Coccydynia is nothing more than pain and discomfort located in the caudal portion of the spine (coccyx).
Coccygodynia is more commonly reported in females, due to anatomical issues of the pelvis and can be the result of trauma, repetitive injuries, postpartum, local tumors, degeneration or idiopathic nature (without known cause).
What are the causes of coccydynia?
The main cause of coccydynia is trauma, especially falling on your bottom, leading to a fracture of the coccyx, it can also be secondary to sitting for long periods on a hard surface.
It is not uncommon, however, when investigating cases of pain in the coccyx, to come across signs of instability in the coccyx region, such as hypermobility of the coccyx, which could also be another cause of pain.
Treatment
The treatment of coccydynia is most often conservative, without surgery. Decreasing the load/pressure from the coccyx using orthopedic pillows and avoiding sitting positions for too long are usually very effective measures.
In addition, analgesics and anti-inflammatories, as well as physiotherapy aimed at analgesia, coccyx manipulation techniques, relaxation and strengthening of the pelvic floor muscles.
Because there are numerous pelvic floor muscles that attach directly to the tailbone as well as pelvic joints around the tailbone, pelvic floor physiotherapy is very effective for this type of pain!
Some other tips:
- Manage your constipation and avoid hard stools, which can aggravate the tailbone
- Play with ice or heat and see if either helps you. If you use either one, limit it to ten minutes.
In cases that do not respond to these clinical measures, minimally invasive techniques such as local infiltrations with corticosteroids and anesthetics usually relieve symptoms well and are very resolving.
Tauranga Pelvic Health Physiotherapy 