My Injury Hell gets worse

kingrollo

Been off the bike since june with lower back and sit bone problems. I have had a bike fitting , new saddle, and being doing some core excercises \ stretches.....very slow progress..

Then last week while on holiday - I twisted my ankle coming down the caravan steps - I heard a loud 'crack' was pretty sure I had broken my ankle - the bloke at the minor injuries unit said there was break - but it was a very severe tearing of ankle ligaments - he said in terms of recovery its worse than break - could be up to 3 months. My foot is black with bruising - and I am walking with a stick....FFS !

Good news is i am making day on day improvements in terms of walking - and the stick is now just for balance ! - hoping not to be off the bike for a further 3 months ! grrrrrr

explosifpete

sorry to hear your bad news, it frustrating when you can't ride due to injury.
Have your thought about swimming to keep your fitness while you recover?

kingrollo

explosifpete wrote:

sorry to hear your bad news, it frustrating when you can't ride due to injury.
Have your thought about swimming to keep your fitness while you recover?

Im thinkin more of a few lagers at the minute.

Seriously yes I have thought of doing some swimming - I do find it very boring though - have to go to the docs on tues will ask him about some ankle strenghening excercises .

The moral of story is - if your considering a bling bike or bling wheels - just do it - you never know when you won't be able to......

Ben6899

Done this to both ankles playing football so you have my total sympathy. Rehab will probably start with loosening up the lower leg muscles (it all tightens up as you walk differently to protect the ligament) and then on to plyometric exercises. And then running for strength rather than fitness.

Stick with it and employ a good sports physiotherapist - someone who looks after rugby or football players will see this quite often!

Good luck.

Secteur

physio, physio, physio, physio, physio.

oh, and did I mention physio?

seriously - see one asap - early intervention is the key - sounds like you've already wasted time.

this will all be history soon, but get swimming for fitness, and see a physio!!!

designman

I also know how you feel, broke both ankles a few years ago, bought myself a nice £7k bike this year and got my fitness back, then visited the docs this week for him to tell me that ive damaged my tendon in my leg with over training
So now ive got to rest for a month or two, no cycling or the worse can happen is me breaking the leg again....

Secteur

designman wrote:

I also know how you feel, broke both ankles a few years ago, bought myself a nice £7k bike this year and got my fitness back, then visited the docs this week for him to tell me that ive damaged my tendon in my leg with over training
So now ive got to rest for a month or two, no cycling or the worse can happen is me breaking the leg again....

I'd better look after that bike for you then, just until you're better of course ;-)

johnboy183

The moral of story is - if your considering a bling bike or bling wheels - just do it - you never know when you won't be able to......

Pls convince my other half of the need to do this! She always says "your dead along time" but strangely when I use this as an argument to buy a bike, it gets thrown back in my face!

Anyhow I wish you a healthy and swift recovery.

Have you considered buying a lottery ticket? Surely you're luck has to change soon!

anto164

kingrollo wrote:

explosifpete wrote:

sorry to hear your bad news, it frustrating when you can't ride due to injury.
Have your thought about swimming to keep your fitness while you recover?

Im thinkin more of a few lagers at the minute.

Seriously yes I have thought of doing some swimming - I do find it very boring though - have to go to the docs on tues will ask him about some ankle strenghening excercises .

The moral of story is - if your considering a bling bike or bling wheels - just do it - you never know when you won't be able to......

This.

I've missed all summer because of major injury. I've since realised that you're not indestructable, and i've decided that a new road bike is on the cards as soon as i'm back on a bike. You never know what is around the corner, so enjoy it whilst you can.

Ben6899

kingrollo

Any update on the injury recovery? If you're back on the bike before winter and seemingly okay, be prepared for some swelling on cold mornings and a bit of stiffness.

Anyway, I hope everything's going okay. These are awful injuries.

gmacz

2 years out with a run of injuries. Never a problem of any kind before that.
Ankle then right shoulder, followed by left shoulder and the left knee.
Very very slow build up of stamina and power at the moment especially left side.
Just takes time and porridge.

kingrollo

Original Poster Here....Update as requested.

The ankle is coming along pretty nicely - i am walking almost almost normally - there is a bit of pain - and sometimes I overdo the stretches on the Ankle - but on the whole its day on improvement.

No such luck with the back (or arse) pain - its gets painful to sit on almost any surface after about 3 hours - so the road bike is still a big no ! no ! - this has been going on since the end of june - I have 3 theories:-

1.Pirifomis Syndrome - the pirifomis muscle traps or iritates the siatic nerve - diagnosis by web is never ideal - but this seems theclosest - with the exception that pain isn't as severe as the web describes

2.Iflamed sitbones - Ischal burstis - could be this but feel its been going on to long.

3.Hamstrings - I kinda hope it is - as this will get better eventually -

Have another appointment with the orthpedic surgeon in October - and an appointment with an NHS physio towards the end of sept.

Ive also started doing pilates and swimming - no substitute for cycling though. Really fustrating especially as the carbon wheels I wanted are down to £550 ...grrrrrrrr

Please post up any miracle cures (not sports injury physio !)

kayakerchris

spend the money from the wheels on a good sports therapist privately

Secteur

kayakerchris wrote:

spend the money from the wheels on a good sports therapist privately

+1!!!

As I said above - physio, physio, physio, physio - waiting for NHS physio until late Sept is useless - you have already lost that opportunity for early intervention & therfore early cure.

Private physio will see you at least weekly (yes, it will cost) and will be far more pro-active than NHS physio.

Anyway, good luck whatever you decide.

kingrollo

The reason I haven't gone for physio privatley is that some thing heal best on there own. For example my ankle almost better now - by using Ice, Self Massage, a few stretching excercises - and theres day on day improvement. - Had this improvement taken place under a £40 a session physio - I would be congratulating myself on what a wise investment those sessions where.

For my back problem I have access to an orthapedic surgeon - he has all ready given me one proletherapy jab - and I have two to follow - these have improved my lower back pain - but not the pain I get when sitting. I have an appointment with a physio in a couple of week - the very physio who has helped me before.

I think to pile in now with a another of course of treatment \ opionions would just confuse the issue (and me !) - and given the time of year - there is no great rush. If these two options fail then I may consider private physio.

pilot_pete

I turned my ankle over with a loud crack whilst doing selection for the SAS many, many years ago. I paid for physio daily in an attempt to keep. going. I managed another 3 months, and it was in bits.....eventually the Physio just said "I don't know what you are doing, or why, but me treating this daily and strapping it tightly in elastoplast is only going to end one way and that is you in a wheelchair for 6 months after an operation to bridge the gap in your then snapped ligament." That was that really....

It took over three months of rest and physio, ice and more ice before it was eventually sorted. Many years later and it has left no lasting effects. My running days are now behind me, its just too hard on the lower limbs in my opinion. Now cycling.....there's a thing!

Good luck with the back problems, I get a bit of that too so would be interested to hear how you get on. after all your treatment.

PP

kingrollo

Pilot Pete wrote:

I turned my ankle over with a loud crack whilst doing selection for the SAS many, many years ago. I paid for physio daily in an attempt to keep. going. I managed another 3 months, and it was in bits.....eventually the Physio just said "I don't know what you are doing, or why, but me treating this daily and strapping it tightly in elastoplast is only going to end one way and that is you in a wheelchair for 6 months after an operation to bridge the gap in your then snapped ligament." That was that really....



PP

I was already off the bike with the arse pain - when I did the ankle. So as such it was pretty easy to rest the ankle ......cos even now its almost better ......i still can't on anything but the softest surface without pain.

Beleive me if I get this sorted - i will bore you all with the resolution.

Bobbinogs

When I had a problem with my lower back I went to the doctor who referred me for physio...the only problem was that the NHS now do dial-a-physio to save money. Hence, I spent 20 minutes on the phone (at my cost) whilst someone on the other end of the line talked me through some exercises. In the end, I just told her to forget the whole bleddy thing and paid for a real physio. So I ended up paying twice, once through my taxes for a load of rubbish and then privately for something decent, grrr.

Anyway, best of luck with your recovery. I also did my ankle ligaments in playing footy and it did take a good couple of months to get back to running properly. Hopefully cycling is the ideal recovery exercise since it is more controlled movement (stay off the honking for a good while). Good excuse to buy a turbo (if you don't have one already) since you can do some regular light spinning for short spells which would not be worth getting all the kit on for if going out.

kingrollo

Just an update folk.

The ankle problem is much better - still not back on the bike because of arse pain !

I have discovered pilates - £4.40 where I make a complete fool of myself - getting into all sorts of stretchy positions - it makes me realise how unflexible i am ! - theres also some fairly pretty ars*s to make the hour go quicker

Had my appointment with the nhs physio - she focused more on the back than my ars~ she has given me some excercises and doesn't reckon its a major problem - not convinced but will try and stay positive.

saunaboy

Just a quick comment mate - I've been out since Easter withwhat started out as a relatively minor inner knee/groin injury. Stretches were initially prescribed & it made it worse to point where I was off work.

Went to a private physio at private hospital & they didn't really know what to do with it. Lots of treatment on the knee that got it 50% better but when I was back at work pain free they said that was all they could do & discharged me.

Big deal (as people on here say) was getting a real sports physio. In an hour session he identified a major weakness in back/core & imbalances in hip muscles. I have very strong legs but sh!te stability. No idea whether this caused the initial injury, but was certainly preventing recovery. HAve been given exercises that are nowt to do with the knee and...

In two weeks of these (core/hip work) I've had more improvement than in months of 'treatment'

Go see a sports physio & ask them for a full screen of your muscle strength.

kingrollo

saunaboy wrote:

Just a quick comment mate - I've been out since Easter withwhat started out as a relatively minor inner knee/groin injury. Stretches were initially prescribed & it made it worse to point where I was off work.

Went to a private physio at private hospital & they didn't really know what to do with it. Lots of treatment on the knee that got it 50% better but when I was back at work pain free they said that was all they could do & discharged me.

Big deal (as people on here say) was getting a real sports physio. In an hour session he identified a major weakness in back/core & imbalances in hip muscles. I have very strong legs but sh!te stability. No idea whether this caused the initial injury, but was certainly preventing recovery. HAve been given exercises that are nowt to do with the knee and...

In two weeks of these (core/hip work) I've had more improvement than in months of 'treatment'

Go see a sports physio & ask them for a full screen of your muscle strength.

Yeah thats my next step - I am exhausting all the free options first !

white91

I did my knee ligaments 6 months ago, and it still hurts now! got physio in November (thats NHS shit for you!)

Cycling is one of the few things which I can actually do, it also prompted me to buy a road bike as well as my mtb, every cloud etc.