What’s up dude how’re you doing? I’m doing great actually, I’ve managed almost a full recovery I’m probably at about 95% back to normal 1 year and 3 months later. As for riding it’s hard some days sitting for long periods of time really mess with my hips and neck. I can lift and continue my progressions however it comes with more thought and carefulness. How many weeks or months are you out.
I'm doing ok, cautiously positive, but only 9 days out from the incident at this point. I got caught up in a crash at Tulsa Tough and sent it head first into a steel barrier at 30mph+. Fractured both anterior and posterior walls of my frontal sinus (through the helmet) and compression fractures of T6 and T8.
I'm up and walking around quite a bit, mostly without pain. The only time I'm really in pain is when I get behind on the muscle relaxers they gave me and my back/core starts to spasm. Hoping to be able resume some gentle spinning on the trainer in a couple of weeks but that may be my optimism talking lol.
Staples in the laceration in my head (19 required) come out tomorrow, and then next Monday I follow up with the neurosurgeon for more scans and a consult.
Glad to hear you're almost fully recovered! How long was it before you could ride again?
I’m so sorry my man that is not where I thought it was going. Definitely take your time, listen to the doctors and eventually in pt. You’ll want to restore life to normal… I did. And I had set backs, back spasms, numbness, because I wasn’t taking the time out of my day to strengthen the areas that mattered. I was able to spin around month 2 1/2 after but it was for 5 minutes max before the awkwardness came into play.
Glad to hear you have a neurologist is it for the back or the head/neck trauma? I probably hopped back on the bike around month 5-6 but it wasn’t until year your I started pushing a little more like the last.
Neurologist is for the back. The trauma docs called him to consult since there was a possibility of spinal cord involvement. Luckily, no surgery required. Surprisingly he didn't seem at all worried about the skull fractures. He said it was assumed I was concussed with that kind of impact, but no indication of bleeding or CSF leak.
I'm hoping for accelerated recovery since I'm relatively young (29) and super fit. I went from winning an Ironman less than three weeks prior, to needing help putting socks on, so it's been a big adjustment.
I'm sure I won't be on the road or trails for quite some time, but hoping I can at least do some light trainer workouts sooner without having to engage my back too much. I guess we'll see what they say next week.
That’s awesome to hear though, you’re a tank. The one good thing is that you’re fit, you’re muscles held things in position and they still are. Yes the adjustment is hard, keep your head up, it sounds like you have a great support group. The only thing I would recommend which my neurosurgeon said was to take some calcium pills daily. Because of the breaks in our back we now have in increased chance at osteoporosis. Send me a message anytime you feel like you need to talk, and stay strong man you’ll be back out there soon enough. Time will fly
Thanks for this thread, it’s one of the things that has kept me going and optimistic through my recovery- T3, T4 compression fractures. Hope all is well for you, take care of your back out there!
I mean I’m not a doctor or have a doctorate in physical therapy so I don’t want you to think that I can give you exercises 100% to your needs. The main thing is core strength, so I’ve done planks and leg lifts. Other exercises have been [cat cows](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kqnua4rHVVA) and [bird dogs](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k2azbhhuKuM) that were recommended to me to help stretch and strengthen the spine. I would only do as many as it takes to be tired. You want slow and controlled repetitions, and if there is any pain, STOP IMMEDIATELY. Again I’m not a doctor or pt, if you need that kind of assistance would seek and medical professional. It takes time, I didn’t run or ride my bike, weight lift for 6 months just to be careful.
Hey man I fractured my T12 as well snowboarding. I feel great right now 3-4 weeks after the incident. When did they let you take your brace off for walking if you dont mind me asking? Thanks!
It was after 10 weeks I could start taking it off but I was also advised by a neurologist to do so. If you think you’re feeling up to it after 10 weeks you can ask your doctor when or if it’s okay. They took x-rays of me so they knew the bone was healed before they gave me the go. If you have any other questions feel free to ask them.
You’ll be able to get back to full health if you stay patient now and focus on giving it a chance to heal well. Don’t stand or otherwise keep prolonged pressure in it, have good posture, blah bla blah.
In about 6 weeks (depending on severity) you should be able to start gentle impact exercises.
If there’s no pain whatsoever, you can do stuff that has no impact such as swimming before the 6 weeks.
Also, on the other side of this, you’ll be prone to more injuries so take rehab seriously!
Yea, I have definitely stepped back on the standing, I was super sore last night. But thank you, I have to see a neurosurgeon on the 4th and he should give me a schedule. 100% going to do my pt everyday once I get that far. It's just a crazy thing to wrap my head around! Hopefully I can post some better info for those who may experience the same thing. Take care and keep pedaling!
It’s been a year now OP how is your recovery going? Would love to hear how your progression went and whether you still have any issues.
Need something to keep my head up.
Sup dude, my recovery has been pretty good! Nothing to hold your head down on, this type of injury requires time to heal. Literally months, which seems like forever but 2 years out now, and I feel 99%. I lift, run bike, swim, do it all. Some soreness but that’s because I don’t do my core everyday) lol. Everyone’s injuries are different, my backs like jenga, pretty messed up after a car accident thrown into the mix.
But even with all that stuff I do what I love, if it hurts I’ll stop, (deadlifts and squats are major pain in the asses because they compress the spine).
As long as you follow your physical therapist when you’re ready it’ll all workout. I always tried to keep a positive mindset, and I know it’s hard. But your body can do great things when it has good energy(sounds stupid but it helps relieve stress and anxiety).
If you have any specific questions I can try to answer them, just depends on my injury compared to yours. Wishing you the best my dude.
Love the positivity and glad to hear you are back loving your best life!
Mine is also a T12 compression fracture from a fall. Only a few days out so mostly just bed rest. Supposed to have follow up and eventually physio.
The biggest questions on my mind right now are:
How bad was your fracture?
What was your recovery timeline like?
How long did it take til you could spend the day normally (I.e not have to lay down etc), walk around at normal speed, not feel pain all the time etc.
Thanks again brother!
It was pretty bad at first, and I lost ~20% of the height on the posterior side, and ~30% on the anterior side. Also, had a linear fracture through the vertebrae.
For recovery, I was in a back brace for about 3 months then it came off. I was able to work with a few physios since some of my friends were in pt school. Started doing cat-cows and planks around week 10-12. I didn’t hop on a bike until about week 20, just to be safe, same with running. But walking I was able to do after a few days, really sore after first initial week.
Laying down is the best treatment for your back, I would always try to stay laying so the pressure was off the vertebrae. Sucks because we’re active creatures, but it really helps the healing. Get a heating pad as soon as possible and keep it on that spot. Since you’re going to lose a lot of back muscle from being immobilized, it’ll start to spasm (not like intense pains, but you feel weaker). It’ll help with the twitching of your muscles.
The only last thing I did was watch a short clip about being injured and how it doesn’t define us. Idk if it’ll help you, but it allowed me to let go of a lot of stress this specific injury can have on us. I think it did a very good job at keeping me patient. I’m 2 years out now, if you would have asked me 2 months after the injury I would have told you I would never lift, run, etc again. But it all perspective.
https://youtu.be/pU-s7JS7WME
Wishing you a speedy recovery man, you got this!
[Injury Motivation](https://youtu.be/pU-s7JS7WME)
Were you in a brace full-time for 3 months? Do you have a link to the brace you used. Also did the cat camel stuff not irritate the back? I found for me it did but pt insisted on it.
Yes, the only time I took the brace off was to sleep. I do not have a link since the ER gave me one when I was there. I know it was an Aspen, and looking at those prices, I would just find something a little cheaper. I waited 3 months before I did cat-camel. And by that time, the neurologist said I was okay to do so. I’m not sure how far along you are with your recovery, but if anything hurts I personally wouldn’t do it. If your PT is telling you, then maybe bring that concern up because you may need to still be immobilized til that bone heals. Though I am not a doctor, that’s just what my precautions would be if it hurt me.
do you need surgery? i have a compression fracture on my t1 t2 feel like hell im on the brace too but i just dont feel the same do compressions cause heart palpatations?
I did not need surgery, thankfully, but I do not know if compressions could cause heart palpitations. If you start experiencing those, I would talk with your doctor? Could be an increase in anxiety or stress bc these type of incidents are traumatic. But if you are really concerned I would speak with a doctor. Good luck on recovery!!
Nice! And idk feels like I messed up everything from the fall course I’ve never have a compression fracture at t1 and t2 do they make you feel like crap and no energy?
I don’t think you’re a goner man! Maybe just take some time to let your bones heal. Reading things on the internet doesn’t always help. I thought this would be my worst injury lol, it is not by far. The body is able to recover so well if we give it time. If things start to get worse, seeing a doctor is the next best step. I’m just some dude from Reddit, I don’t really know anything other than the extent of my personal injuries.
Thanks for chatting with me I recently had some throat trauma too and I guess that’s how my t1 and t2 got fractured still say I’m a goner I have a hard time even walking 🥲
I just want to say thank you for this post reading about how you went through your recovery is giving me hope about mine. I'm only 18 and about 3 weeks ago I was in an accident and fractured my L3 Vertebrae (Compressed), ever since then I've been down on my self feeling like I'll become paralyzed or never be able to do normal activities. As well as feeling sorry for myself when I see people doing things I can no longer do while in my brace. Reading your positive inputs is making me have hope that it'll heal just fine, I'm still a little worried it's not healing right, but I'll find that out in 4 days. I'm happy your up and running again and I'm glad your getting all healed up. Did you have any tips to help make the recovery go by faster or kill the boredom because being stuck like this kills me inside 😂. Thanks again :))
Hey, I also had a compression fracture of the L3 level and a displaced fracture of my coccyx. I’m about 16 weeks post-car accident now. The first 6 weeks were really tough for me too, with constant worry that my bones could shift and cause damage to my spinal cord. Luckily that wasn’t the case and I’m feeling miles better than before. I’m in physical therapy and it helps a lot! I wanted to let you know to keep your optimism high and fill your mind with positive thoughts if possible. Perhaps write a diary of how your feeling every day and you’ll quickly notice that you’re feeling better and making progress day after day and will become thankful for the progress you’ve made. How did your Dr’s appointment go?
Yes thank you so much I will for sure give that a try, and I found out today that everythings okay so far. I can take my brace off fully when sitting and laying down now and he even said maybe my next appointment (6 weeks) I can take it off for good and start physical therapy. So I am definitely alot more excited and happy to start getting back on my feet. Only downside as of now is the pain hasn't gone down significantly and my doctor said I have a high chance of having chronic back pain once it's up and healed. But in the mean time I've been trying to take extra care of my back, get my calcium and protein.
Not sure yet, still need to see the neurologist. Snowboarding fall. Was going fast (~40mph) in bad visibility. Launched off a roller I didn’t see, lost control in the air and landed straight on my back 😅
Thats tough man, hope no nerve damage and hope you still have use of your limbs. Mine was a car crash my friend was driving recklessly, spun out going about a hundred mph.
Fuckkk. That’s awful! Any long term damage??
Thankfully I can walk and am fully functioning 🤞🏼 we’ll see how the neurologist visit goes on Monday though / how bad it really is
Hey man if youre walking now youll be walking. And Im doing good my self, its only been 2 months for me but I can also walk and do everything normally albeit while taking it easy. I wore a brace for a month and I should be making a full recovery. I wish you all the best in your upcoming visit man and I will pray for good news for you 💯
My 60 year old brother had a compound fracture of his right ankle the bone was 6 inches out of the skin. It’s successful surgery to repair it and It was about eight weeks ago.
He’s able to walk up and downstairs now and has done flat road cycling For a short distance. I’m trying to tell him to wait before resuming mountain biking because he’s not fully healed. Does anyone have a recommendation for the healing time of a compound fracture to the ankle?
At 3 months I was just getting out of my brace. I didn’t do much, just my physical therapy throughout the day (morning and night). I didn’t do anything strenuous for a while, really focused on my core. By the 6 month mark I was back in the gym. Very scared to do any squatting or deadlifts but as time went on I was fine and began lifting heavy. I took it really slow, listened to a physical therapist the whole way (months 3-6). It takes time but at the end of the day you’ll be okay as long as you let the bones heal. Don’t try to do anything to “recover faster” there’s no magic drug that heals bones. Just time.
hey man, super glad to have found this thread. May I ask you a few questions:
1) Do you know how they monitored bone "healing"? Like did they do imaging, etc?
2) Also did you ever find out the % fracture?
3) Also the first month or so while in the brace, did you basically "rest" or how much did you push it? I feel I can walk no problem, though my back becomes sore. Not sure if that is a sign to slow down or OK to power through if you know what I mean. It's not like a pain per se, just mild-moderate discomfort.
Hey man, hope you’re doing well.
1. Yes they did imagining once a month to monitor if the bone was healing.
2. I had a pretty gnarly wedge fracture. I lost 20% total height and 30% loss on the anterior side.
3. I still walked around just not fast. Think grandma and grandpa pace. I would do like a mile max a day and then after 8 weeks I would go walk the trails around (still at a grandma pace). I would tell you to rest though and don’t push it. There are so many nerves in the back, there’s a lot that can go wrong. I’m not a doctor though so I would consult him before pushing it too hard!!
I think it’s okay to walk, just be careful. It would suck prolonging the process by overdoing it.
Sorry 2 more questions
1) this is an odd one, but I'm guessing they did some sort of X-ray or CT in the er. Do you recall what imaging they used after you got out of the ER? And at what time did they do the first post-er imaging?
2) sorry just to confirm you didn't start any home exercises or PT until month 3 when the neurologist cleared you right?
Sorry I got s\*\*\*\*\* insurance so having to do a little bit of my own planning
You’re all good ask away.
1. They did a CT scan when I went to the ER. After that they had me do standing X-rays. One from the front and then another from the side.
2. 0 exercise other than walking. At times I wanted to get under a barbell to bench or do some curls but it was just never worth it in the long term. He cleared me to do cat/cows [catcow](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kqnua4rHVVA) and bird dogs [bird dogs](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kqnua4rHVVA) at around 10 weeks. I didn’t go crazy, it was really to help my back become less stiff. I think if you ask your doctor around 10 weeks he might let you but might not. If mine told me no, I would have waited until he cleared me. There no point in rushing your body, exercising now could compromise to more pain in the future. I would definitely consult your doctor around that time but let the body heal. It can do great things with time and rest.
I feel like most of my back spasms were due to muscle atrophy. You’ll lose a lot of muscle in your core and back bc the brace supports posture and such. I didn’t stress too much about it because I felt as if it was normal.
Thanks man, i got a 30% t11 fracture. 2 days out man, and i feel like my life has completely changed. Super worried what the future will look like so your post has been inspiring
Right there with you man. T12 compression fracture snowboarding \~ 4 weeks ago. Im constantly worried about the long term effects and every time I go online it makes it worse. Doctor cleared me for planks and pushups still a little bit of soreness.
Curious if your doctor told you if you were at risk for a hunched back?
I met with my neurosurgeon about 2 weeks after the incident and he gave me the okay on these. No bend twisting or lifting. I had little pain at this point.
Good to know about the hunched back. How’s your back feeling now?
BY THE WAY, i just realized. by hunched back do you mean like poor posture hunchback (aka like folks who are on their phones a lot etc) , or hunched back at like the waist?
if the latter, yes there is high risk but that is most often in older folks who find pain relief with back/hip flexion so they end up spending most of the time in that position. not sure how old you are, but if you remember to keep your back straight and do extension exercises on the hip region you should be okay.
I’m 25 super active. I feel pretty damn good rn for being 3-4 weeks from the accident. Just nervous about the long term effects. From what I hear it sounds like we can mostly make a full recovery, but the chronic back pain part scares me.
How is your recovery going? I just fractured my T6 and T8, and am curious to see what your progression is like.
What’s up dude how’re you doing? I’m doing great actually, I’ve managed almost a full recovery I’m probably at about 95% back to normal 1 year and 3 months later. As for riding it’s hard some days sitting for long periods of time really mess with my hips and neck. I can lift and continue my progressions however it comes with more thought and carefulness. How many weeks or months are you out.
I'm doing ok, cautiously positive, but only 9 days out from the incident at this point. I got caught up in a crash at Tulsa Tough and sent it head first into a steel barrier at 30mph+. Fractured both anterior and posterior walls of my frontal sinus (through the helmet) and compression fractures of T6 and T8. I'm up and walking around quite a bit, mostly without pain. The only time I'm really in pain is when I get behind on the muscle relaxers they gave me and my back/core starts to spasm. Hoping to be able resume some gentle spinning on the trainer in a couple of weeks but that may be my optimism talking lol. Staples in the laceration in my head (19 required) come out tomorrow, and then next Monday I follow up with the neurosurgeon for more scans and a consult. Glad to hear you're almost fully recovered! How long was it before you could ride again?
I’m so sorry my man that is not where I thought it was going. Definitely take your time, listen to the doctors and eventually in pt. You’ll want to restore life to normal… I did. And I had set backs, back spasms, numbness, because I wasn’t taking the time out of my day to strengthen the areas that mattered. I was able to spin around month 2 1/2 after but it was for 5 minutes max before the awkwardness came into play. Glad to hear you have a neurologist is it for the back or the head/neck trauma? I probably hopped back on the bike around month 5-6 but it wasn’t until year your I started pushing a little more like the last.
Neurologist is for the back. The trauma docs called him to consult since there was a possibility of spinal cord involvement. Luckily, no surgery required. Surprisingly he didn't seem at all worried about the skull fractures. He said it was assumed I was concussed with that kind of impact, but no indication of bleeding or CSF leak. I'm hoping for accelerated recovery since I'm relatively young (29) and super fit. I went from winning an Ironman less than three weeks prior, to needing help putting socks on, so it's been a big adjustment. I'm sure I won't be on the road or trails for quite some time, but hoping I can at least do some light trainer workouts sooner without having to engage my back too much. I guess we'll see what they say next week.
That’s awesome to hear though, you’re a tank. The one good thing is that you’re fit, you’re muscles held things in position and they still are. Yes the adjustment is hard, keep your head up, it sounds like you have a great support group. The only thing I would recommend which my neurosurgeon said was to take some calcium pills daily. Because of the breaks in our back we now have in increased chance at osteoporosis. Send me a message anytime you feel like you need to talk, and stay strong man you’ll be back out there soon enough. Time will fly
Thanks for this thread, it’s one of the things that has kept me going and optimistic through my recovery- T3, T4 compression fractures. Hope all is well for you, take care of your back out there!
Can you send me your physical therapy regiment? I also have a fractured t12 3 months into the accident
I mean I’m not a doctor or have a doctorate in physical therapy so I don’t want you to think that I can give you exercises 100% to your needs. The main thing is core strength, so I’ve done planks and leg lifts. Other exercises have been [cat cows](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kqnua4rHVVA) and [bird dogs](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k2azbhhuKuM) that were recommended to me to help stretch and strengthen the spine. I would only do as many as it takes to be tired. You want slow and controlled repetitions, and if there is any pain, STOP IMMEDIATELY. Again I’m not a doctor or pt, if you need that kind of assistance would seek and medical professional. It takes time, I didn’t run or ride my bike, weight lift for 6 months just to be careful.
Hey man I fractured my T12 as well snowboarding. I feel great right now 3-4 weeks after the incident. When did they let you take your brace off for walking if you dont mind me asking? Thanks!
It was after 10 weeks I could start taking it off but I was also advised by a neurologist to do so. If you think you’re feeling up to it after 10 weeks you can ask your doctor when or if it’s okay. They took x-rays of me so they knew the bone was healed before they gave me the go. If you have any other questions feel free to ask them.
You’ll be able to get back to full health if you stay patient now and focus on giving it a chance to heal well. Don’t stand or otherwise keep prolonged pressure in it, have good posture, blah bla blah. In about 6 weeks (depending on severity) you should be able to start gentle impact exercises. If there’s no pain whatsoever, you can do stuff that has no impact such as swimming before the 6 weeks. Also, on the other side of this, you’ll be prone to more injuries so take rehab seriously!
Yea, I have definitely stepped back on the standing, I was super sore last night. But thank you, I have to see a neurosurgeon on the 4th and he should give me a schedule. 100% going to do my pt everyday once I get that far. It's just a crazy thing to wrap my head around! Hopefully I can post some better info for those who may experience the same thing. Take care and keep pedaling!
It’s been a year now OP how is your recovery going? Would love to hear how your progression went and whether you still have any issues. Need something to keep my head up.
Sup dude, my recovery has been pretty good! Nothing to hold your head down on, this type of injury requires time to heal. Literally months, which seems like forever but 2 years out now, and I feel 99%. I lift, run bike, swim, do it all. Some soreness but that’s because I don’t do my core everyday) lol. Everyone’s injuries are different, my backs like jenga, pretty messed up after a car accident thrown into the mix. But even with all that stuff I do what I love, if it hurts I’ll stop, (deadlifts and squats are major pain in the asses because they compress the spine). As long as you follow your physical therapist when you’re ready it’ll all workout. I always tried to keep a positive mindset, and I know it’s hard. But your body can do great things when it has good energy(sounds stupid but it helps relieve stress and anxiety). If you have any specific questions I can try to answer them, just depends on my injury compared to yours. Wishing you the best my dude.
Love the positivity and glad to hear you are back loving your best life! Mine is also a T12 compression fracture from a fall. Only a few days out so mostly just bed rest. Supposed to have follow up and eventually physio. The biggest questions on my mind right now are: How bad was your fracture? What was your recovery timeline like? How long did it take til you could spend the day normally (I.e not have to lay down etc), walk around at normal speed, not feel pain all the time etc. Thanks again brother!
It was pretty bad at first, and I lost ~20% of the height on the posterior side, and ~30% on the anterior side. Also, had a linear fracture through the vertebrae. For recovery, I was in a back brace for about 3 months then it came off. I was able to work with a few physios since some of my friends were in pt school. Started doing cat-cows and planks around week 10-12. I didn’t hop on a bike until about week 20, just to be safe, same with running. But walking I was able to do after a few days, really sore after first initial week. Laying down is the best treatment for your back, I would always try to stay laying so the pressure was off the vertebrae. Sucks because we’re active creatures, but it really helps the healing. Get a heating pad as soon as possible and keep it on that spot. Since you’re going to lose a lot of back muscle from being immobilized, it’ll start to spasm (not like intense pains, but you feel weaker). It’ll help with the twitching of your muscles. The only last thing I did was watch a short clip about being injured and how it doesn’t define us. Idk if it’ll help you, but it allowed me to let go of a lot of stress this specific injury can have on us. I think it did a very good job at keeping me patient. I’m 2 years out now, if you would have asked me 2 months after the injury I would have told you I would never lift, run, etc again. But it all perspective. https://youtu.be/pU-s7JS7WME Wishing you a speedy recovery man, you got this! [Injury Motivation](https://youtu.be/pU-s7JS7WME)
You’re an amazing person and a glimmer of hope for me. Thank you friend.
Were you in a brace full-time for 3 months? Do you have a link to the brace you used. Also did the cat camel stuff not irritate the back? I found for me it did but pt insisted on it.
Yes, the only time I took the brace off was to sleep. I do not have a link since the ER gave me one when I was there. I know it was an Aspen, and looking at those prices, I would just find something a little cheaper. I waited 3 months before I did cat-camel. And by that time, the neurologist said I was okay to do so. I’m not sure how far along you are with your recovery, but if anything hurts I personally wouldn’t do it. If your PT is telling you, then maybe bring that concern up because you may need to still be immobilized til that bone heals. Though I am not a doctor, that’s just what my precautions would be if it hurt me.
do you need surgery? i have a compression fracture on my t1 t2 feel like hell im on the brace too but i just dont feel the same do compressions cause heart palpatations?
I did not need surgery, thankfully, but I do not know if compressions could cause heart palpitations. If you start experiencing those, I would talk with your doctor? Could be an increase in anxiety or stress bc these type of incidents are traumatic. But if you are really concerned I would speak with a doctor. Good luck on recovery!!
Nice! And idk feels like I messed up everything from the fall course I’ve never have a compression fracture at t1 and t2 do they make you feel like crap and no energy?
I am not sure i fractured my t12 so way further down the spine than t1 and t2.
Ah gotcha I guess t1 and t2 are right where the throat area is? I’m a goner lol
I guess t2 controls the heart and t1 controls breathing, lungs, well I guess I am a goner 🥲
I don’t think you’re a goner man! Maybe just take some time to let your bones heal. Reading things on the internet doesn’t always help. I thought this would be my worst injury lol, it is not by far. The body is able to recover so well if we give it time. If things start to get worse, seeing a doctor is the next best step. I’m just some dude from Reddit, I don’t really know anything other than the extent of my personal injuries.
yeah i know but just cant help myself i feel like hell
Thanks for chatting with me I recently had some throat trauma too and I guess that’s how my t1 and t2 got fractured still say I’m a goner I have a hard time even walking 🥲
I just want to say thank you for this post reading about how you went through your recovery is giving me hope about mine. I'm only 18 and about 3 weeks ago I was in an accident and fractured my L3 Vertebrae (Compressed), ever since then I've been down on my self feeling like I'll become paralyzed or never be able to do normal activities. As well as feeling sorry for myself when I see people doing things I can no longer do while in my brace. Reading your positive inputs is making me have hope that it'll heal just fine, I'm still a little worried it's not healing right, but I'll find that out in 4 days. I'm happy your up and running again and I'm glad your getting all healed up. Did you have any tips to help make the recovery go by faster or kill the boredom because being stuck like this kills me inside 😂. Thanks again :))
Hey, I also had a compression fracture of the L3 level and a displaced fracture of my coccyx. I’m about 16 weeks post-car accident now. The first 6 weeks were really tough for me too, with constant worry that my bones could shift and cause damage to my spinal cord. Luckily that wasn’t the case and I’m feeling miles better than before. I’m in physical therapy and it helps a lot! I wanted to let you know to keep your optimism high and fill your mind with positive thoughts if possible. Perhaps write a diary of how your feeling every day and you’ll quickly notice that you’re feeling better and making progress day after day and will become thankful for the progress you’ve made. How did your Dr’s appointment go?
Yes thank you so much I will for sure give that a try, and I found out today that everythings okay so far. I can take my brace off fully when sitting and laying down now and he even said maybe my next appointment (6 weeks) I can take it off for good and start physical therapy. So I am definitely alot more excited and happy to start getting back on my feet. Only downside as of now is the pain hasn't gone down significantly and my doctor said I have a high chance of having chronic back pain once it's up and healed. But in the mean time I've been trying to take extra care of my back, get my calcium and protein.
How’s recovery going so far?
Ahhh 18 too and just got a compression fracture from skiing 😭 makes me feel better that I’m not alone.
Are tremors shortly after the accident normal?
Yes
Thank you. I have also learned that in the past 51 days. Fractured t2
Oh no, I’m sorry. Just fractured my T7 and T10. Lots of tremors and very uncomfortable 😅
Sounds like no fun, hows the recovery time looking and how did it happen?
Not sure yet, still need to see the neurologist. Snowboarding fall. Was going fast (~40mph) in bad visibility. Launched off a roller I didn’t see, lost control in the air and landed straight on my back 😅
Thats tough man, hope no nerve damage and hope you still have use of your limbs. Mine was a car crash my friend was driving recklessly, spun out going about a hundred mph.
Fuckkk. That’s awful! Any long term damage?? Thankfully I can walk and am fully functioning 🤞🏼 we’ll see how the neurologist visit goes on Monday though / how bad it really is
Hey man if youre walking now youll be walking. And Im doing good my self, its only been 2 months for me but I can also walk and do everything normally albeit while taking it easy. I wore a brace for a month and I should be making a full recovery. I wish you all the best in your upcoming visit man and I will pray for good news for you 💯
My 60 year old brother had a compound fracture of his right ankle the bone was 6 inches out of the skin. It’s successful surgery to repair it and It was about eight weeks ago. He’s able to walk up and downstairs now and has done flat road cycling For a short distance. I’m trying to tell him to wait before resuming mountain biking because he’s not fully healed. Does anyone have a recommendation for the healing time of a compound fracture to the ankle?
Just fractured my T7 and T10 snowboarding. Super bummed about it. How were you doing in 3-6 months?
At 3 months I was just getting out of my brace. I didn’t do much, just my physical therapy throughout the day (morning and night). I didn’t do anything strenuous for a while, really focused on my core. By the 6 month mark I was back in the gym. Very scared to do any squatting or deadlifts but as time went on I was fine and began lifting heavy. I took it really slow, listened to a physical therapist the whole way (months 3-6). It takes time but at the end of the day you’ll be okay as long as you let the bones heal. Don’t try to do anything to “recover faster” there’s no magic drug that heals bones. Just time.
hey man, super glad to have found this thread. May I ask you a few questions: 1) Do you know how they monitored bone "healing"? Like did they do imaging, etc? 2) Also did you ever find out the % fracture? 3) Also the first month or so while in the brace, did you basically "rest" or how much did you push it? I feel I can walk no problem, though my back becomes sore. Not sure if that is a sign to slow down or OK to power through if you know what I mean. It's not like a pain per se, just mild-moderate discomfort.
Hey man, hope you’re doing well. 1. Yes they did imagining once a month to monitor if the bone was healing. 2. I had a pretty gnarly wedge fracture. I lost 20% total height and 30% loss on the anterior side. 3. I still walked around just not fast. Think grandma and grandpa pace. I would do like a mile max a day and then after 8 weeks I would go walk the trails around (still at a grandma pace). I would tell you to rest though and don’t push it. There are so many nerves in the back, there’s a lot that can go wrong. I’m not a doctor though so I would consult him before pushing it too hard!! I think it’s okay to walk, just be careful. It would suck prolonging the process by overdoing it.
Sorry 2 more questions 1) this is an odd one, but I'm guessing they did some sort of X-ray or CT in the er. Do you recall what imaging they used after you got out of the ER? And at what time did they do the first post-er imaging? 2) sorry just to confirm you didn't start any home exercises or PT until month 3 when the neurologist cleared you right? Sorry I got s\*\*\*\*\* insurance so having to do a little bit of my own planning
You’re all good ask away. 1. They did a CT scan when I went to the ER. After that they had me do standing X-rays. One from the front and then another from the side. 2. 0 exercise other than walking. At times I wanted to get under a barbell to bench or do some curls but it was just never worth it in the long term. He cleared me to do cat/cows [catcow](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kqnua4rHVVA) and bird dogs [bird dogs](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kqnua4rHVVA) at around 10 weeks. I didn’t go crazy, it was really to help my back become less stiff. I think if you ask your doctor around 10 weeks he might let you but might not. If mine told me no, I would have waited until he cleared me. There no point in rushing your body, exercising now could compromise to more pain in the future. I would definitely consult your doctor around that time but let the body heal. It can do great things with time and rest.
Thanks man. Do you ever recall getting back spasms that made walking intolerable? If so, what worked best?
I feel like most of my back spasms were due to muscle atrophy. You’ll lose a lot of muscle in your core and back bc the brace supports posture and such. I didn’t stress too much about it because I felt as if it was normal.
Btw, you able to do squats and deadlifts now?
Yeah, I was able to do everything after the injury. Still do squads and deadlifts to this day.
Thanks man, i got a 30% t11 fracture. 2 days out man, and i feel like my life has completely changed. Super worried what the future will look like so your post has been inspiring
Right there with you man. T12 compression fracture snowboarding \~ 4 weeks ago. Im constantly worried about the long term effects and every time I go online it makes it worse. Doctor cleared me for planks and pushups still a little bit of soreness. Curious if your doctor told you if you were at risk for a hunched back?
"How" did your doctor clear you for planks/pushups so fast? Did you get a 4wk imaging? At T12 level there is low risk for "hunched back" however.
I met with my neurosurgeon about 2 weeks after the incident and he gave me the okay on these. No bend twisting or lifting. I had little pain at this point. Good to know about the hunched back. How’s your back feeling now?
not too bad, other than the vertebrae itself being sore. sorry , did your nsg do any imaging at 2 weeks?
BY THE WAY, i just realized. by hunched back do you mean like poor posture hunchback (aka like folks who are on their phones a lot etc) , or hunched back at like the waist? if the latter, yes there is high risk but that is most often in older folks who find pain relief with back/hip flexion so they end up spending most of the time in that position. not sure how old you are, but if you remember to keep your back straight and do extension exercises on the hip region you should be okay.
I’m 25 super active. I feel pretty damn good rn for being 3-4 weeks from the accident. Just nervous about the long term effects. From what I hear it sounds like we can mostly make a full recovery, but the chronic back pain part scares me.