Can this mend enough for me to ride, or not? Anyone with experience with this? It is still hurting with no change in my pain level.
I’ve known two people with compression fractures such as yours (both riding accidents, councidentally). Both people are back to riding at their former level. One took nearly a year to get back. The other took 6 months out of the saddle and about an additional 3-4 months to return to competition. Time and patience.
Yes, I also had a T10 compression fracture - riding accident. I never stopped riding! First doc I saw told me I was fine so I got back on the next day. Got off again pretty quickly! It was so painful that I bought myself a surgical corset and wore that for months. After six months it was still so painful that I went to a sports ortho and he found the compression fracture. At that point he said there was no point in stopping riding! The pain diminished very gradually over about a year but the muscles around still spasm occasionally (12 years later). However, I find riding helps as it loosens everything up. Obviously I’m not a medic and every case is different but I don’t see why this would stop you riding in the medium and long term.
My fracture was a little lower at L2 (riding accident). I got VERY swollen and there was quite a bit of soft tissue damage. It took me a year to really get back into riding. I mostly drove my cart in that time period. Then it took probably two years before I was back to riding somewhat normally. I am also 12 years out from my injury and I can pretty much do everything I normally could now, but my body is much more cranky then it used to be. I need to keep up my core strength and pick up yoga if things start to get funny. If I start to feel funny and don’t intervene I will pretty quickly end up in all over body pain. Chiropractors, massage therapy and yoga have been my friends. If I’m not in shape riding definitely makes things worse for me but I think that is because of my injury being lower. I hope you feel better as fast as possible but have patience and treat yourself well until then. I was really careful in the beginning and I do think I healed as best I could because of that.
I have an old T12 compression fracture. I think I know when it happened, but it could have been any of the falls I took over the years. It wasn’t found on an xray until last year (never had an xray after a fall because I honestly didn’t want to know if something was wrong!)
If it was after the fall I think it was, I took some time off - maybe 4 weeks? - because I was just in so much pain that I couldn’t really do much of anything without hurting. I was teaching yoga at the time, though, and so just did gentle things or modifications as needed. For riding, I gradually did what I could tolerate and eventually was back to full riding again.
Did any of you have physical therapy?
I am 71 and not very fit. I had not ridden in several years, but let my daughter talk me into trying on October 1, 2 and 3. My balance was OK, muscle memory good, strength poor. My back hurt, so I went to the doctor. He assumed I pulled a muscle, so w didn’t find out about this until I had an x-ray to rule out pneumonia.
I don’t know what to do next. If I don’t try to ride again, I will be giving up something I really want to do.
Advice?
IMO only 
What does your Dr recommend with regards to a healing/recovery process?
Is the bone healing? Any back support recommended? Any neurological impact being felt?
PT isn’t going to help the bone heal but it should, if done properly, help strengthen muscles both core and back.
Is there a fitness/gym close to where you live? A pool? Hydrotherapy can be very helpful as it is low impact on joints but can still offer resistance. Fitness work can also help strengthen core and back…
I had a t-12 compression fracture ~3 years ago.
I was back riding in 6 weeks, hunting in 8… longterm definitely my back has some issues, but none of them really hinder my riding.
Stall mucking on the other hand… the days of me mucking 15 stalls in a day are gone, that bent over position just kills me, I can barely manage my 6! Core strength is KEY to activity without pain. I did physio for my back months and months later as I was having pain in my hips (caused by compensating for weak back) to strengthen core muscles. Other than things that put me in that hunched position I’m pretty good, I can stack hay bales, lift heavy things, ride for miles etc.
My confidence definitely took way more of a hit than anything as far as long term damage, it was my first major injury, even though I’ve been riding 20+ years.
I think that I may have aggravated it by dishing big scoops of grain out of the bottom of a 55 gallon drum. Twist and push. Sigh.
When I had a compression fracture, I swear the BOT back brace was a godsend.
Hope you heal quickly.
Have you been checked for osteoporosis?
I have a doctor’s appointment on Wednesday,I’m going to make a list of questions.
What is a BOT back brace.
Also, if you’ve had this, did it hurt to stand still? I can walk all over the place, but I can’t stand still very long at all, it really starts to hurt.
I have a doctor’s appointment on Wednesday,I’m going to make a list of questions.
What is a BOT back brace.
Also, if you’ve had this, did it hurt to stand still? I can walk all over the place, but I can’t stand still very long at all, it really starts to hurt.
OP: “Also, if you’ve had this, did it hurt to stand still? I can walk all over the place, but I can’t stand still very long at all, it really starts to hurt.”
Not a fracture here, but scoliosis. I’m the same way about hurting after 5 minutes of standing still - but being able to walk or hike for hours. It’s the disks and stuff that gets extra compression that starts yelping, I think.
Mine never stopped hurting. I cannot ride any more. I did have multiple fractures at multiple levels. I also can walk well, but I can’t stand! I get really painful.
BOT is Back On Track.
Hope you heal quickly.
I fractured my L5 in 2 places. PT wasn’t easy, but it helped a lot. I saw a physiatrist…a specialist in physical medicine and rehab. Worked out really well for me. I was eventually able to ride again, though it must be in the correct saddle.
With time, it’s gotten easier to stand for long periods or do heavy lifting. Proper body mechanics are a must.
T10-T12 here, riding accident. When I was a teen, it wasn’t discovered by ER rads and it wasn’t until I was back in school and in a lot of pain that I went to another doc and he was able to find the broken tail bone and the T12. The T11 and 10 were just located via MRI (or CAT scan??) as old injuries following a collision.
I am…“ok.” I’ll have arthritis issues as I get older because it’s already starting. Yes standing bothers me. Yes I did PT. Honestly, the exercises that benefit me the most are the ones that are most painful to do (planks, etc). It’s HARD. Most irritating? It hurts to bend over and fold laundry. New house is going to have a ribcage-high counter in the laundry room…
I’m a little late to the party, but 5 years ago I had a T12 compression fracture (riding accident). I was in a big plastic torso brace for 2 months or so, and after it was removed I was still sore but cleared to do as much activity as was comfortable. I didn’t ride again for awhile due to life changes, but it doesn’t cause me any problems on a day to day basis.
My orthopedist at the time said I wouldn’t need PT, that the best recovery for backs was to just do your normal thing. Now I wish I’d insisted on it. About once or twice a year I’ve strained my back in the same area as the injury, and after requesting PT it turns out I’ve been guarding that area and haven’t built up the core muscles to support myself and now have some work to do.
L1-L2 here…about 12 years ago and still riding.
And yes, it was from a riding accident. Ten weeks of “rest” and “light duty” with instructions to sit or lie down most of the time. I had a lot of swelling and muscle damage from the impact. You know it’s not good when the doctor says… “you know how you can tenderize meat by pounding on it and breaking up the fibers? Well that’s basically what’s happened to your back…”
I had severe pain for the first six or seven weeks after tge accident. It gradually got better. I would have bouts of pain thereafter that came and went sporadically. That lasted for a couple of years and was quite annoying.
I recovered and was back riding at about 12 weeks. I did a lot of core strengthening exercises, and that helped a lot. I have some issues with my lower back, but they are from another incident and arthritis lower down. BTW, after my compression fracture, I lost a little over a 1/2" in height . So yes, you can recover and ride again. The timetable though, varies widely from person to person.
I have an appointment with a neurosurgeon on Feb 2. I can’t keep on in this sort of pain. I need to be able to stand up to do all sorts of things, and it hurts enough that it is making me grouchy.
Has anyone had the procedure when something (?) is injected into the fracture to stabilize the bone? My friend’s 91 year old mom had it done, so it can’t be too bad.
