Have you ever slipped and managed to land with a sharp bump on your tailbone? That little bone you just landed on is called the coccyx and can cause excruciating pain when damaged. Its triangular shape is formed of four small fused bones right at the base of your spine, and is often referred to as a residual tail. The process of natural childbirth, carrying a baby throughout pregnancy, prolonged sitting on hard chairs – as well as falling onto your bottom – are all likely to cause coccyx pain. So it’s a pretty common but uncomfortable issue. What can you do about it? And will it help to see a chiropractor?
A hard fall onto the base of your spine will affect many structures in the area because the coccyx acts as an anchor point for the muscles and ligaments of the pelvic floor. The coccyx is also an important site of attachment for buttock muscles such as the glutes, as well as the ligaments which hold everything together down there. The coccyx also provides weight-bearing support when you’re in a seated position. Injury to this little bone will make it painful to sit, lean back whilst sitting and to rise from a chair, along with other essential activities like going to the toilet.
How To Manage A Coccyx Injury
- Cushions – soft wedge-shaped or pressure-reduction cushions will help. A cushion with an opening at the back but which still supports the thighs and pelvis is best. If you don’t have one of these, you could use two similar-sized pillows or a rolled-up towel in a U-shape to create the opening which relieves the pressure on the base of the spine. Don’t use a doughnut cushion – the design is wrong for a coccyx injury.
- Don’t sit on hard chairs or perch on edges, and don’t twist to one side or other to relieve your tailbone. This will strain your lower back and you’ll end up with extra problems.
- Sit in a centred way, making sure both buttocks are evenly positioned and the tailbone is not in contact with the chair seat. You can support your lumbar region with a roll of material like a towel, keeping your feet on the floor. Don’t cross your legs and make sure you get up and move about every twenty minutes.
- Cold and hot compresses can help ease pain and swelling, whilst medication such as paracetamol is helpful.
Chiropractic treatment for a coccyx injury is likely to centre on the sacrum, the shield-shaped bony structure just above the tailbone itself. Jolts and sprains of the coccyx may shift the ligaments or cause bruising, dislocation or even breaks in the bone. If your injury causes pain which persists sharply for several days, it’s best to get an X-ray to determine the extent of the injury. However, coccyx strains, sprains and bruises do get better gradually on their own. Hormones such as Elastin which are released during pregnancy tend to make joints feel extra floppy and stretchy, so injuries from giving birth may naturally recover as the body gets back to normal. Chiropractic manipulation can help get things back in working order through careful joint mobilisation and soft tissue manipulation.
Click here for some exercises to help with coccyx pain.
If you have a fall on to your backside besides a coccyx injury you can also commonly get a whiplash injury to the neck so you can get pain here too. Click for more information on whiplash treatment with our chiropractors in Brighton.