Back Injury

I've had a lot of people ask me about references they've seen on facebook to some strange back injury - so here it is:
*I'm not as flexible in my leg muscles as I should be (I know - they always tell you to stretch and I never do)
*I guess those muscles are pulling in opposite directions against some of the lower vertebrae
*In the spring I had a pretty hard collision in a soccer game. I came away with some back pain that I attributed to a pulled muscle but in reality it probably was a cracked vertebra
*At the zoo in June, I awkwardly picked up Diggity over a fence and felt something give in my back - at first the doctor thought it was a herniated disk. It was some of the worst pain I've ever experienced
*X-rays and MRI showed it was actually a fracture in said vertebra
*I am now in physical therapy, in very little pain and hopeful that it will not be a major problem in life - there is even the possibility of soccer (my mother cringes as I say this)
Lesson Learned: Stretch stretch stretch - and strengthen those core muscles!