Dealing with pain is never an easy situation. And in the unfortunate situation when you are facing with Tailbone Pain (a.k.a. Coccydynia), it can be difficult to do even the most normal daily tasks such as sitting at your desk.
Tailbone pain can come to you for variety of reasons and is more common in women than it is in men. In this post we’ll look at the symptoms of Coccydynia, causes of the pain and how it can be treated to get you back to living life as normal.
The Tailbone
The Tailbone or Coccyx is the triangular bony structure located at the bottom of the vertebral column between the buttocks. Composed of three to five bony segments it is held in place by joints and ligaments. It is the bottom most part of the Spine and helps support the Pelvis
Causes & Symptoms of Tailbone Pain
There are variety of causes that can lead to Tailbone Pain such as –
- Fall or trauma to the area
- Loosening of ligaments during pregnancy and childbirth
- Sitting on hard bench or uncomfortable surface for prolonged duration
- In some rare cases an infection or tumor in the area.
As mentioned before this is more typical in women than men but men do suffer from it as well. The symptoms are usually pain that is worsened by sitting or putting pressure on the area itself. It may feel worse if you’re constipated or you may feel relief after having a bowel movement. You may also notice worse pain when you go from sitting to standing positions.
Treatment Options
Dealing with tailbone pain can be a difficult process but there are some things to try that will hopefully relieve the pain noninvasively.
- Your doctor may suggest using NSAID’s to help with the inflammation and swelling in the area.
- Applying cold packs to the area several times every day to help reduce the swelling. You can also add heat later to help reduce the pain.
- Changing your sitting posture – Sit with your back against the chair and feet flat on the floor to take the weight off your tailbone or Lean forward when you go to sit down
- Alternatively, utilize a donut shaped pillow to help reduce the pressure applied on the coccyx area when you’re in a seated position.
- Make sure not to sit in one position for too long, but get up and walk around to reduce the pressure on the tailbone area
If you notice that constipation or a bowel movement causes or removes pain, then it’s important to be sure to get enough fluid and possibly take a stool softener to help reduce the pain during those times.
Other methods that are non-surgical include gentle stretches, chiropractic manipulation of the area, and injections to block the pain. There are also physical therapy ultrasound techniques that can help to reduce the pain in the area. In severe cases where nothing else has helped after months of treatment, surgery may be required to fully get rid of pain.
Tailbone Pain Treatment in Singapore
At the Singapore Sports and Orthopaedic Clinic, our orthopaedic specialists are ready to help you get back to the activities you know and love. Call us today for an appointment @ +65 6653 2981 to get a professional assessment of your condition & start your journey toward a better life!
