Pushing off in the highest gear on my way to the shops on the bike and, while standing, something gives in my lower back. Result = lots of pain and now shuffling around like the old man from the Monty Python credits (though somewhat less spritely). Pain centred around coccyx, with spasms.

Any idea a) what has happened and b) whether I'll be mobile for the weekend ride or if there's something I can do to make it go away!? Thanks!

I would suggest that as a first step you spend some time lying on your front and trying to let your back relax and stop spasming.

I would recommend that you book an appointment with a sports injury clinic / physio ASAP (worth paying for in order to get seen quickly).

Ibuprofen might help to dull the pain and reduce any inflamation.

i cant stand upright when my psoas muscle plays up.

see physio or ask goan on here 😉

Get to the doctor and get it diagnosed. Could be serious and quick treatment could help.

I'm with midlifecrisis, lie on front, ibruprofen, ice on every ten mins.

Reduce inflamation! After a couple of days it may settle. If not, then get to physio asap. Don't do anything which is painful as it will bring back the inflamation/spasm.

I'm not a doctor. Probably best if you saw one. But when I had similar pain and spoke to a friend who is a physio the first question was, do you have pain in your legs? If yes, then could be serious. If not then probably just pulled a muscle. In which case I was advised to take about 1 gm of ibuprofen (which is more than your pharmacist is going to advise) and keep moving and taking ibuprofen until it eased – although I think the advice is not to take lots of ibuprofen if you have any stomach/kidney problems. If that sorts it out then probably best course of action in a few days when you feel better is to start doing yoga and/or pilates as prevention from doing it again.

Sorry, but sounds like you are getting old.

pain or indeed numbness are both bad things.

+1 for Physio – had a similar sounding pain that sprang out-of-nowhere; GP advised pain-killers + 4 wk wait for NHS physio. Booked a private one that day, much physical abuse later & felt normal again. Just some stretching / twisting exercises to do morning & night for the rest of my days.

Listen to Goan below

Look up the slump test for the sciatic nerve – come back and tell me what the results are.

Ignore what MisterCrud said it's crap advice.

Thanks all – have tried lying on my front but it's not especially easy! I've had back problems previously that caused numbness and leg pain and it's not like that so I'm hoping it's just a pulled muscle rather than a trapped nerve etc. But a professional diagnosis is probably a good idea. Will sleep on it and somehow get down to the doc tomorrow. If this is what old age is like, I've asked to be shot first.

Have performed slump test. Results largely negative. Extended both legs and no 'ouch' on either. Did 'dorsi-flexion' of foot and nothing. Have prescribed myself a stiff drink in 1hr15.

It would appear to not be a sciatic nerve thing then – you will probably be pleased to know this.

Any numb patches on your legs – any weakness anywhere?

Nope. Just concentrated around left side of coccyx, which tenses up when I try to stand straight for example.

My money is on damage to the coxxygeus muscle of if you don't have that one of the ligaments round there. Rest it for a bit and see what happens. If it doesn't get nay better go see a physio.

Diclofenac and a plug in massager is what I use when I knacker my back.