Fall on the back while snowboarding

Dear Ask The Doctor: Over the weekend I went snowboarding and went up a jumped and landed right on my back. When i landed I peed a little which was wierd. Now the right side where my kidney is hurts im not sure if i just bruised it or what? Thanks for the help!

Dear Emily: Most likely due to the fall you are experiencing now an acute post traumatic back pain. Fortunately, the LBP resolves for the vast majority within 2-4 weeks. Sometimes it may complicate with a sciatic nerve inflammation and the healing process takes a little longer. Regarding the kidneys, if you start urinating blood I strongly recommend you to go to the ER to rule out a serious kidney trauma.The suggested conservative treatment would be: a physical therapy program aimed to: control the pain and the inflammatory process, relative rest, flexion and extension exercises of the spine to reduce the nerve tension, exercises that improve the muscular strength and endurance of lumbar muscles. The main goal of physical therapy in persons with post-traumatic acute back pain is not to increase strength but to achieve adequate pain control. Acetaminophen (“Tylenol”) remains one of the best first-line treatments of acute LBP. It is generally well tolerated, has few adverse effects or drug reactions with other medications, and is inexpensive. You can also try anti inflammatory drugs (“Aleve”).