lower lumber discs because the SI joint isn't moving properly. Over time you'll end up with dics problems in the lower lumbar L5 most freq.

Are you a chiropractor by any chance?

Yes, I'm a chiro, I hope this helps.
And heck it's another good reason to take off on and jump up off the ground.