Hit by large rock on shin

[Jens]

On Johannesberg Mt. this week, I got hit by a large rock on the shin. It isn't black and blue but if I even bump it on something it feels almost electrical and is the worst pain I've felt in years. It has been almost a week now and the pain is still insane and hasn't gotten any better. For example, if I am getting in to my car and my shin touches or kinda bumps the car, the pain is debilitating. Is it just a bruise and I'm a wussy or could it be anything else? I wouldn't have posted, but the pain is bad.

[olyclimber]

if you have health insurance, I'd say its worth a trip. you can always just use the visit as a "checkup visit" and doc can make sure you don't have a hernia and stuff.

[Raindawg]

You might have a fracture...i.e., a broken leg.

Go see yo doctor, foo!

[mythosgrl]

Yeah, it could be a closed hairline tibia fracture... meaning it's a small fracture that does not go all the way through the bone, and the bone does not protrude through the skin.

 

You can try something that helped me identify whether or not i had a fracture... I used my thumb, and starting at the top of my shin bone applied strong pressure and worked my way down the bone. If there is one spot (usually no bigger than the size of your thumb) that has a lot of pain when pressed on, it could be the fracture site. That was the case when I had my stress fracture. Hope that helps!

 

If you can, get it checked out.

[Weekend_Climberz]

Yeah, it could be a closed hairline tibia fracture... meaning it's a small fracture that does not go all the way through the bone, and the bone does not protrude through the skin.

 

You can try something that helped me identify whether or not i had a fracture... I used my thumb, and starting at the top of my shin bone applied strong pressure and worked my way down the bone. If there is one spot (usually no bigger than the size of your thumb) that has a lot of pain when pressed on, it could be the fracture site. That was the case when I had my stress fracture. Hope that helps!

 

If you can, get it checked out.

 

Another way would be to get a tuning fork. Whack the thing to get it ringing and then place the end of it (not the forked end) on or near the bruise on the bone. If its really painful when you do this, its definately fractured. My girlfriend fell down and cracked her tibia a few months back and she was out for a few weeks.

 

Best to go to the doc though

[olyclimber]

another thing you can do is either use leeches to suck the bad blood out, or just drain it out via strategic cuts.

 

either that, or go visit a medical professional.

[chucK]

Going to a doctor is always safe advice. My question is, say it is a hairline fracture of the tibia. What's a doctor going to do?

 

patient: Doc, my shin hurts like hell when I do this (patient jabs shin with finger)

 

doctor: Well don't do that then!

 

 

Do people get any sort of treatment (cast?) for hairline fractures or does the doc say, "Don't go running for six weeks. Please see the receptionist on your way out about accepted methods of payment. Have a good day" ?

[Kat_Roslyn]

Unfortunatly this just happened to me 3 1/2 weeks ago too. I went to an orthopedist because my lowerleg & foot swelled and then had yellow splothes , kinda like sherbert ice cream with purple blueberry stains on it too. the whole back of the leg was completly bruised too.

Anyway, the doc said that it was a bad bone contusion, and if you don't see scab-like spots where it hit the hardest then you are okay. But I still have a very big, unattractive bump on the bone of my shin. Ice it, and he said keep the running down to only 30 min a day., I just wrap it up tight up to the knee so the blood goes up, but not too tight around the knee artery thing.

I have a question: Can I get surgery on my shin if that bone bump doesn't go away? I am just considering growing really hairy legs to hide it.

[Jens]

Kat, that is my leg exactly. Today the bruising appeared. It isn't on the front but instead on the back (where the rock didn't hit) It is about half the size of a soccer ball and totally purple.

[SmallShoes]

Do people get any sort of treatment (cast?) for hairline fractures or does the doc say, "Don't go running for six weeks.

 

I don't know about a cast but you can get crutches and painkillers...

Got into an car accident with an ex a while back (a mutual friend was driving btw) and she smacked her leg on the dash. Seemed like the beginning of a bad bruise. We didn't think much of it until the WSDOT guy got there and said while he wasn't a doctor he'd seen a lot of similar injuries that were actually hairline fractures. Apparantly one guy just kept walking on his leg like it was just a bruise until it snapped under his body weight one day.

I'll tell you that got our asses to Harborview quick and sure enough - hairline fracture. They gave her enough vicodin to last her and me for 3 weeks. I mean her for 3 weeks. Yes....