BEWARE: Injuries caused by Trampoline use in Livermore, CA
The other day a patient came into the office with her two small children complaining of neck and back pain. They explained that they had been playing on the trampoline in their backyard and fell a few times on their back and neck. Although they had no immediate symptoms, days afterwards they noticed pain in their necks and backs.
In 2004, the Consumer Product Safety Commission found that more than 89,000 people were sent to emergency rooms with trampoline-related injuries. And another study, this one by the Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Rhode Island, found that spring and summer are the time when trampoline injuries hit their peak, and 91% of them happen at home.
A 2000 report by the safety commission found that most injuries associated with the 2 million recreational trampolines in use in American homes were the result of jumpers:
- Colliding with one another
- Attempting stunts and flips
- Falling or jumping off the trampoline
- Falling onto the trampoline frame or springs
Gary Smith of the American Academy of Pediatrics warns parents to think twice about using backyard trampolines. “Where we have gone wrong is that (trampolines) have popped up in many backyards, and parents don’t realize the danger involved, and they’re using them as toys without recognizing the hazards,” says Smith, chairman of the academy’s Committee on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention.
Speak to your Family Wellness Chiropractor about having your children evaluated after any incidents or falls on a trampoline.
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My kids have used a trampoline for about 5 yrs without any injuries at all. I enforce the rule that its one at a time always!
You should also be sure you get one that has an overlapping entrance net (otherwise they can fall right out of the velcro and/or zipper closeups). And look for good padding on the posts, inevitably kids love to jump against the net which is attached to posts, no way around that.
Be safe, watch your kids and make them follow the rules.