Why Protect Your Spine?
Spinal injuries are a serious problem in the water, usually associated with diving head first and hitting the bottom. Spinal injury, perhaps more than any other trauma injury, can have severe lifelong consequences for the victim, parents, friends, and even rescuers, but most SPINAL INJURIES ARE PREVENTABLE.
Bad Beach Day
Any injury at the beach, particularly a spinal injury, can result in a very bad beach day.
Spinal Injury Avoidance Tips
To help ensure you have only good beach days, we recommend the following tips, as well as our many other safety tips. It's also helpful to understand the spine and its importance to the body.
Signs of an Injury
- Swim near a lifeguard.
- Check with lifeguards on current conditions before swimming.
- STOP, watch, and walk into the water.
- DON'T dive headfirst into any unknown water.
- DON'T dive toward the bottom into oncoming waves.
- DON'T stand with your back to the waves.
- DON'T jump or dive from a cliff, pier, jetty or bridge.
- Avoid bodysurfing, bodyboarding or surfing straight "over the falls." Ride the shoulder.
- In a "wipeout," land as flat as possible with your hands out in front of you.
- While bodysurfing, keep an arm out in front of you to protect your head and neck.
- When in doubt, DON'T DIVE, play it safe!
Signs of a spinal injury can include things other than paralysis, but they require immediate attention. They include:
If Someone is Injured
- Bruises, scrapes or cuts to the head or face
- Pain or tenderness in the neck or back
- Partial or complete paralysis, difficulty breathing
- Weakness in the arms and/or legs
- Numbness and tingling in the arms and legs
Have a Good Beach Day
- Summon lifeguards or dial 9-1-1.
- Advise the injured person to "Hold still. Don't move anything!" Especially their head and neck.
- If they are standing or sitting, help them to try to maintain that position without moving their head or neck until help arrives.
- If they are in the water, do the best you can with available help to keep the person still while maintaining an open airway.
USLA thanks the Trauma Research and Education Foundation for their assistance in providing this information.