Bruised Tailbone?

Triathlon Forum
1

First time poster, long time reader of slowtwitch…probably too much!

Anyways, I have done a lot of ST searching and also google, but just want to get some opinions from everyone on my situation.

Basically, my tailbone is hurting and has been pretty sore since this past Saturday (my first 1/2 Ironman, High Cliff). Leading up to the race, my bike mileage was pretty consistent. I had done a few big rides, a 4hr and a 5hr in the previous weeks leading up to High Cliff (I’m also training for IMWI). I have a road bike with clip-on bars and during those long rides I was in the aero-bars a good portion of the time.

Fast forward to the few days before High Cliff. I can’t remember exactly, but I’m pretty sure I “noticed” my tailbone area slightly last week. It was minor enough that I can’t really recall what day or when it was, but I think it was there slightly. Anyways, I raced the 1/2 on Saturday and was in the aero position most of the 56 miles. Didn’t hammer too bad and felt good coming off the bike. Basically as soon as I dismounted and started running my bike back into transition I could feel my tailbone, it felt sore. I set off for the run and I wasn’t even thinking about my legs hurting, it was more my tailbone being “sore” and making running awkward. I don’t remember when, but eventually I stoppped noticing it and keep on running. I did have an epic fall on the run course around mile 9, but I don’t think that has anything to do with the pain I’m experiencing. By the way, it was a trail run, I did not fall down on a perfecly paved road!

Race over, cool down, hang out, eat food, massage. I eventually drove home, ~2 hours back to Madison, and relaxed. Didn’t notice the tailbone the rest of Saturday. On Sunday I felt the tailbone pain. Also felt it yesterday and I feel it today. Sitting here typing this it doesn’t hurt. It doesn’t hurt to walk. However, it does hurt if I take off into a jog. Basically in a quick jog each step hurts right in the tailbone area, directly at the top of my butt, not the low back at all, right below that. I can “feel” the pain if I press on the tip of the tailbone, (imagine coming up from the ground and touching it). I “biked” today for a few minutes just to see what it was like on my bike, it was alright.

Kind of rambling, and maybe I’m making something out of nothing, but does this sound like anything to anyone or am I just being a wussy with a bruised tailbone from sitting in a crappy position for 56 miles and putting the weight of my body on my tailbone? I definitely do not have a perfect position and I don’t think I’m usually positioned correctly on the “sit bones.” Does this just sound like I need to have better posture on my bike both when upright and when in aero?

Just a little freaked out I guess because it has been 3 days and a simple jog hurts enough that I can’t run right now. I’ve never hurt my tailbone before so it is a new feeling, very annoying.

Just for additional info, I did the 1/2 in 4:39, with 2:31 on the bike, so I wasn’t on the bike for too long of a time. The run was quick too, 1:34. No problems after 4-5 hr rides, this is my first experience of the pain. My 2 weeks leading up to the 1/2 looked like this:

125 bike/25 run
205 bike/21 run

Run miles are low, but fitness is there, I did a marathon at end of May.

Thanks for reading this if you make it all the way!

2

Two years or so ago, I hurt my tailbone while rollerblading, I fell directly on my buttocks with the weight of my body coming down directly on top of my tailbone. The xray showed no fractures but, yes the tail bone area was sore for a month or so. For the first week or so, I had to get up very carefully when getting up from the bed in the morning, otherwise I would get a very sharp pain by the tailbone area. I kinded had to get up from the bed in a “side way” position or with my body in a slanted position. I also could not sit in a chair because my tailbone would be very uncomfortable. I had to buy a donut cushion made out of dense foam ($25 bucks at the medical supply store). I used that on chairs at work, in cars while driving, at home, etc…, anyplace where I needed to sit. I also noticed that as the result of the injury, I could not lie perfectly flat on the wooden platform in the sauna like I used to do before… long story short, it took a good 3 to 4 months before, the soreness did not bother me anymore and I stopped using the donut seat cushion. I probably swam a lot during that time, I vaguely remember that running might had bothered me for a while. I was told that there is nothing that one can do for tailbone fracture. It is supposed to heal on its own. There is no way to put a cast on a tailbone. Perhaps you can get an x-ray to see to rule out some kind of fracture at the very least? My x ray showed no fracture, but I still had real pain which went away after a couple of months. Hope this helps.

3

I did not have a direct fall on it. I don’t have trouble getting out of bed or anything. Mainly just sore to the touch and attempting to run. Thanks for the thoughts though, I’m hoping it is just a bad bruise. Just strange it would come up so sudden…

4

yeah, mine was direct trauma to the tailbone so I knew it was due to that, and also at that time, I did not bike at all, so not sure how biking would play into it. the fact that you did not have trouble getting out of bed is good news, because I seriously actually have trouble getting out of bed, my body could not go from a horizontal lying down position to a vertical standing up position in one smooth motion, I had to sort of “incline” my body up… (20 degree, then 40 degree, then 60 degree…lol…)

5

I’m not sure I’d recommend the x-ray under most circumstances. The results don’t generally alter the course of treatment (donut cushion and avoidance of activities that make it hurt). Notwithstanding the common expression, they won’t put your ass in a sling.

Not much real benefit, in my opinion, delivered at expenses in both in money and radiation exposure. And on that subject, the standard 3-image protocol would give you roughly 2 millisieverts - equivalent to about 100 chest x-rays, or one year’s worth of natural background radiation. Not sure whether you’re male or female, but if you’re a woman, your ovaries would be in the direct line of fire for all three exposures. If you’re a man, your nards would still get some scattered dose, even with gonad shielding (internal scatter).

Disclaimer: I’m not a doc, just an opinionated guy who takes the pictures. And by all means, talk to a doctor if the pain doesn’t respond to self-treatment, or if anything else makes you suspect that there’s something else going on here.

And feel free to give however much credence you like to medical advice given by an anonymous non-doctor on the internet.

6

Thanks for the tips Jean and xraycharlie.

Bumping for a quick update and to see if anyone else has any thoughts or has experienced this.

Today I rode for 35 miles. Last night I tweaked my position a bit and moved the saddle around. I now have more weight onto my aero bars and I sit more at the edge of the saddle rather than on top of the entire saddle. FYI, I have a road bike with clip on bars. The 35 miler actually felt good and I didn’t notice much pain, just a few times on bumps.

Fast forward to now, about 9 hours later, a little more soreness than earlier. It seems to be more intense on the left side of my tailbone, not much on the right. Still worrying me a little since it has been bugging me since Sunday. Still no way I’m trying running. I’m going to try another ride tomorrow morning and see what it feels like. And sooner or later I’m going to run out of Iboprofen… Let me know if anyone has any other thoughts…or if I just need to HTFU!