Fell off bike hard – could I have broken something?

Out riding tonight I accidentally tried to ride up a vertical rock face which resulted in me falling back rather hard and fast landing onto solid rock with my lower back taking most of the impact.

I managed to get home but my lower back is agony and I can't move around very easily and its very painful when I do. I'm wondering if this is just bruising and inflammation or if I might have fractured something. I live miles from civilisation so I'm loathed to try to get x-rayed etc…

Back injury. Worth the risk?

If you have any felt pens, could you draw a picture of your back? Use a mirro if necessary. Until then, the healthcare professionals taht contribute to these boards will not be able to make an accurate prognosis.

…or, it may be worth checking it out 😉

dont listen to Barry…

paypal me 100 dollar and email me a pic and i will perform an xray on it and give you FULL internet diagnoses! for sure or your money back!!! lol

Ok – triage cannot be done over the net but….

Any pins and needles?

Movement and sensation in your feet normal?

IIRC if both are normal then no nerve involvement so not too crucial.

You can break the knobbly bits off your spine and have undisplaced fractures as well.

I suspect a trip to A&E won't go amiss if the pain is that bad.

Internet medical advice is not to be relied upon

Get yourself down to the nearst chinese herbalist, they have plenty of cures for your backie!

Otherwise If you can't walk in the morning then phone 999.

Get it checked out, you really don't want to do your back in. Or try the NHS helpline, I reckon their knowledge / advice maybe better than your average STW'r (waits for resident STW osteopath / back expert to jump in)

Go – To – Hospital

Pretty obvious really.

Yes you could have done serious damage and not be aware of it. So from personal experience dont mess about and go to hospital. A few hours in casualty is probably better than life in a wheelchair.

Take a good book as A& E can be very boring.

Hows the bike?

MTFU

No serriously see a doctor maybe a trip to the gp or a&e booking in with the gp might be quicker 🙂

Hey Bazz – the bike is fine thanks. Still serving me well but I think I could do with looking where I'm going more often!

Would go to A+E but I'd have to drive 40 mins down pretty dodgy roads to do so. As suggested if I can't walk around in the morning I'll ask a colleague to drive me there.

Cheers

Have a look for a no win no fee solicitor, that vertical rock face should have been signed as dangerous,and the solid rock you fell on should have been covered with shock absorbing materials.

Then down to xray,have a mate take a picture of any bruising,or any lumps,falls dom hurt your back,but if youve fell directly onto your back beware.

Oh and the first bit was humour,to cheer you up.

Don't mess with your back.

Many years ago a friend was climbing a rock face and fell. Hurt his back but thought nothing of it until the next day when the pain was too much. Went to A&E where they found he'd broken his back. He was imobilised and and put into a cast for some time. They told him on more jar and he'd have been paralysed.

…or a ruptured spleen can kill you. In your sleep, as you MTFU. Get it checked out.

Or try the NHS helpline

Don't waste your time.

If the pain is that bad call an ambulance. I would definitely advise a trip to A+E to put you mind at rest. Your back is important and you wouldn't necessarily have any symptoms eg. tingling or loss of sensation…..yet!
Plenty bones/organs around there including pelvis which could be damaged.

In the meantime ibuprofen/paracetamol alternated every 2 hours as per dosage instructions will be your friend.

I had a fall like that on my bike. Turned out I fractured my back…

MTFU get back on your bike and keep attempting until you make it up that vertical rock face!

by coincidence we're covering back pain this week in clinical skills

see a med bod, trauma is a red flag and whilst it'll prob be fine there's no harm in getting it checked, pain in the arse/waste of time as it may feel now

Electrical pain down any legs? no? good.

See your gp or A&E/drop in centre.

Saw this heading on the list – immediately thought that the answer to your question is "yes" without needing to read further. Despite 20 years pulling people out of badly parked rally cars, I can't do diagnosis or triage over the forum either, but I don't need to as the advise given, namely get it checked out/xrayed ASAP, is what I'd tell you even if I were in your presence.

Did you get to A&E then, what was the outcome?

It may seem a bit silly but if getting yourself to hospital is tricky, why not call an ambulance – you pay your taxes I presume, and that is what they're there for…

I've broken a collarbone and a shoulder blade coming off the bike and neither time did it feel like I had broken a bone – just lots of stiffness and discomfort, not agony. They were pretty serious breaks, both times.

Get to A&E sharpish is my advice

It may seem a bit silly but if getting yourself to hospital is tricky, why not call an ambulance – you pay your taxes I presume, and that is what they're there for…

That's correct but they may well ask if you have the means to get there yourself, especially if it's some time after the injury actually happened. Not worth taking the risk of driving by himself or even with a colleague if he feels it's that bad but a 40+ minute journey on an ambulance strapped to a spinal board will not be fun 😥

go have a lie down

if you don't wake up dial 999

You can break the knobbly bits off your spine and have undisplaced fractures as well.

Indeed, a friend of mine fell over while running, he apparently snapped one of his knobbles off and was warned that until it re-healed in place (which it may not do on its own) if he jerked it or fell over the same way again he could paralyse himself. It effectively terminated his chosen sporting career.