Recovering from severe bruising

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Just before the start of the Tan Hill 600, I slipped and landed on my a&*e.  Didn't think much of it for about a week, but now the impact area is quite badly swollen.  Physio thinks that it is just severe bruising but has referred me to get an ultrasound check to see if I've cracked any bones around the area and suggests they might need to drain fluid from the area (sounds painful). 

There doesn't appear to be any muscle damage - have normal range of movement - so am wondering how others have recovered from something similar - and whether I should do some gentle riding (a) to keep sanity and (b) to improve blood flow to the area.

[T42]

I'd wait for the ultrasound.  I have read of nitroglycerin patches being used to increase blood flow to sports injuries, but I don't think a GP would prescribe them off-label, and the general lack of energy they can cause is unpleasant.

[caerau]

I got a hematoma in my thigh from a fall on the Buckingham Blinder in 2014 - that's essentially an internal severe bruise -  rest for a week and it was fine - I'd do the same if I was you - increasing blood flow around a place where blood is leaking isn't a good plan in my opinion.  Rest it up.

[caerau]

Just a thought that brought a smile to my face.  Usually the advice is to elevate injured areas so swelling drains away.  If the affected area is the a**e - well - that conjurs up some things in the imagination 

[IJL]

An ultrasound to look for a fracture?  a bit odd if you suspect a fracture xrays the thing.

Haematoma's are rarely drained as they tend to refill and it creates an infection risk, they can take weeks to settle but can generally be felt as a tender solid swelling.

[hellymedic]

I once landed heavily on my left hip and had a largish (soft IIRC) swelling over the side of the widest part.
Movement etc were fine so I never sought attention.
I presumed I had bled into the trochanteric bursa and waited for the swelling to subside.
Which it did.

I can't remember how long this took - maybe three weeks - but had neither wish, need, time nor patience to show my arse to anyone else.

[T42]

I had a haematoma the size of an egg in my calf once when a twat of a neurologist punctured an artery. It remained connected to the artery and eventually formed a chamber that pulsated with my heartbeat.  We had a surgeon sharpening up his Swiss penknife when it clotted through, almost overnight, and was then resorbed in a week or two.  I could hardly walk for a month, and the curmudgeonly bugger didn't even reply to my doc's letter of complaint.

[caerau]

They're buggers aren't they.  Mine showed no swelling nor even any discolouration on the surface my leg *looked* fine  - but I ended up having an X-ray for a broken femur as that's what it felt like.


Nurse in X-ray initial refused to X-ray it on the grounds of (a) it's a big bone so it required a high X-ray dose and (b) since I'd done it two days before if I *did* have a broken femur I'd have probably bled to death by now - point (b) seemed reasonable but doc overruled anyway.

[Ningishzidda]

Yes, it’s amazing the damage a wife’s shoe can do.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Mrs CET was not responsible, it was the step of St Leonard's Church, Padiham that was the culprit.  However, as she has regular sciatica from an out of place disc in her back she's not the first peson to dispense sympathy.  All of the above are helpful and I think I will have a lazy weekend other than a trip to Brum for Herr Blackmore's final rock concert on Saturday.    Then lets see what the specialist says on Monday.

[T42]

A propos of steps and totally beside the point: when the Inlaw Paw was in hospital in 2003 we noticed that the steps of the main staircase were full of fossils.  The missus was on a palaeontology schtick back then and kept a geologist's hammer in the car...

No, we didn't do it, but it was a nice thought.

[Ningishzidda]

Mrs CET was not responsible, it was the step of St Leonard's Church, Padiham that was the culprit.  However, as she has regular sciatica from an out of place disc in her back she's not the first peson to dispense sympathy.  All of the above are helpful and I think I will have a lazy weekend other than a trip to Brum for Herr Blackmore's final rock concert on Saturday.    Then lets see what the specialist says on Monday.

That's good. You're sure to find riches at the end of the rainbow.

[DrMekon]

That's my right hip and arse after losing the back end on pine needles on a wet road, fishtailing right and highsiding it motogp style and landing on a flint covered layby.

Couldn't ride for a week or so. Looked horrible for ages. I can't say what would have improved it, but I felt fragile.

[hellymedic]

The swelling in my case was below the level of DrM's road rash, and slightly in front (and on the other side & approximately 9cm in diameter).

[caerau]

That's my right hip and arse after losing the back end on pine needles on a wet road, fishtailing right and highsiding it motogp style and landing on a flint covered layby.

Couldn't ride for a week or so. Looked horrible for ages. I can't say what would have improved it, but I felt fragile.

Are you sure that wasn't the wife and your marital BDSM fetish?


Nice airbrushing - I'm glad I didn't get to see the RAW image.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

That's my right hip and arse after losing the back end on pine needles on a wet road, fishtailing right and highsiding it motogp style and landing on a flint covered layby.

Couldn't ride for a week or so. Looked horrible for ages. I can't say what would have improved it, but I felt fragile.

Saved me the effort of Photoshopping and posting my own image.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Mrs CET was not responsible, it was the step of St Leonard's Church, Padiham that was the culprit.  However, as she has regular sciatica from an out of place disc in her back she's not the first peson to dispense sympathy.  All of the above are helpful and I think I will have a lazy weekend other than a trip to Brum for Herr Blackmore's final rock concert on Saturday.    Then lets see what the specialist says on Monday.

That's good. You're sure to find riches at the end of the rainbow.

I did. 

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Went out for 30 minutes today and then sat on an ice pack when I got back.  Seems OK, so will start a few more short rides to see how it responds.  Am supposed to be racing 25 miles for an office charity event next Saturday, but will have got more medical advice by then.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Butt has been X-rayed.  No fractures, but almost certainly some bone bruising.  So its ice packs at dawn and dusk for a while and it should settle down.  Am able to keep riding but probably nothing too extreme.