Swollen butt!

Hi everybody.

Okay, so I've been biking for years and I'm used to the first ride of the season butt pain. I have a relatively bony butt, so yeah. It's usually sore after the first ride. The second ride is usually painful for the first 5-10 minutes and then it subsides. Then by the third ride, I'm fine.

This year, is a very different story. Same bike and everything. So I went on my first ride. The next day, sore as expected. Then a day or two later, I went for my second ride. It was extremely painful. Eventually I could tolerate it. Then then 3rd ride, still sore. Etc. It's been almost 2 months since my first ride, and it's sore every time, though not as painful as that second ride. After my last ride, I felt it and it felt kind of swollen on one side. I wasn't sure by looking at it. But today I went for a ride and afterwards, it was noticeably more swollen. I can even see that it's swollen. But just on one side. It feels like there is fluid buildup. I could go to the doctor, but honestly, I so rarely have a doctor actually figure out what's wrong if it isn't an obvious issue like a broken bone. And I'm thinking they will just tell me to stop riding. I mean for them, simple fix. Which might be what I have to do, but if it is, I want to be sure that it needs to come to that. I need to ride!

Has anybody had this happen? OUCH.

You really need to be more specific. Do you have a boil on your labia? That is what is sounds like you are trying to say.

No, it's my butt! It's right on my tailbone. And it's not a boil. It's not red or infected looking. It literally feels like somebody stuck a syringe in and pumped it full of fluid.

Sorry, not my tailbone... I need to learn anatomy. It's not my labia. It's the ramus pubis, but heading more toward the back like my butt. My underwear doesn't cover it though. Just regular coverage type underwear. If that makes sense.

Sitbone? Bursitis?

Just to be clear...you are biking in biking shorts with a chamois pad without wearing your underwear, correct?
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2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle

Yeah, sort of my sit bones I guess. You know the parts that touch right on the edge of the bike seat.

That bursitis does not sound good. I really don't want to have to stop riding. That kind of sounds like what it could be.

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Originally Posted by TigerMom

Just to be clear...you are biking in biking shorts with a chamois pad without wearing your underwear, correct?
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2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle

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Well, I'm mountain biking right now and not road biking. So I don't tend to wear padding as I'm out of the saddle so much, and I've never had an issue with pain before. So I prefer to not wear a chamois mtbing.

The Chamois pad on the bike shorts will help your sit bones whether you mountain bike or road bike. If you are mountain biking on a hardtail, you might want to think about a suspension post for your seat if you are a newbie having a difficult time timing your crouching position off of the saddle on bumps. I'm speaking from personal experience because my sitbones felt soooo much better on my hybrid (with lockout-able suspension) when I went "mountain biking" on trails with my suspension post and biking shorts with chamois padding.
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2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle

Yeah I just find chamois so uncomfortable on a mtb. On a road bike, where I stay in one position, it's fine. But on a mtb, I'm up and down so much that it really chafes and just feels so bulky and uncomfortable. And honestly, I've been mtbing for years and years and have never had any discomfort beyond the second ride. So I don't see the need. Something must have happened on my first ride this season, I'm just trying to figure out what. Plus, I ride full suspension down hill bikes. I'm only even in the saddle for the climb up. The entire trip down, you never sit. It's 3-6 foot drops, roots, rocks. So you're out of the saddle.

Wow! Sounds like you're an amazing biking athlete! Assuming your sitbone is not broken, some Orthopedists may be able to inject steroid with Lidocaine (called local trigger point injections) near the sitbones area to decrease pain/inflammation.
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2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle

I didn't say I was good at it! haha. Armor up, point it down the hill, and hope you make it out in one piece! I grew up riding in California. Moving up to the infamous north shore was definitely an awakening in the mtbing world. Some of it's unbelievable really. But if you want to ride here, you kind of have to learn some of it. I'll never be riding up on these 15 foot high skinnies that the guys ride, but it's definitely improved my over all control. Now when I go other places, there isn't anything I won't ride.

Ah, I guess I'll need to go to the doctor. I try to avoid it as I haven't had the best experiences with doctors.

Go to the doctor. Our health care system makes it easy for you to do this.

There's no good reason to avoid this --especially in Vancouver. Otherwise you will continue to be uncomfortable.

With the intense type of downhill MTB that you do, it sounds like there is a good chance that you really did fracture your sitbone.

3-6 foot drops!:eek: I'm still impressed.
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2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle

also could be a pulled muscle or irritated fascia perhaps. Will be interesting to hear what the doctor says. but with all that up and down and using tension in your muscles you could have smacked the area hard on your saddle or have a muscle tear.

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

How old is the saddle? Is it time to replace? Are the shorts in good condition, or could they be causing the problem? Are they worn out? Even without a chamois there are seams that could cause irritation.

And if not, is there some type of skin condition that could cause this? Maybe even an ingrown hair? Perhaps try some type of antibiotic cream (not the ointment). Could, er, grooming cause a problem? Shaving and then letting it grow back a little can cause some irritation. (Honestly, I'm reaching here).


But really, does sound like you need to see a doctor (which I see you intend). Can you find one that knows about cycling injuries? I understand about not getting the right answers, but don't just let this go.

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No, everything you mentioned seems normal to me. And it's not in the grooming zone ;) But yes, I could see how ingrown hairs could definitely cause some pain.

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Originally Posted by shootingstar

Go to the doctor. Our health care system makes it easy for you to do this.

There's no good reason to avoid this --especially in Vancouver. Otherwise you will continue to be uncomfortable.

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Don't get me started on the medical system here. haha. I've had nothing but problems. Lets just put it this way, when I tore my meniscus, if I hadn't had a personal friend who performed MRI's, I would have had to wait 1.5 years for a surgery that should have happened the very day it occurred (it was a bucket handle tear so it was flipped and wedged so that I couldn't unbend my leg) and I would had have lost all of my cartilage as well as much of the mobility in that leg. I still had to wait 4 months and was unable to walk that entire time! Just one of several horror stories I've experienced here. So I do sort of avoid the doctor now and try to figure it out on my own. That way I can go in and basically tell them what's wrong. Otherwise they send me home with antibiotics and no answers.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TigerMom

With the intense type of downhill MTB that you do, it sounds like there is a good chance that you really did fracture your sitbone.

3-6 foot drops!:eek: I'm still impressed.
____________________________________

2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle

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Don't be. haha. It's not always pretty. And I don't do a lot of the stuff on these mountains. But, I've never landed on my butt.

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Don't get me started on the medical system here. haha. I've had nothing but problems. Lets just put it this way, when I tore my meniscus, if I hadn't had a personal friend who performed MRI's, I would have had to wait 1.5 years for a surgery that should have happened the very day it occurred (it was a bucket handle tear so it was flipped and wedged so that I couldn't unbend my leg) and I would had have lost all of my cartilage as well as much of the mobility in that leg. I still had to wait 4 months and was unable to walk that entire time! Just one of several horror stories I've experienced here. So I do sort of avoid the doctor now and try to figure it out on my own. That way I can go in and basically tell them what's wrong. Otherwise they send me home with antibiotics and no answers.

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MRI line-ups are real. But don't use 1 experience with the health care system to avoid using it for other problems. I used to think like you, but have learned. Why?

*My siser is a emergency services and family doctor in Ontario. I can plumb and do hear (informally) her response afterwards to another doctor's diagnosis:


*For all medical problems, be sharp and alert while being diagnosed and interviewed by the doctor. Alot of patients don't think of the right type of questions,....because it requires fast thinking right there in the doctor's office to think of and ask those questions. Patients allow themselves to be intimidated by the doctor's credentials.

*Be very specific on description of medical symptoms and timing of when it occurs.

If you can imagine someone with a low literacy level, they may not be able to navigate those waters fast enough and express themselves clearly to the doctor. At the same time, some doctors are better listeners and communicators than others.

Bathedinshadow:
Just to give you the opposite experiences for me and some family members:

*I had a strange severe case of vertigo for 1 whole day where I couldn't sit up because the room spun. I couldn't bike, walk or leave home or even go to the bathroom. Next day I was fine.

After seen by family doctor, I was referred to a an ear-throat specialist before shifted immediately to a audio testing clinic at Vancouver General Hospital. They tested me for 1.5 hrs. While no explanation could be given to avoid this problem, I was given some simple tips. All this testing was within 1 month of my incident. Did I pay additional fees for this specialized testing? No.

*My partner's mother: she was low income senior citizen. Who collapsed in her apartment... she was moved to a long term care wing at Vancouver General Hospital where she was there until her death. She was there for 2 years. There was a geriatrician and cardiologist who looked after patients when needed since they were part of hospital staff. We were impressed by the number of nurses and other assistants per bed at that facility. That is the most ideal nursing home care that an end of life person could even hope for. She was wheelchair bound in her final 2 years.

Did she pay extra for this...I think it was over $900.00 per month from her funds. (This was 7 yrs.ago.) It included all meals, common shared rooms, some planned activities, nursing care, etc. Of course, the health care part, was subsidized. (But she was a Canadian taxpayer most her life, right?) This was also part of a research/teaching hospital...which is a huge bonus for any type of on-site facility care. As you know, this would meet a public hospital/care faciltiy accreditation standard.

*My father is dying of cancer. He has injections and is seen every 2-3 months now. Last 2 years. The cancer hospital in Toronto (Princess Margaret) have NEVER put him on any waiting list at all. They explain the options at each stage. The difficulty now is not the health care system, but what my father wishes for himself. It does help my sister-doctor is present to advocate for Dad while the oncologist gives his latest diagnosis.

Judge not too harshly, bathing if you haven't dealt with the full range of doctors in your lifetime.

Well this is getting really off topic, so I'm not going to list all my experiences. But this is not ONE case that I've encountered. It just happened to be the one that had me in a wheelchair for 4 months, and spending 9 months learning how to walk again. All of which would never had happened if the doctor at the ER didn't insist that my locked knee was temporary. Despite my going back THREE times over the course of a week. Even the surgeon that I finally saw said the ER doctors should have known better.

I've had problem after problem, and I'm very descriptive when I do go to the doctor. I don't like having to go back, so being clear is important. And this isn't me saying that I don't think medicine should be socialized (I do), but I lived in California until I was 25. I was insured the entire time, and the medical services are far superior in my opinion. I rarely had any problems with doctors. But my experience in the last 7 years with MSP has been horrible. I communicate clearly. So I'm slightly insulted that you're implying my bad experiences (and the many I hear about through friends) is on our end when the common denominator seems to be the system. I see your opinion differs, but perhaps your perception is due to the fact that this is the only system you've known you're entire life? It doesn't provide much comparison.

And I must reiterate, I do actually believe in socialized medicine, so lets not go there. But for those that can afford health care in the states, my experience there was without question, better than my experiences here. This isn't about money or whether or not health care should be available to all. But most of your comments seem to be about the cost of health care. I'm not debating that it's cheaper here. Obviously it is. But being affordable doesn't mean it's better in terms of quality of care. I was lucky enough to have insurance in the states. Many aren't. My quality of care was better there, and I even went to Kaiser (the dreaded place to many)! I've rarely gone to a doctor here and had my problem resolved. I usually end up researching it myself after they've failed to resolve it, until I figure out what it is and then TELLING THEM in order to get what I need. I just don't think the health care system here in BC is that great. Oh, and I also went to nursing school here and worked at hospitals here first hand. My opinions aren't ignorance as you're suggesting.

Anyway, like I said, off topic. I apologize to everybody. I just felt a little attacked for my opinion and experiences. I probably shouldn't has said anything to begin with in hindsight as I kind of knew a Canadian Health care defense would appear.

But back on topic... my butt still hurts! haha. I went to the doctor today. She said, stop riding until it goes away. She isn't sure what it is. I'll go to a different doctor tomorrow and see if I can actually get somebody who knows. And I'll keep looking for the answer myself. I don't think just staying off it for a couple weeks is going to resolve the issue as I didn't ride for 3 weeks after my 3rd ride this season, and it never went away. I don't want to just stop riding because they don't know what it is and it seems like the easiest solution to them. The bursitis seems possible, but I haven't been able to find too many instances of it in this location.

Thanks for the thoughts thus far! :)

Just to be clear where it is too...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sk...lvis-pubis.jpg

It is right where the "c" is located.

Could it be one of these?

There's been enough discussionn from U.S. forumites here, both great and not so good health care experiences in the U.S. in these forums over the past few years.

I'm experiencing now the 3rd health care system: Alberta. Thank goodness I have a family doctor that I like who gives me as much explanation as she can. Ontario covered first 40 years of my life, thereafter Vancouver area. Alberta's system includes paying very high dental fees....there's no cap on dental fees here, whereas in Ontario and B.C. there is.

Hope you get better bathing soon.

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Originally Posted by zoom-zoom

Could it be one of these?

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I don't know. Second doctor today, still no answer. He thinks it's just irritated and will go down. And if it had only been going on for a week, I'd be more apt to believe that. Hopefully it will simply go away, but it would be nice to know the cause so I can prevent it in the future.

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Originally Posted by shootingstar

There's been enough discussionn from U.S. forumites here, both great and not so good health care experiences in the U.S. in these forums over the past few years.

I'm experiencing now the 3rd health care system: Alberta. Thank goodness I have a family doctor that I like who gives me as much explanation as she can. Ontario covered first 40 years of my life, thereafter Vancouver area. Alberta's system includes paying very high dental fees....there's no cap on dental fees here, whereas in Ontario and B.C. there is.

Hope you get better bathing soon.

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As I mentioned, my opinion has nothing to do with cost. Purely level of care. And I'm not comparing from province to province. I have no personal experience with other provinces. They could be very different. But I do have a lot of experience with California health care vs. BC. That's my comparison. I've had too many injuries over the years! haha. Though age has certainly brought on a lot more caution. I don't know how I made it through my youth!

Thanks! I hope it goes away and stays away. And ideally I can figure out what caused it.

Thanks for the suggestions ladies!