Lower back all jacked up...
 

maybe its because I got into the sport late.. or maybe its because I ride in the north east and deal with a shit ton of ice.. but yesterday I was having a pretty decent day till I caught an edge smashed my lower back and back of my head..

I have never been one for a helmet even when I used to skate a lot of park.. but I gotta tell you it scared the shit out of me.. and now I am really considering a helmet and wouldn't mind some recommendations..

but where I really need some help.. I would like some kind of lower back guard.. I hit the area between my back and ass so hard that it basically made the rest of the day a complete waste.. my back locked up so hard that I could not really freely rotate and ride.. it sucked.. so I have decided I will deal with the annoyance of having come kind of back guard over blowing a whole day of riding because I am too cool for pads..

recommendations? thoughts?

any help as always is appreciated..

I was in the same shoes as you. Not wearing a helmet in the snow that is... Until it hit me, I'm a cyclist as well and wear a helmet religiously. I realized that unlike cycling, I know I'm going to fall. Alot! 1000x more likely to smoke a tree, and have people flying around with very long blunt sticks with sharp edges... I'm going with a Giro G10 myself. Go try some on and see what fits ya the best.

it was unbelievable.. I never hit my back so hard... I mean yeah my head hurt.. but I hit my back SO hard that it far outweighed what happened to my head.. lol I guess I just have a thick head... but yeah will probably do both.. I don't like the restriction of pads.. but it is better than losing a whole day of riding due to some dumb injury..

I'm not sure how to fix the issue from happening again but I can give you advice on how to help lower back pain. Follow the link below and save the PDF. It's a lot of info so dedicate some time to it. It will help tremendously. My back was really jacked up for about 10 years and then a physical therapist showed me how to use a foam roller. Buy one today. Don't get the crappy soft blue ones you find at big box sporting good stores. Call around to physical therapists or try to find a running store. The good ones are harder, last longer and are usually black or white.

http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/...SMR-manual.pdf

A motorcycle (either street or dirtbike) back protector that you wear over your base layer and under your shell might help.

I used to wear the Icon Field Vest (http://www.motorcycletoystore.com/sp.../icon-vest.gif) which does a pretty good job (and doesn't have a ton of straps to adjust).