Winter is just around the corner here in Colorado. With that, you may be gearing up for all the fun winter sports, like skiing, snowboarding, hockey, and ice skating. Even if you’re not an avid winter sports fan, you will likely encounter ice sometime in your life. This is true whether you’re living in beautiful Colorado or somewhere else blessed with the changing of the seasons.
With winter comes the chance of falling, even for those of us who play it safe and don’t partake in these types of winter sports. Chances are at some point in your life you’ve experienced a fall, whether it be missing a few steps on your stairs at home, stepping wrong off a curb, wiping out on your bike as a child (or on your mountain bike as an adult), a slip down a river bank when fishing, or just plain clumsiness. It’s worthwhile to note that do not have to actually hit the ground in order to cause a tweak to your back and pelvis.
I know I’ve had my fair share of falls onto my butt, and even a few directly onto my tailbone. One such incident occurred when a folding chair I was sitting onto unexpectedly folded and down I went; I landed smack dab on my tailbone on the hard, metal chair leg. That one stopped me from running for quite a bit! And most recently, just in July, I tweaked my tailbone when jumping off a 35’ cliff in the name of fun while vacationing on The Big Island, HI. That one I’m still recovering from 4 months later!
So if you’re cringing and nodding your head with familiarity, watch this video that explains what can happen to the bony structure of your pelvis following a fall and how changes in your alignment can affect how you’re feeling in your hips, spine, pelvis, and even all the way into your head! I discuss common post-fall complaints that warrant a closer look and possible treatment by a physical therapist, and what can be done to help you transform your pain and immobility. Because, let’s face it, who has time for pain when the mountains are calling?
