Getting to the Bottom of Chronic Tailbone Pain

Should you had been a rough-and-tumble baby, you most likely had a fall or two that landed you squarely in your tailbone, inflicting bruising and ache that lasted for a number of days. However when you expertise tailbone ache as an grownup that’s unrelated to trauma, it might sign pelvic flooring dysfunction. In lots of circumstances, pelvic flooring bodily remedy might help right the underlying reason for tailbone ache and restore pain-free motion.

About Your Tailbone

Your tailbone will not be actually a single bone. It’s made up of 3-5 vertebral segments on the very finish of your sacral backbone that will or is probably not fused collectively, relying in your distinctive anatomy. Your tailbone is joined to your sacral backbone through the sacrococcygeal joint.

Medically known as the coccyx (or typically coccydynia, or coccygodynia), your tailbone has a restricted vary of movement that permits it to curve while you’re sitting down, and to offer means throughout childbirth. As a result of the coccyx is properly innervated, it may be fairly painful when injured.

The coccyx serves a number of capabilities in your pelvic area:

● Serves as an attachment for a number of pelvic muscle groups and ligaments

● Offers assist for the pelvic flooring

● Assists in bowel management

● Facilitates childbirth

An injured coccyx could cause hypertonicity of the pelvic flooring muscle groups, resulting in bowel and urinary points and ache throughout intercourse.

Signs and Causes of Tailbone Ache

Medical medical doctors are sometimes baffled by continual non-traumatic tailbone ache. Quite than admit that they don’t know what’s inflicting your ache, they might brush it off as unimportant or inform you it’ll go away by itself. However continual ache in any a part of your physique will not be regular — it’s there to sign that one thing will not be proper.

Tailbone ache signs embody:

● Tailbone ache when sitting down and getting up

● Tailbone ache after sitting for an prolonged time frame

● Tailbone ache that will get worse when mendacity down

Widespread causes of tailbone ache embody:

● Trauma from a fall or a blunt pressure

● Repetitive pressure harm from biking or rowing

● Strain and trauma from being pregnant and childbirth

● Weight problems

● Sedentary way of life with an excessive amount of sitting

● Poor posture when sitting

● Being underweight, with too little fatty padding in your buttocks

In line with analysis, girls are 5 occasions extra prone to endure from tailbone ache than males, and overweight persons are 3 times extra prone to have coccyx ache than individuals who keep a wholesome weight.

One research of 127 girls with pelvic ache discovered that just about 50 p.c of them additionally had tailbone ache. The ladies with coccyx ache reported greater ranges of pelvic ache, higher pelvic flooring dysfunction and had been discovered to have considerably extra abnormalities throughout a pelvic bodily examination.

Tailbone Ache Remedy Choices

Eliminating tailbone ache will be tough as a result of location of the coccyx and its involvement in on a regular basis motion and sitting.

Widespread remedies for continual tailbone ache embody:

● Anti-inflammatory ache drugs (NSAIDs)

● Utilizing a donut- or U-shaped cushion when sitting

● Ice packs and warmth pads

● Dietary adjustments to keep away from straining on the bathroom

● Weight reduction and elevated bodily exercise

● Improved posture when sitting

● Pelvic flooring bodily remedy

Whereas exercising with tailbone ache could seem counterintuitive, common bodily train like every day strolling helps to tone the muscle groups of the pelvic flooring and promote wholesome spinal alignment and performance. Begin sluggish, and regularly enhance your tempo and distance. Should you sit at a pc through the day, take frequent breaks to stroll round, and think about using a standing desk or bar-height counter whilst you work.

About Pelvic Ground Bodily Remedy

The first goal of pelvic flooring bodily remedy is to loosen up overly tight pelvic flooring muscle groups. Along with contributing to tailbone ache, tight pelvic flooring muscle groups could cause ache throughout sexual activity, constipation, issue urinating and pelvic ache.

In a latest research of 124 sufferers with tailbone ache, 72% of these handled with pelvic flooring bodily remedy reported important reduction from tailbone ache signs.

References:

Mabrouk, Ahmed, Almothenna Alloush, and Patrick Foye. “Coccyx Ache.” StatPearls [Internet] (2020).

Neville, Cynthia E., et al. “Affiliation of Coccygodynia with Pelvic Ground Signs in Ladies with Pelvic Ache.” PM&R (2021).

Scott, Kelly M., et al. “The therapy of continual coccydynia and put up coccygectomy ache with pelvic flooring bodily remedy.” PM&R 9.4 (2017): 367-376.