Coccyx Pain Relief

The tailbone or the coccyx is a small, triangular-shaped bone comprising 3-5 rudimentary vertebrae, which may or may not be fused together. The coccyx is the last segment of the vertebral column and is held in place by joints and ligaments. Direct injuries to the tailbone region can lead to coccyx injuries.

Traumatic situations like falls, accidents, childbirth, etc., weaken the joint by dislocating, injuring, or breaking it. The instability of the coccyx may cause it to wobble when a person sits. This is why electrifying, paralyzing pain is experienced while sitting. It not only affects the sufferer physically, but also damages his or her social life. Since the female pelvis is broader than that of men, coccyx injuries are more commonly seen to occur in women.

• Excruciating pain in the tailbone region
• Tenderness in the tailbone region
• Severe headaches
• Constipation
• Difficulty sitting
• Painful intercourse for women
• Painful bowel movements

Pain radiates all the way from the buttocks down to the legs. If the pain lingers for over a period of 3 months, it is considered to be chronic. Sufferers are desperate to find effective pain relief measures, that will free them from the clutches of this nasty pain.

The frustrating part about the coccyx is that no treatment has been found effective enough to alleviate the pain. Most doctors tell their patients that the coccyx is still a mystery for them. However, this honest answer is even more enervating. So is there something that can be done?

The traditional forms of alleviating tailbone pain are sitting in a tub of hot water, having a nice hot bath, muscle relaxants, using electric stimulation devices, massages, and local anesthetic creams. Medication, steroid injections, antidepressants, etc., were also used in modern medicine. However, these seemed to cause more damage than doing any good.

Anti-inflammatory drugs and cortisone shots are seen to alleviate the pain temporarily, however, in the long run these drugs conduce to allergies, chronic pain, and leaky gut syndrome. The best way is to take a few measures and reduce the pressure exerted on the tailbone. These measures are as follows:

Coccyx pain can be crippling, and minimizing the amount of pressure applied on the region will help bring relief from the pain. However, for people whose jobs demand sitting on a desk for hours together, it becomes very difficult. One needs to get a well designed ergonomic chair that has a tailbone cutout in it.

This means the chair houses a cavity where your tailbone is supposed to touch the chair, so that no pressure is applied on your injured tailbone when you are seated. These chairs are custom-built, so as to fit each individual perfectly.

To reduce the amount of pressure on your lower back, get a coccyx cushion. There are different types of coccyx cushions available in the stores such as the donut cushions and wedge cushions. The donut cushions are donut-shaped with a hole in the center, while the wedge cushions are square seat pads with a triangle-shaped holes cut along one side of the square. The aim of both cushions is to reduce the amount of pressure applied on the tailbone.

Anal lock is an exercise that stimulates nerves in the sacral and coccyx regions. It not only eases the pain in the tailbone region, but also tones and strengthens the pelvic region. In this exercise, one has to contract the anal sphincter muscles gently, in the same manner as one holds his muscles when one wants to go to the toilet, but cannot go at that very moment.

For at least 8-12 seconds, one should hold the contraction as firmly as one can, without being too forceful. Your sacral, pelvic, and abdominal regions will experience the contraction. Then slowly release the contraction and take a deep breath and exhale. Carry out this procedure several times before going to bed or after waking up in the morning.

Coping with coccyx pain during pregnancy or after childbirth can be quite debilitating and can suck the joy out of the new phase in life. Pregnant women suffering from tailbone pain should not opt for vaginal delivery, but should go for cesarean section, because delivery through the vaginal canal will only put more pressure on the tailbone.

It may take weeks or even months for the pain to alleviate and disappear, however, do not get discouraged. Continue using these cushions and ergonomic chairs to make the condition more bearable.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.