Coccydynia: Tailbone Pain
Tailbone pain can be debilitating, and sometimes embarrassing given its intimate location. If you’re suffering, know that you will be treated professionally and without judgment should you seek treatment with us.
Where Exactly is the Tailbone?
Often patients complain of tailbone pain, but signal to an area a few inches above it. The coccyx really is as low as it could possibly be- if your pain isn’t between the buttocks then it’s most likely at the level of the sacrum or even the lumbar spine.
When irritated, pain is typically dull at rest, with sharper moments on aggravation. The area may also be tender to touch. Common aggravating factors include sitting, or sitting to standing and vice versa. Bending forward or emptying your bowels may also be painful.
What Causes Coccydynia?
Coccydynia is most commonly caused by trauma. This might take the form of a fall directly onto the tailbone, or childbirth- especially if it was complicated or instruments were used. It is also more likely in people who are hypermobile, as the ligaments are less supportive. Prolonged sitting can be associated with some cases, although these are likely milder.
The tailbone is, as the name suggests, only connected to bone at the top end. This gives it the potential for mobility that you may or may not want. In more severe cases of coccydynia, the coccyx may be angled sideways, forwards, or backwards. Without another bone to help manoeuvre it, you can be left with this problem for some time. Mild cases may not involve any misplacement, but rather the pain might simply be caused by a strain of the ligaments at the joint.
Beyond bone, there aren’t many muscles that attach to the coccyx either. Muscles of the pelvic floor attach to the back of it, and the biggest muscle of the buttock- gluteus maximus- attaches to the front. Both of these muscle groups have the capacity to influence the angle of an irritated coccyx, for better or for worse. Annoyingly, muscles often tense up when you are already in pain, and in cases like coccydynia, that will likely only further aggravate symptoms. Fortunately, we can help with muscular issues like these.
Managing Coccydynia
The approach will depend on the root cause. We do not offer internal techniques at Flitwick Osteopathic Clinic, but due to the anatomy of the area, most cases will respond to external work. This might involve work to the nearby muscles to reduce any tension on the joint at the top of the tailbone. It could also mean working further afield to take the pressure off the area by improving mechanics elsewhere.
Beyond treatment in clinic, you may benefit from exercises between appointments. Again, the best exercises for you will depend completely on the details of your case, but they may include:
pelvic floor exercises (either strengthening or relaxing)
gluteal strengthening exercises
gluteus maximus stretches
You may also find that some lifestyle factors aggravate your pain. We can offer advice for making changes to the way you sit, or identifying whether your office chair is problematic. For temporary relief, you may like to use a cool compress or sit with a coccyx cushion.
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