Protecting your back while enjoying summer activities

LOUISVILLE, Colo. — Summer in Colorado brings more time outdoors, more adventures, and for many people, more opportunities to stay active.

But according to Christopher Talbot, DO, spine and neurosurgeon at AdventHealth Avista, some popular summer activities can also increase the risk of serious spine injuries if proper precautions are not taken.

"A lot of traumatic injuries we see in the summer are preventable,” Dr. Talbot said. “The injuries can be devastating, but the precautions are not complicated."

At the top of Dr. Talbot’s summer spine safety list is diving into shallow water, which remains one of the most severe causes of spinal cord injuries during the summer months.

“Most diving-related spinal cord injuries happen during warmer months,” Dr. Talbot said. “These injuries can be severe and possibly lead to permanent paralysis.”

Before diving into any body of water, Dr. Talbot recommends checking the depth carefully and entering feet first the first time.

Approximately 90% of diving-related spinal cord injuries occur in water less than six feet deep, and several safety organizations recommend at least nine feet of depth before any headfirst entry. When in doubt, enter feet first.

Motorized recreation is another major source of spine trauma during the summer season.

ATV, motorcycle, dirt bike and e-scooter accidents can all lead to significant injuries, particularly when riders are not wearing helmets.

E-scooter injuries have increased dramatically in recent years, especially along the Front Range during peak summer rental season.

Dr. Talbot encourages riders to wear helmets, even for short rides.

"In the published series of injured e-scooter riders, fewer than one in five were wearing a helmet,” he said. “It's the single easiest thing you can do."

Dr. Talbot also highlighted boat-towed tubing as an often-overlooked activity with higher injury risk than many people realize. Because multiple riders can be towed at once, collisions between riders are a common source of severe injuries.

"People assume tubing is safer than waterskiing or wakeboarding, but the data show tubing injuries are more than twice as likely to be severe, largely because riders can collide with each other," he said.

Not all summer spine injuries come from high-speed activities.

Gardening, yardwork, golf, pickleball and home projects can also lead to strains, falls and back pain, especially for people returning to seasonal activities without proper conditioning.

“Golf and pickleball are great activities, but they involve a lot of rotational movement, balance and sudden changes in direction,” Dr. Talbot said. “For many people, especially if they are deconditioned, that can increase the risk of back pain or falls.”

To help reduce injury risk, Dr. Talbot recommends warming up before sports, working on flexibility and balance, avoiding backpedaling during pickleball or tennis, and building rotational mobility before golf season begins.

For yardwork and home projects, he encourages people to lift with their legs, take breaks and spread larger projects across multiple days.

Dr. Talbot also emphasized the importance of knowing when to seek medical attention. Seek immediate evaluation for severe neck or back pain after a fall, crash or dive; numbness or weakness in the arms or legs; a loss of bladder or bowel control; or any injury involving loss of consciousness.

For ongoing back pain, Dr. Talbot says one of the best prevention tools is surprisingly simple: walking.

A 2024 study published in The Lancet (the WalkBack trial) found that an individualized walking program combined with physiotherapist-guided education sessions nearly doubled the time before low back pain returned in adults who had recently recovered from an episode. Participants also reported less disability and fewer care-seeking recurrences.

“Walking is one of the best things people can do for spine health,” Dr. Talbot said. “It’s simple, accessible and incredibly effective for many people.”

To learn more or schedule an appointment with Dr. Talbot, visit: Christopher Talbot, DO | Neurosurgery | Louisville, CO | AdventHealth