injury/firefighting career

[chasers]

hi, if you have a history of a back injury, will it automaticly DQ a canidate for the hiring process?

[fire49]

As long as you answer any questions on the Application truthfuly

Pass physical agility

Pass doctor visit

Should be good to go

[BCLepore]

Let me add a few more things.
It depends on your history. Do you have any permanent damage? What do you mean by a back injury? What does your personal doctor say about it. As a general rule the doctor who completes the entry level medical exam does a general physical. Your physician (specialist) letter will trump the city doctor.

Paul Lepore
Division Chief

[chasers]

what i got was a small stress fracture from sports. it has healed up mostly except for a small part. but im physicaly fit and a athlete. this happened about 4 months ago, im currently doing PT to strengthn all muscles etc. my doctor said i should be fine as long as i reduce amount of hyperextension i perform. im feeling better and stronger as weeks go by though soo im really hoping this doesnt hurt me in the future because i really want to become a firefighter.

[BCLepore]

Good to hear. Again, your doctor usually trumps the city doctor. Best of luck to you....

[chasers]

ok cool, im feeling very confident about this now. I really appreciate the advice and help!!!

[Drjmilus]

It depends on what the fracture was? Is it a fracture of the pars interarticularis? Did it result in a Spondylolisthesis? If so, what grade? Is it stable? It sounds like if your doctor called it a stress fracture that it was stable the whole time, even when it first happened. Best way to find out is to have a complete series of x-rays on your low back, especially these views: Bilateral Oblique Lumbo Pelvic. Also, a forward leaning view with the xray tub and left, then at right would show if the Vertebra is moving on forward leaning, and finally, 2 A-P views of you laterally bending to the right and to the left.

Once that is ruled out, I would get to core stabilization. Start NOW and never stop. Work up slowly from lateral bends standing and holding a light weight, back extensions on a ball, lateral flexion on a ball, and crunches both twisting and not. Then work up to working on the hyper extension bench. Then take a look at this page:
fireagility.com/cpat_events.php
You might have to cut and paste that. Scroll down to the #3 Equipment Carry. What it says in the text is not the point. Look at the picture. That flat/horizontal hyper extension bench is the best type to work lateral flexion and extension (not past straight, not into hyper-extension. AND: Not either way at first, start on the ball). Once you have ruled out pars instability, and been released from care, AND, mastered bilateral lateral flexion and extension on a theraball, you can move to this hyper extension bench.

Start with 1 set of 20 extensions at first and worked up to 4 sets of 50, no weight, over a 3 month period, stop there. Also, work from 2 sets of 6 lateral flexions to 4 sets of 12 over the same time period. Plus 500-1000 crunches per day... should be plenty for you.

A fracture, of that type, takes about 12 weeks to heel, if all is going well. Don't push it too hard. The good part, is usually, bones mend. Soft tissue injury is harder to see, and harder to fix.

Consider yourself lucky. It could have been worse. Once this is better, and rehab'd right, you should be fine to be a firefighter!

Dr. Jen

[chasers]

After xrays and a bone scan my doctor said i have Spondylolysis. And he said after view xrays of my spine that there is no slipping at all and that the fracture is only on my right side. I took a resting period for about 4 months, i was still feeling a little bit of acheing pain but ive started my physcial therapy for core strength and the pain has began to go away.

[Drjmilus]

I am glad you are feeling better. Don't be fooled. Once it's gone, DON'T stop doing the exercises just because the pain in gone. You need to prevent it from happening again. I am not saying you now have a weakness there. The bone heals! But, Low back is a very common area for injury in firefighters! Prevent it! the final, most difficult evercises they give you are yours to keep, and use 3 times a week forever!

Glad you are feeling better!

Dr. Jen