Tailbone pain is the pain that occurs in and around the bone structure at the bottom of the spine (coccyx). Tail bone pain can be caused by trauma to the coccyx during a fall, prolonged sitting on a hard or narrow surface and can be caused by degenerative joint changes.
Also called coccydynia or coccygodynia, tail bone pain, usually goes away on its own within a few weeks or months. To lessen tailbone pain in the meantime, it might help to:
- Lean forward while sitting down.
- Apply heat in the affected area.
- Take over-the-counter pain relievers.
- Sit on a U-shaped pillow cushion to relieve the pressure on the tailbone.
If your tail bone pain doesn’t improve (chronic coccydynia), consult your doctor who might recommend magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to find out if you have a fracture, degenerative changes or, in rare cases, a tumour.
Possible treatments for chronic tail bone pain might include:
- Physical therapy. A physical therapist might show you how to do pelvic floor relaxation techniques, such as breathing deeply and completely relaxing your pelvic floor.
- Manipulation. Messaging the muscles attached to the tailbone might help ease the pain.
- Medication. An injection of a local anaesthetic into the tail bone can relieve pain for few weeks.
- Surgery. During a procedure known as coccygectomy, the coccyx is surgically removed. This option is only recommended when all other treatments have failed. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tailbone-pain-coccydynia/
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