You probably never provided your tailbone a single thought, up until it started to hurt. Tailbone pain is centered at the extremely bottom of your spine, right above your buttocks, where this multi-segmented bone sits. The tailbone is small, but it does have a few crucial jobs. It helps to stabilize you when you sit, and numerous tendons, muscles, and ligaments run through the area.
Your doctor might call your tailbone by its medical name, coccyx. The word originates from the Greek term for “cuckoo,” and was named since the coccyx looks a lot like the beak of the bird. Pain in your coccyx is called coccydynia.
Reason Why You Have Tailbone Pain from Sitting Too Much
Your tailbone might have begun injuring after something as simple as remaining on a hard bench or other uncomfortable surface area for an extended period of time. Falls and other injuries can bruise, dislocate, or break your tailbone.
Fact:
Your doctor might call your tailbone by its medical name, coccyx. The word comes from the Greek term for “cuckoo,” and was named because the coccyx looks a lot like the beak of the bird. Pain in your coccyx is called coccydynia.
Joint damage from repeated motions or basic wear and tear from aging can also add to tailbone pain. You’re also more vulnerable to tailbone problems if you’re obese. However if you lose the weight rapidly, you’ll lose the padding that secures your tailbone and you might be more likely to hurt it.
In uncommon cases, the cause of coccyx pain might be an infection or tumor.
Tailbone Pain Types
Pain from an injured tailbone can vary from mild to extreme. The pain can become worse when you take a seat or stand up from a chair, or when you lean back while sitting. You can likewise feel soreness when you use the bathroom or have sex. Women might feel discomfort in that area during their duration.
Often the pain can shoot all the method down your legs. Standing or walking must alleviate the pressure on your tailbone and ease discomfort.
What Should I Do if My Tailbone Hurts?
See your doctor if the pain is severe or lasts more than a few days. The majority of the time tailbone pain isn’t really severe. It can often signify an injury or in uncommon cases, cancer.
You may get an X-ray or MRI scan to search for signs of injury, such as a bone fracture or a tumor pressing on the bone. X-ray imagines may be taken both sitting and standing to show possible problems with your tailbone in different positions. The doctor will also feel around the area for any growths that may be putting pressure on your coccyx.
How Is Tailbone Pain Treated?
The pain should disappear in a few weeks, or in some cases months. You can try non-prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to ease discomfort up until your tailbone heals. These drugs include ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or naproxen (Naprosyn). Acetaminophen (Tylenol) likewise can relieve pain. For more severe pain, your doctor can inject a local anesthetic, nerve block, or steroid medicine into the area. Some individuals get a combination of anesthetic and steroid injections. You can likewise take an antidepressant or anti-seizure medication by mouth to reduce the pain. Make certain to discuss your treatment choices with your doctor.
To alleviate discomfort, remain on a heating pad or ice bag, or go for a massage. The method you sit also matters. Poor posture can put excessive pressure on your coccyx, mentioned iytmed.com. Sit with your back against the chair and your feet flat on the floor to take the weight off your tailbone. Lean forward when you go to sit down. You can likewise rest on an unique donut-shaped pillow or wedge-shaped cushion to ease pressure on that sensitive area.
A physical therapist can show you exercises to reinforce the muscles that support your tailbone. These include your stomach muscles and pelvic floor. You can also attempt a strategy called coccygeal adjustment. This is when a doctor inserts a gloved finger in your anus and moves the tailbone back and forth to shift it back into position.
The majority of the time, these treatments will relieve your pain until your tailbone heals. If no treatment has worked, your doctor might recommend surgery as a last hope to get rid of part of or the whole coccyx. This procedure is called a coccygectomy. Surgery does not always work immediately. It can take some time prior to the pain disappears. In many cases, it does not work at all. Surgery can also carry risks, like infection. It’s a decision that you have to make very thoroughly with your doctor.
Start with home pain-relief measures like NSAIDs, heat, and massage. If your tailbone still hurts, check in with your doctor, who can help you discover a treatment that works for you.
