Back injury and other terrors

[Tinkerbell]

So, I'm back.

I did finally get a coach and have had a small handful of lessons with her so far. I think it was a good decision for me but I'm also kind of worried.

A couple of weeks ago she started teaching me to do bunny hops. They sound so innocuous, don't they? 8-) Anyway, I was anxious to learn these but had not ever really tried them on my own before our lesson. This is the type of thing that I would usually try to do at the wall first (for a WHILE, probably) before taking it to the open center. Simply because the thought of hopping off the ice on one foot strikes a little bit of terror in my heart.

And apparently, I have good reason to be afraid. Even with the kind guidance of my coaches gloved hand, to get started, at some point she had to cut the strings and make me try it on my own. Which is when I hit the wrong spot on my blade, found myself airborne in the WRONG direction and landed flat on my back HARD! Hard enough to knock the wind out of me and make me think about if I wanted to get back up right away. Hard enough, even, to catch the attention of other skaters, who later would approach me to ask if I was okay because the fall looked really bad.

Apparently this is a predictable kind of fall when you do the bunny hop wrong.

The thing is, it's been over a week and my back is still bothering me. I suspect I didn't break the tail bone because I can walk without any sharp, debilitating pain but I couldn't say for sure. I feel like an old woman now--bracing my knees when I get up from the floor because my back can't take the weight and popping advil here and there because I feel like my range of motion is not all it should be.

I suppose it's not as throbby as it was the first few days but I wonder if this is going to be one of those back pains that I carry with me for the rest of my life.

Worse, still, it makes me wonder how many falls like that I could possibly survive and just how long before I end up in a full body cast.

Anyone else had this kind of fall and lived to tell about it? Am I going to be aching forever? Does it sound like I broke something or just bruised my butt? Should I be doing anything about this?

The other thing that seems to have cropped up from this injury is that A) I am absolutely petrified of being asked to try an unaided bunny hop again (I feel very stupid admitting to being fearful of something with "bunny" in the name); and B) I have become somewhat disproportionately fearful of being on the ice, period.

I hope this doesn't mean I am just not cut out for this sport and I'll never get anywhere because I'm not fearless enough. But every time I've been on the ice since the incident, I have this gripping sensation of being on the verge of slamming into the ice with car wreck-like velocity at any and every moment and it's making me skiddish.

What can I do to overcome this? Help!

[looplover]

I really bashed my shoulder last week.

Definitely get it checked out if you haven't because you never know if you have a fracture...

if you don't, get right back out on the ice. I think the longer you let fear set in, the worse it is. Start at the wall again and then relearn with the coach but I think it's really important to get back to it right away.

I kept crashing on back inside three turns and the last time wrecked me, I'm still not using my arm to drive...but I had a test to take and had to do those threes so consulted my favorite group of teenage highly advanced skaters to give me a supplemental private lesson :lol:

And they told me what I was doing wrong (also posted here) and then forced myself to get on the ice and do it though fear was really setting in!

I think you just have to push through or it will stay there.

[jshbo724]

I have a very similar story.

I went to a public session in the morning (cause no one ever goes really, lol), and decided to work on my flip. I had only been working on it for about a month or so. I was getting very frustrated with it, and kept putting more energy into each one and still getting no where with it. Then the last time I did it, I had an AWFUL crash. I did the jump, but I didn't land on my feet. I fell full impact (about 130 lbs) from about 3-4 feet in the air straight onto my sacrum (right above your tailbone where your back meets it). I couldn't move, I sat there, and still, no one bothered to helpme. Not even the skate guard. People always assume when I figure skater falls (at least at my rink), that they're ok, they're just frustrated when they stay down. But obviously they didn't see the look of pain on my face. It took allllllll of my energy to get myself up. It hurt like I had never hurt before. When I called my mom, she had to come and get my skates off for me when she got there. I could not bend at all, or barely even sit. I couldn't get up on my own either for a while. I didn't go to the doctor, because there really isn't anything you can do for that area. After a week, I was able to get up a little easier, and after 2, it was just a bit of pain. I still couldn't skate for another 2 weeks after THAT though. I had muscle damage, and I couldn't use the muscle whatsoever. It was awful, when I tried to get on the ice, I couldn't even do a scratch spin. And then what's worse, when I was finally back on the ice, I'd fall on it in the same place almost every week, and have to wait another week to get back on the ice again. I haven't fallen on it for a good month or so, and I'm sure when I do, all the muscle damage'll come back. I just have to be very cautious.

BUT, since this is your back we're talking about, you should definitely get it checked out, because a LOT of things could happen, and cause even worse things to happen. Spines are one of the most delicate things in the body, and when injury occurs to it, it's never good. A lot of the times causing permanent damage.

About the fear of the ice. Don't think about it. Practice other things. Then go back to the bunny hop once you're used to the ice, but still be very cautious of what you do, because when I reinjured my sacrum the second time, I was just doing back crossovers and not a flip. Always be careful. You just can't let it get to you. When you go back to the ice, act like it never happened, and you'll see that it's a bit easier.

Hope this helps!! I know a lot about injuries, I was a gymnast at one point, and I'm very injury prone, LOL

~Jess

[phoenix]

I went over backwards during my lesson on Friday, hit my lower back just above the tailbone & my head. My ponytail saved my head though--cushioned the blow a lot!! It would have been a lot worse without it.

I still have a slight headache & my back is *very* bruised. I skated today again, & took it very easy. I think it will take a bit to get back to 100% because even though I felt fine, I did *NOT* feel like skating full out or aggressively at all. It's definitely a mental thing.

About your bunny hops--you can walk through those without the actualy "hop" happening, to help build muscle memory for doing it correctly--you HAVE to land on the toe pick!! But definitely get back on the horse -- make yourself work on them every time you skate. It's the only way to get past the fear.

Even though I skated like a wimp today, I did run through all my stuff, just at about 1/2 power.

And I do recommend having it checked out just to be safe. If it's muscle damage, I'd see a good massage therapist or a PT who can help work out the scar tissue & give you strengthening exercises to help stabalize the area that's been weakened by the trauma. I see my guy on Monday!

[Tinkerbell]

I had muscle damage, and I couldn't use the muscle whatsoever.
~Jess

Maybe that's it. I definately don't feel like it's a fracture but it does feel like that area--the same you're talking about, though I think I hit it a little off to the right side. It just feels tender when I bend down and try to rise back up and every so often I catch an awkward angle just walking, even--if I kind of trip a little and try to catch myself--and I feel like I reinjure it a little.

I suppose it's not nearly that severe. After it happened I got up and finished my lesson. The next day it had seized up and was much worse but I wasn't bed bound or anything. I'm just hoping to hear that it will get better some day.

I have actually been back and tried to combat my fear. Actually, my coach made me get back up and try the bunny hop again right then. I had to grab her hand but I did it.

It's funny, after it happened, she said to me, as I was shaking it off, "Those are awful because you're never expecting them." I retorted "That's the thing. I'm pretty much always expecting something like that to happen."

I have to wonder if I wouldn't have been so afraid of skating, in general, if I hadn't had a bad wrist injury on roller skates as a teenager.

Anyway, it wasn't so much that I was just afraid to try jumping again. The next lesson, I felt like the ice was my enemy and just standing on it or moving forward seized me with panic. I was having trouble doing forward EDGES and when she started in on spins, I felt like I was having an out of body experience just standing there.

I think the extremeness of it has faded but I have this thought--I just wonder how it's possible to really do this as an adult. When you go through your whole (non-skating) life basically trying to avoid accidents and injuries-- wearing your seat belt and avoiding freshly mopped floors and then we purposefully expose ourselves to likely debilitating injury just for the high it can possibly bring.

It's kind of comical really.

[froggy]

When you go through your whole (non-skating) life basically trying to avoid accidents and injuries-- wearing your seat belt and avoiding freshly mopped floors and then we purposefully expose ourselves to likely debilitating injury just for the high it can possibly bring.

It's kind of comical really.

Yup welcome to the club of adult skaters, that's us. I hope your back is feeling better, i would get it checked out just to be on the safe side. Think this in your head, THE ICE IS MY FRIEND! its not your enemy. its good to get back on the ice and do your practice and lesson, don't worry...it's not the end of the world if you don't have the greatest bunny hop, rather work on stroking and edges.

feel good!

[jshbo724]

If it does stay like this for a while though, you should get it checked, but I'm sure you already know that, LOL. Yeah, mine was pretty darned bruised for a while, but that went away, but the muscle damage hasn't. It hurts once in a while when I do some power laps, cause I start using that muscle more on them. It'll stay with me forever, but those are consequences of skating, lol.

Tinkerbell - I like the last end of your post. I think it's probably just because it's fun to get out there and learn new things, and try new things. What's life without having fun? I had my mom get out on the ice for the first time on my first pair of skates, and she was going really fast by the first 15-30 minutes, LOL. I couldn't get her to try to crossover though. That'd be too much, cause she has back problems too. Just be extremely careful, cause every time I'm in the air about to hit the ice for a fall, I have to hurry and twist to my hip to save my back, or else it's a week off the ice for me. I've had to do it on many many many occasions.

~Jess

[jenlyon60]

Sometimes with a sudden fall onto the back, many of the lower back muscles will contract sharply, causing a lot of pain when you move or especially when you twist at the waist.

Careful stretching on your own can help, but what I have found helps me is to schedule time with a massage therapist and get a good 1-hour deep tissue massage. It will hurt while the therapist is working the tight muscles out, and will hurt for awhile afterwards, but by the next day, the worst of the soreness will often be gone.

If the pain doesn't appear muscular-based, definitely get to a doctor as soon as possible, as back/spine injuries are nothing to joke about.

[Chico]

I'm sorry you fell and got hurt. Skating is not a risk free activity and falls occur. I have more bruises at any given time than I can remember injuries. Such is the life of a skater. I agree, if you still hurt after a week or so go get checked. Back falls do make everything stiff for a week or so. As much as it hurts it helps to move those muscles. You also need to get back to those bunny hops, the longer you wait the harder it will be. If at all possible I never stop a skill when I'm hurt. The first time I ever tried an axel I did a huge belly flop. My coach at the time would not let me leave the ice until I tried at least three more. I remember thinking some pretty nasty words at her as I tried to get my butt off the ice. Believe me, trying to do an axel was the last thing I wanted to do. More like getting the heck out of there! Good luck.

Chico

[SkatingOnClouds]

Okay, here's my 2 cents worth.
I don't know how old you are Tinkerbell. I am 46, and I fall, a lot. Like 7 times in a row trying to do flips recently. Being big, I can fall hard sometimes.
Mostly it doesn't hurt, sometimes it hurts lots.

What I know about falling is that in general, once you know you are going down, don't fight it because that makes it worse and you risk a twisting injury which can take longer to recover from.

Often after a bad fall it can take days. If it is a generalised pain, it is probably nothing broken, but I'd expect that it would improve with heat treatment and gentle stretching. otherwise, get it checked out. A massage can help release tension in the uninjured muscles and put the pain back where it originated.

What I know about bunny hops is that I hate them. I was always terrified of them because sometimes I missed getting up on the pick properly to take off. I could do waltz jumps,toe loops and half flips before I could do a semi decent bunny hop. I can do them now, on either foot, but it isn't something I like to do.

[Mrs Redboots]

Tailbones hurt worse than anything, I think. And they go on hurting for longer than you would believe possible....

[Tinkerbell]

Think this in your head, THE ICE IS MY FRIEND!

My friends rarely hit me that hard! 8O


Anyway, thanks for the advice/words of encouragement, guys. A massage would probably be good. Though I imagine it will probably hurt like a MOTHER.

About the bunny hop. See, I love my coach but I just think it was the wrong approach for her to take me out into the center of the ice for my very first "jump" and say --go. Am I wrong in thinking that's sort of pushing it a bit? That maybe we should have practiced it a bit at the wall first?

That was the one thing that I did like about learning from a book better than a coach. This particular book was really good about building up every single step--providing exercises to work on to prepare for everything. Even the bunny hop. Only--I hadn't gotten to that part in the book.

I'm finding it helps to work on the motion of them on the flat ground and everytime I go to skate I go over to the wall and practice a few take offs and toe pick landings to get the feel of them. I even managed to do a couple just hovering near the wall.

A lot of the trepidation is psychological. I get nervous about wierd stuff--like counter clockwise two foot turns. Unfortunately, that mental part of it leads to tentative execution and greater chance of falls for me.

Anyway, thanks. I think I'll pop some advil before my lesson tomorrow and keep on chugging.

[phoenix]

My friends rarely hit me that hard! 8O
See, I love my coach but I just think it was the wrong approach for her to take me out into the center of the ice for my very first "jump" and say --go. Am I wrong in thinking that's sort of pushing it a bit? That maybe we should have practiced it a bit at the wall first?


Different coaches do things different ways--but I never, ever, EVER teach things at the wall, nor do I allow my students to use the wall to practice things. It's very dangerous IMO, and leads to too much dependency, plus you balance differently when on your own vs. leaning on the wall. (to clarify, that's moving elements. I'll show them something at the wall like a step & I have them do a stationary spiral holding onto the wall, etc. But nothing where you are moving, ever)

What I will do is have them do things off-ice first. I often teach bunny hops off ice & then have them do it holding their hand when first on the ice.

So I'm actually totally on board w/ your coach not having you use the wall.

[Tinkerbell]

It's very dangerous IMO, and leads to too much dependency, plus you balance differently when on your own vs. leaning on the wall.

Not to dispute you--I think you're probably totally right about the dependency and the different balance--but I think it's interesting this point about it being dangerous. I hear it a lot. Maybe it makes a difference what size a skater you're working with but I, personally (at 5'7" tall), have never once hurt myself while standing or trying something near a wall (mostly forward moving steps). It's the stuff I have tried to do out in the center, where there is nothing to catch you when you start to go down where I have ended up limping off the ice or nursing a giant green bruise for several weeks.

Of course, I realize that they don't call it ICE skating for nothing (its a tricky and dangerous sport) and, like I said, I don't dispute that its not a good idea to develop a dependency on the wall, but I just can't imagine how I could possibly hurt myself at or near the wall (worse than I could in the center).

I also find it interesting (just as a side note) when I hear people talk about how the ice slopes, anywhere not in the very middle. Maybe they just mean that it doesn't give you the proper flat surface to get the right effect with certain moves but if that, as well, is a caution against injury I always have to kind of laugh inside, thinking of the times I have rollerbladed (granted--different sport, but still) over wildly sloping and uneven pavement covered in rocks and sticks and so forth.

PS I had a good lesson today. No fear, and the ice was my friend. Thanks guys.

[phoenix]

How to Get Injured By Using the Wall as an Aid:

1. Go to the wall & start working on a new skill, which involves movement/gliding, and which you are not at all confident about.

2. During one attempt, lose your balance & feel like you're going to fall.

3. Reach for the wall to catch yourself.

4. Miss the wall through flailing panic or depth miscalculation, but now you're falling toward it.

5. Hit your head (or other vital body part) as you fall.

6. Lie senseless on the ice.

;)

At least when you fall at center ice there's nothing to hit you on the way down. Skating means we'll fall--It's part of the deal. No way to avoid it.

One more point (then I swear I'll go away): Most things in skating are done from an edge, ie a curve. If you're practicing something against the wall you have to flatten it out so as not to not run into the wall or curve away from it. Therefore, you're already learning it wrong & will have to change it once you're away from the wall anyway.

[Isk8NYC]

Phoenix - I don't disagree with you about the use of the wall. I saw a coach teaching the loop jump along the wall and thought "That's a disaster in the making." Sure enough, the student hit the wall - and not in the good way the long-distance runners use that phrase.

However, I use the wall a lot to teach a lot of things, at least initially. I use it as a one-hand balance barre, not a support. Maybe that's the difference. I start two-foot three turns on it because they don't really need a curve. Bunny hops: definitely. First waltz jumps - sometimes. Stroking and snowplow stops - yep. I even use the wall to help the skaters find the "sweet spot" for spinning, although I'm not daft enough to have them spin near the wall. I always do my "take three giant steps away from the wall" to get them off and then continue the lesson off the wall.

[jp1andOnly]

you are more likely to fall and hurt yourself when you are afraid. This is not to say you have to go crazy fast and try things you dont feel comfortable with. But the minute you keep thinking" oh no..I'm gonna fall" chances are you will because you start off the whole element already tense and prepared to fall.

Relax, take your time, go slow, talk it through.

[Kristin]

And apparently, I have good reason to be afraid. Even with the kind guidance of my coaches gloved hand, to get started, at some point she had to cut the strings and make me try it on my own. Which is when I hit the wrong spot on my blade, found myself airborne in the WRONG direction and landed flat on my back HARD! Hard enough to knock the wind out of me and make me think about if I wanted to get back up right away. Hard enough, even, to catch the attention of other skaters, who later would approach me to ask if I was okay because the fall looked really bad.

Apparently this is a predictable kind of fall when you do the bunny hop wrong.

The thing is, it's been over a week and my back is still bothering me. I suspect I didn't break the tail bone because I can walk without any sharp, debilitating pain but I couldn't say for sure. I feel like an old woman now--bracing my knees when I get up from the floor because my back can't take the weight and popping advil here and there because I feel like my range of motion is not all it should be.
Help!

Welcome to figure skating. Everyone falls, period. It's something we have all had to get used to and if you quit after one fall, then you aren't cut out for the sport! DON'T quit! Every now and then you have a fall that rattles you to the bone (we all have). So don't work on that element for a few days to give your body a chance to heal & have time to get over it (work on other stuff!). Falling is a good thing; it teaches you what NOT to do! :P Some of my best successes (and best elements) came after I took a massive spill.

BUT, in the meantime, I would look for a good sports medicine doctor to diagnose what you did to your body when you fell. I would ask a higher level skater (doing doubles or triples) where they go. A good sports med doc will know ice skating and has seen many injuries & can give a good diagnosis. Many docs who don't know figure skating will often give advice that will not necessarily KEEP you on the ice. Many times someone can still skate on a limited basis, even with an injury. The key is to find a doc familar enough with skating to be able to tell you what to do or what not to do.

Good luck!
Kristin

[Tinkerbell]

Thanks for the advice, Kristin. I'm not going to quit.

Many docs who don't know figure skating will often give advice that will not necessarily KEEP you on the ice. Many times someone can still skate on a limited basis, even with an injury. The key is to find a doc familar enough with skating to be able to tell you what to do or what not to do.

Good luck!
Kristin

Sounds like a good idea. I wonder if my insurace covers sports injuries.

[xofivebyfive]

Tailbones hurt worse than anything, I think. And they go on hurting for longer than you would believe possible....
Don't I know it.. I had an unfortunate fall a month after I started skating, back in March.. Fell backwards out of a spin, landed on my butt and my left wrist. My wrist still hurts and cracks every time I move it. I could barely stand or walk for about a week afterward.. and it hurt every time I moved for about a month.. Very, very bad.

[Kristin]

Thanks for the advice, Kristin. I'm not going to quit.

Sounds like a good idea. I wonder if my insurace covers sports injuries.

If you have an HMO, you have to get a referral from your family doctor & the insurance will cover it. If you have a PPO, you can go wherever you want (without a referral.....just check your in-network sports med doctors to get the best coverage!). Insurance may not pay 100%, but at least you can get some of it covered!

Also, Sports medicine is not just for sports injuries. These docs can handle any kinds of osteopathic (muscles, bones, cartilage, tendons, joints) issues so your insurance shouldn't have a problem covering it just because the fall is sports-related.