Trampoline Dangers

By Julia Guthart, OTR/L CHT

10 Reasons Why You Should NOT have a Trampoline

Basically, no certified therapist recommends having a trampoline in your back yard.  Due to the trampoline dangers to all of your 206 bones and spinal cord and head. In physical therapy, we see so many injuries due to the use of trampolines in your backyard. Here are some of the highlights of reasons NOT to use a trampoline or own one of your own:

1. Very slippery when wet

It rains a lot in Florida so the trampoline dangers are more prevalent when wet. Currently, it rains 115 days out of the year in Florida.

2. Dental injuries are common from jumping on trampoline

Often, your head and face become landing points when you fall.  This produces injuries to your teeth, eyes and nose.

3. Trampoline use can lead to spinal injuries. 

Twenty percent of all spinal cord injuries occur to head and neck from trampoline use.  Compression fractures and disc herniations of the back occur often from falls.

4. The trampoline springs add kinetic energy to the human body. The acceleration and deceleration forces are too great for most of us

This causes high impact injuries by trampoline users. $408 million was spent on fractures in children caused by trampolines in the last 10 years.

5. Trampolines are a major safety hazard during a Hurricane or Tropical Storm.

How do you secure a trampoline from landing on your neighbor’s roof? Trampolines need secure grounding so that they do not flip during routine use and jumping.  They also need to withstand 70 to 100 mile hour winds of a hurricane.

6. Humans do not have eyes on their feet so they cannot see where they are jumping.  They often hit the springs or jump off by accident.

40% of injuries were due to falling off the trampoline.  Kids often try extra high jumps or are not paying attention to landing when injuries occur.

7. You need coordination of your entire body and self to successfully jump on a trampoline.

Young children often don’t have the balance and coordination of their body to due high jumps and tricks.  As we age, we also lose our balance and coordination skills.  Probably not a good  idea to get on a trampoline.

8. If you are unable to get onto the trampoline by yourself, you have no business thinking about trampolining.

1 in 200 trampoline injuries resulted in permanent neurological damage.

9. Common Trampoline Dangers include multiple body part fractures in kids. Broken bones are highly probable with a fall

93% of fractures in children age 16 years or under, are caused by trampolines.  The most common fractures occur in the arms and legs.

10. Of all fractures caused by Trampolines age 0 to 18 years, 95.1% occurred at home.

Even when your kids are grown, it can be a problem. You forget about the trampoline in your back yard.  However, your child returns from college with friend and decide to try it out.  He lands heavy on the ground and injures his leg.  Most homeowners insurance will not cover Trampolines.

So does this mean I should not go to a Trampoline Park?

NO, that is not what we are saying. Our suggestion is that you do not go on a neighbor’s or family member’s trampoline. It is safer to go to a Trampoline park.  Most are indoors and have thick padding at the edges. These parks lower the risk of falling off these trampolines. They have the proper safety equipment and operating  permits.  They cannot completely eliminate all of the risks, but it is safer than one in your backyard.

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