# Bruised coccyx



## MarkF (2 Sep 2010)

Just back from a great tour of Belgium and North Brabant, last saturday I hit a speed bump, whilst "in drink" near Eindhoven. I flew up, off the bike, my hands miraculously fell back onto the bars, but my arse hit the top tube, it hurt. 

5 days later it is still very painful, it's definitely no better, there is no chance of me being able to ride right now, the trouble is, I'm due to have another tour (Barcelona) leaving on the 9th. Anybody got any exprience of a coccyx injury and how long it may take to alleviate? Any treatment ideas will also be gratefully accepted.


----------



## Becs (2 Sep 2010)

MarkF said:


> Just back from a great tour of Belgium and North Brabant, last saturday I hit a speed bump, whilst "in drink" near Eindhoven. I flew up, off the bike, my hands miraculously fell back onto the bars, but my arse hit the top tube, it hurt.
> 
> 5 days later it is still very painful, it's definitely no better, there is no chance of me being able to ride right now, the trouble is, I'm due to have another tour (Barcelona) leaving on the 9th. Anybody got any exprience of a coccyx injury and how long it may take to alleviate? Any treatment ideas will also be gratefully accepted.




I've cracked my coccyx twice falling off horses. Sadly the only thing you can do is take antinflammatories (ibuprofen/paracetamol or a mixture of the two) and rest it. It's worth taking the antinflammatories even if you can cope with the pain as they will have a beneficial effect on the damaged area - although if the pain is really bad you should probably see a doctor - if nothing else they might be able to give you stronger drugs! It was a good few weeks before I could sit on a horse again so I reckon the 9th might be pushing it, but you may have a higher pain threshold (or better drugs) than me!. 5 days out things like alternating ice and heat probably won't make a difference but I've heard people say that sitting on one of those inflatable hemmaroid ring thingies can help make sitting more comfortable.


----------



## numbnuts (2 Sep 2010)

"OUCH" I hurt mine at work hurt like hell, but never took any time off, but it was very painful to sit down the only way was to sit in a forward postion which was bloody uncomfortable I was like this for 3 weeks. 
Hope yours gets better soon


----------



## Globalti (2 Sep 2010)

I hurt mine badly when I stupidly jumped backwards off the tailgate of a lorry, not realising that the fork lift truck had come up. The fork went right between my legs..... it was like an electric shock going through my body. Took 6 months before I realised it wasn't hurting any more.


----------



## jay clock (2 Sep 2010)

I did mine on an MTB about 10 years back. The French treatment offered (but declined) which works apparently if done very soon after is known as the "finger up the arse" treatment. Offered by a stunning French physio. 

I would see a physio. Mine subsided rapidly but was set off again by sitting watching on opera in Verona for 4 hrs on a marble seat.


----------



## sarahpink (2 Sep 2010)

hope you feel better soon. i damanaged mine horse riding a while back, not nice.


----------



## montage (2 Sep 2010)

Sounds like a right pain in the arse



you were all thinking it I just said it! Hope it gets better soon


----------



## yoyo (2 Sep 2010)

I fell hard on mine when I was 7 months pregnant around this time 25 years ago. It was years before I could sit on a hard chair without discomfort and for a long time I could not sit for any length of time. I still get discomfort from it occasionally and I have a suspended seat post on my bike to help. If I ride any distance on an ordinary saddle I get very sore indeed. 

I hope you will be fine to go to Barcelona.


----------



## Fiona N (3 Sep 2010)

I dislocated my coccyx after an 'incident' with a feral pedestrian - threw her rucksac into my handlebars after I had the temerity to try to edge past her as she walked in the middle of the road. 

Physio did help, including lots of buttock clenching exercises  but it was quite a few weeks before I could face getting on a bike. Luckily the recumbent trike was OK-ish as my weight is supported more on the back of the seat than under the bum but bumps in the roads were excruciating. 

If you're sure it's just bruising, I suppose riding would be acceptable if you can stand the discomfort, but if it's broken or dislocated you could be storing up problems for the future


----------



## MarkF (5 Sep 2010)

I've given up......................but not given up. It's simply too painful for me to consider cycling Bordeaux to Barcelona so I've rearranged things, I've bought a bike bag, 8 boxes of Voltarol pain eze tablets and fly out to Barcelona Thursday. Hopefully I'll be able to do a decent tour of Catalonia.


----------

