Broken Coccyx

steelo
steelo Posts: 542
edited April 2008 in Health, fitness & training
Well I was doing a snowboarding lesson a few weeks ago and took a pretty hard fall, the result of which was a very bruised backside and pain when I tried to sit down. Now a few weeks on there is a twinge when I go to sit down at times and a bit of an ache when I have been sitting for a while and when I get up. It also hurts to jog and move around on my feet quickly.

I tried riding my bike a week ago, pedalling standing up was fine, little bit of an ache in my coccyx region but nothing alarming. However, trying to sit on the saddle was a nightmare! I've not had it checked but i'm pretty sure i've cracked my coccyx. I realise there is not a lot that can be done to help it heal and that I just have to give it time.

But I was wondering, has anyone else, or friend of anyone, had a similar injury and can tell me how long it usually takes before it 'fixes' itself and I can ride again?
Specialized Rockhopper '07
Trek Fuel EX8 '09

Comments

  • Surf-Matt
    Surf-Matt Posts: 5,952
    Did the same snowboarding a few years back - two months of pain and nowt you can do about it :cry:
  • steelo
    steelo Posts: 542
    But after 2 months you were back on your bike etc.?
    Specialized Rockhopper '07
    Trek Fuel EX8 '09
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Erm, sorry to telly you, but my sister fractured her coccyx around 2001, and hasn't been able to ride since. :(
    Like you, she didn't realise what had happened at first, so possibbly if you get it seen to (can you?) then recovery could be an option.
  • Surf-Matt
    Surf-Matt Posts: 5,952
    steelo wrote:
    But after 2 months you were back on your bike etc.?

    I was indeed but wierdly, it can still randomly hurt (only very slightly) many years later.
    It's a bad one to be honest - just be really careful for a couple of months.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Hmm, my sister's in agony if she sits on a bike for more than about 30 minutes. She even has problems with long journeys in cars and stuff.
  • Surf-Matt
    Surf-Matt Posts: 5,952
    Erm, sorry to telly you, but my sister fractured her coccyx around 2001, and hasn't been able to ride since. :(
    Like you, she didn't realise what had happened at first, so possibbly if you get it seen to (can you?) then recovery could be an option.

    Sounds really bad - much worse than mine! I flipped doing a jump and landed on my butt - knocked myself out and thought I'd broken my back. It hurt. But I was okay after a month of hobbling around, the another month of being pretty tender.
  • miss notax
    miss notax Posts: 2,572
    Hello :D

    I cracked my coccyx about this time last year and it took about 2 months to 'mostly' heal and for things to get back to normal. During those 2 months it bloody well hurt! It still gives me problems now, riding is fine but long car journeys can be really painful (which is a pest as I also co-drive in rallies :shock: ).

    At least you hurt yours doing something impressive - I fell down the stairs with a glass of wine in my hand and landed on my bum :? :lol:

    Hang on in there - it will get better I promise!!
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

    Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

    Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Sarah, Rally co-drivers can have much worse! did you see Marcus Gronholm's co driver get a metal bar rammed through the chassis, and whack him in the bum a few years ago!
    I bet that bought tears to his eyes!
  • miss notax
    miss notax Posts: 2,572
    :shock: :shock:

    Yes, that's true!! As long as a sore coccyx is all i've got to grumble about I guess I can't complain too much :wink:
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

    Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

    Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc
  • steelo
    steelo Posts: 542
    Well I wasn't expecting to hear that someone that damaged their coccyx 7 years ago is still having severe problems, maybe thats something more severe than a broken coccyx?

    I'm really hoping it gets better and I get back onto my bike soon as I really miss it and have only been off it a few weeks. I was looking forward to getting my first full-susser in the summer too! Only really been riding my rockhopper for a year!

    I have done some research and all the online help seems to suggest there isn't that much that can be done as there are so many muscles that connect to it. It can't be 'set' as it were because of all the muscles as they just pull it back out of alignment. Sounds like 'give it time' is going to be the best thing. I just hope i'm lucky enough not to have too many problems with it in the future.

    Oh and for anything thinking about it - wear some proper padded/armour shorts when snowboarding!
    Specialized Rockhopper '07
    Trek Fuel EX8 '09
  • god1406
    god1406 Posts: 554
    can't you just ride without sitting down?

    there's no pleasing some people :)
  • steelo
    steelo Posts: 542
    All jokes aside I was actually considering giving downhill a go, you hardly ever see those guys sit down! :lol:
    Specialized Rockhopper '07
    Trek Fuel EX8 '09
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    god1406 wrote:
    can't you just ride without sitting down?

    there's no pleasing some people :)
    Funnilly enough, last year I got fit enough to be able to ride for hours and hours without sitting down. It made riding much more enjoyable, as I could leave my saddle low and out of the way, and "play" more whilst riding if you see what I mean.
  • god1406
    god1406 Posts: 554
    I snapped my seat clamp last year at the start of a long ride in the Lakes last year and rode with no seat or post. It made me realise that I never, ever sit down, other than on long flat fireroads...

    fun :)