Is my once-broken sacrum still supposed to hurt?

[evans36]

Broke my S4 in March, did what the doc said and sat out on everything until May, started jogging again then. Waited an additional month as requested to start riding again. So I’m about 6 weeks in to resuming full activity (hacking in the morning ~5x week, jogging intervals in the evening ~5x week, all weather-permitting) and over the past week or 2, the nerve pain has been getting worse, not better, and today after my ride my back actively hurts again.

The doc said not to call him again unless my nerves were still bothering me in September/October, because that takes a while to heal. But today’s pain is not the typical pins-and-needles stuff I’ve been having.

I’m leery about seeing a chiropractor since this area was recently broken (I recognize that might seem silly because it is now healed according to the x-rays, but…).

Has anyone else dealt with this? Would love to hear how long (if ever) it took to become pain-free after a similar injury.

[SuzieQNutter]

No sorry I have not experienced it, but Mum, who was a matron, told me to be very careful. If you break your coccyx you can have pain for the rest of your life.

I would not wait. See if you can join a support group, but also Dr Time might help.

[Bluey]

I broke my coccyx twice, once while standing on a bike and fell off as a kid, another time being bucked off sky high and landing on my behind.

Both times it was very painful at first, no trouble at all once healed.
Don’t remember it taken very long to heal, but it was decades ago.

Have heard of some such breaks that took surgery to remedy, would not heal properly.

Hope your break heals well.

[Kyrabee]

I would get a second opinion from an orthopedic surgeon before going to a chiropractor. In the meantime, back off on the activity to see if that helps.

That area does does take a long time to heal. The fact that you were able to start activity without pain and it is increasing would be concerning but it may be too much too soon (relatively speaking for that body part). I had my tailbone removed in 2017. It was 2 years for me to return to riding…but I did:).

Jingles
Susan

[Marla_100]

Bad, bad broken back problems here-
Honestly I think you’re doing much too much too soon. when something hurts- give it a rest. Your back is not done healing regardless of what the docs or x-rays say. Back off and then gradually start doing a little more.

[evans36]

Thanks all - things are better after a weekend off. Got a decent pop from the SI joint on Sunday night and decided to ride again today after that relief. I really think it was more to do with my hypermobility than the break… but it’s tough to know back in that area and anything to do with the back just gives me the willies because of the high stakes!

[walktrot]

A woman I’ve been riding with for years had a fall that did something to her coccyx. Cracked perhaps. She got a Cashel seat cushion when she started riding again and said it helped. She is still using it. I’m glad it’s still there. She bought my first Albion GP saddle. She wears regular jeans, doesn’t go for riding jeans. The cushion has saved her from having to replace the seat because the seams on the jeans would wear through the seams.

[ChocoMare]

I’ve broken my tail bone THREE times. The third time was in 1997 coming off a rank QH … I landed on a root. I threw up from the pain.

I’m 54 now and always have to be careful how I sit.

[DoubleClick]

I broke my tailbone in a riding accident when I was a kid, and I remember that it took a very long time to heal. Had to carry around and sit on a donut cushion as a middle schooler - that was fun! I cannot remember for sure how long, but it was many months until I was pain free. Standing up at a normal rate and in a normal posture took a very long time. Wish I had a better memory of the actual timeline to give you some more specific insight, but patience is key with this one for sure!

[Ruth0552]

I had bilateral complex fractures in my sacrum in 2003. No one every told me what #s were involved, but I know it started near the top and the cracks extended down vertically.

Yes, I still have pain. Regularly. I have mild sciatica pain from time to time and overall generally soreness in my lower back. I definitely get sore from bending over gardening. Or from yard work, like shoveling, raking, pushing, that kind of thing. I have done PT multiple times. It helps, but does not solve the issue.

When I was recovering, I was on crutches for 3 months, walking only for 3 months, then I could resume regular activity. I thought the dr. was out to lunch on that so I did some swimming and I just some light riding/hacking. And then I started doing more after a few weeks of that.

Also, I was told by the drs and nurses that a tailbone injury is not at all similar. There are no nerves in your tailbone and your tailbone does not support your weight at all. While I am sure that it is also a miserable experience, an actual sacrum injury is far more impactful.

[amb]

@evans36

The doc said not to call him again unless my nerves were still bothering me in September/October, because that takes a while to heal. But today’s pain is not the typical pins-and-needles stuff I’ve been having.

I’m leery about seeing a chiropractor since this area was recently broken (I recognize that might seem silly because it is now healed according to the x-rays, but…).

Has anyone else dealt with this? Would love to hear how long (if ever) it took to become pain-free after a similar injury.

I also cracked my sacrum and the overall recovery situation sounds similar, but if there’s new pain (vs the gradual lessening of the pain I started with) I’d sure as heck be seeing a doctor sooner. I do still have lingering pain at times (now two years on, but perhaps for life), but hip and core exercises I got from PT help a lot.

A bunch of the other replies are talking about coccyx/tailbone fractures–I’ve never broken mine, but from what I saw when it happened to my usual riding buddy it seems to hurt even more but treatment is a lot more about pain management and (hopefully) letting it heal in place vs. the much more structural role of the sacrum and the risk of reinjury from stressing it in normal activities.

As far as chiropractors go, I hadn’t been a believer but I saw one a couple of weeks ago (on the very strong recommendation of a trainer) who did a huge amount to loosen up the parts of my back around the injury. My seat feels different (and much more even) and from all reviews it made an immediate and postive change in my riding.

[mroades]

Broke mine in the 80’s. It still hurts