# Back Pain from injury



## littlegreypony (Sep 12, 2018)

So back in December(ish) I had a bad fall. I fell and hit my back off of a snow plow blade (smaller one that attaches to pickup trucks.) Being me, I immediately got back on and continued on a trail ride afterwards, on a horse who bucks. I think my adrenaline held off the pain until I got home afterwards. I spent nearly a week on the couch, unable to move due to pain. It bruised and swelled. I never went to see a doctor because I was expecting it to do all of the above, so I thought it was normal.

Now, about 9 months later, I've been noticing a lot of issues I never had before. I STILL haven't seen a doctor about it, I moved so I currently don't have a family doctor (it's a long, tedious process). However, I've noticed my back being extremely stiff and sore every day. Mostly in my shoulders/shoulder blades, along with the lower back where I hit off of the snow blade. I really only took 1 week off of riding after it happened, so I can imagine how much damage I might have done to it not realizing how severe it was. I have found that wearing a back brace helps with pain during every day life, but I'm not sure what there is to do while riding to help. I'm even up for daily workout suggestions to help make it less stiff. Sleeping with heat, like a hot water bottle, helped significantly. 
Keep in mind I DO plan on seeing a doctor, and will also be constantly making my own changes outside of waiting for responses here (I will keep updated if need be) so please don't only tell me to see a doctor  I'd appreciate advice coming from first hand experience. I also ride English, mainly dressage, if that helps.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Welcome to the Forum....


We are not doctors and have no idea of what you did to your spine and more importantly your nerve center of spinal cord.
You need to see a doctor, yesterday, ...the day before that and certainly nine months ago.
You did some serious damage it sounds like and now as calcification is happening so are the symptoms appearing you don't like.
I've had back injuries but certainly won't tell you what was prescribed for me for exercises and rehab...
Doing something wrong or doing the wrong exercise can catapult your symptoms to paralyzing intensity...
You don't want to hear it but *Go To The Doctor* and get a physical exam and professional treatment geared to your injury not mine or someone else.
I know that comes off "nasty"..._it is not meant that way._

You have only one brain, one spinal cord and one chance of keeping those two delicate parts of the body communicating well with each other...
Your body is telling you, now screaming at you to seek medical help...ignore it much longer and you may pay the price forever. :frown_color:
:runninghorse2:...
_jmo..._


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## livelovelaughride (Sep 13, 2011)

If you insist on not seeing a doctor, then at least go to a good physio or bodyworker. It sounds to me like some adhesions, soft tissue thickenings, and/or possible calcifying of your ribs or rib heads are involved. Definitely go to your dr. if you experience any tingling or numbing of anything. What you could do at home is invest in some massage balls and slowly work up and down your sore areas daily.
Good luck!


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## mmshiro (May 3, 2017)

I can only imagine what may have happened to your vertebrae, hitting them on a blade, from hairline fractures over displacement to injury to intervertebral discs. Add to that the long time frame and you muscles' trying to immobilize the injury so as to not aggravate it. Between rigid muscles, damaged cartilage, and fractured bones, you have plenty of possible sources for your complaints. Even a doctor isn't going to tell you what to do without some serious medical imaging, I daresay. And nobody responsible is going to recommend an exercise regimen that may well get you into a wheelchair - permanently.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Does it hurt at all times? standing? sitting? does it hurt even when you lie down to sleep> ? do you wake up feeling better, but it gets worse as the day goes on? is the pain sharp or a dull ache?


Of course, you really should have seen the doc at the time of the fall and a week of couch rest. But, I ask the above questions to see if you might be able to distinquish between a muscle strain type injury, and a fracture/tear type injury. IN the long run, even a healed over fracture or tear will be causing pain due to muscle strain, as your body tries to support/protect it with tense muscles.


Until you can see a doctor, if you can get to a good drug store, get a TENS unit. this may help with pain by use of minute electrical shocks that erase muscle pain. there are cheaper units that use small batteries, and better ones that use a plug in unit. I have found them very effective on muscle pain. 



the cheap unit is about $30 and the good one $50 or so. the plug in one can be used on and on, indefiniately. They do NOT cure the injury, only give you pain relief for a few hours.


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## littlegreypony (Sep 12, 2018)

I went to the doctor about 2 weeks ago, he said there is no neurological damage and he isn't too concerned about it. I was sent for xrays, just waiting for the results now. He prescribed me some physiotherapy which I will hopefully be starting once insurance gets figured out.


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