Question
I am 21 years old, 125 lbs, 5'7", healthy and active.

About four or five months ago, I had a minor accident while paragliding. I will spare you the technical flight details, but it resulted in me coming in contact with the ground, feet first, at probably somewhere between 10-15mph, in a forward and downward direction. Afterwards, I had some mild lower back pain, but it didn't bother me enough to stop flying. I experienced lower back discomfort when sitting in certain positions or performing certain motions for about two weeks afterwards, but it was mild enough to ignore.

Now, about a week ago, I was sledding on a local hill and the little kids had built a ramp on the side of the hill. I was sitting upright with my legs in front of me on the sled, and when I went down the ramp, I landed down hard. It seems to have woken a sleeping giant of lower back pain, as slouching in any manner is pretty uncomfortable, and laying down feels better if I put a pillow under the small of my back. I'm not experiencing any numbness, weakness, or stabbing pain. It seems to feel better when I massage my lower back near the point where the pain is sharpest.

I'm afraid there might be a vertebral fracture, but is it possible I've just sprained or strained something?

Answer
Andrea, it's possible to have a fracture. I have had patients walking around for weeks with a vertebral fracture. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. First have an x ray of lumbar spine done. Then once a fracture is ruled out, you should consult a chiropractor to realign your spine. Some chiropractors take xray, some do not. DO NOT get a chiropractic adjustment without having an xray rule out fracture first. Good luck!!