A sore tailbone can be indicative of several things. It can be the effect of an injury or be a sign of degenerative disc disorder. No matter what the cause of coccydynia may be, it can be painful and debilitating. Fortunately, there are treatment options available that help eases the suffering. Chiropractic care and the adjustment of the spine can alleviate tailbone pain and improve mobility.
To get started, this guide will address coccydynia by identifying its causes, symptoms, and treatment options. After you’ve read it, you’ll feel prepared to deal with tailbone pain in a positive and proactive way. You can reduce the amount of suffering that you experience by practicing regular self-care and seeking treatment from a chiropractor that is trained to deal with coccydynia.
Coccydynia Explained
At the bottom of the spinal column resides a bone known as the coccyx. It’s a triangle in shape and can become bruised or fractured. The condition known as coccydynia is pain in the coccyx, which is also known as the tailbone. Increased pressure on that area of the body from sitting aggravates the condition and causes people great pain. Moving the body by standing up and walking takes the pressure off the tailbone and provides temporary relief.
Desk workers who spend a lot of time in sedentary positions often experience coccydynia, particularly if the chairs that they sit in don’t have ample cushioning. If you work at a desk or sit a lot because of the classes you take at school, it can benefit you to invest in a doughnut-like cushion that provides padding between your tailbone and the chair. It can be a big help in preventing coccydynia from existing or worsening if you’re already experiencing pain at the bottom of your spine.
Now that you understand what coccydynia is, it’s best to learn what causes it. That way, if you have the chance to avoid it, you can. If you’re already experiencing tailbone pain, you can take steps to keep the condition from worsening. Having the ability to manage your pain in an effective and accessible way benefits you physically, emotionally, and financially.
Causes of Coccydynia
Tailbone pain manifests in the body for different reasons. Learning the causes of coccydynia can help people prevent the issue from occurring in the lower back. People experiencing coccydynia can get the relief that they deserve by seeking immediate medical care when tailbone pain is persistent.
Some of the most common causes of coccydynia include:
- Sitting too long without standing up or walking. Persistent pressure on the lower part of the spinal column can cause bruising to the coccyx. If you work at a desk and notice that standing up, stretching, or walking makes your tailbone feel better, it could be coccydynia that you’re dealing with today.
- Falling and landing on the tailbone with force. Trauma to the tailbone can be painful. Even if there isn’t bruising present, inflammation can cause coccydynia pain to be unbearable. Seeking medical attention for even a small fall should be considered.
- Degenerative disc disease. When the discs disintegrate, pain is inevitable. Working with your primary care provider and chiropractor to come up with a treatment plan that doesn’t cause you additional pain is advisable.
- Pregnancy. The excess weight that you carry while pregnant can put extra pressure on your coccyx. Working with a chiropractor who can prescribe stretches and exercises that you do while carrying a child is vital to your comfort level.
- Being overweight. Again, extra weight can cause you to sit uncomfortably, causing bruising to your coccyx. Focusing on diet and exercise along with your doctor’s prescribed treatment methods should help you feel better fast.
- Being underweight. Too much pressure on your tailbone can be very problematic if you’re underweight. Your body doesn’t have enough cushioning to protect the coccyx from bruising when sitting for long periods of time. Investing in a good seat cushion can help but you may also need other forms of treatment to alleviate the pain long-term.
Treatment options prescribed by medical professionals have temporary and long-lasting effects on tailbone pain. You can take a recommendation given to you by your primary care physician or physical therapist and apply it to your everyday living situation. The symptoms that are mentioned in the next section of the guide can be alleviated or reduced in a manner that makes day-to-day living more comfortable and convenient.
Symptoms of Coccydynia
Experiencing symptoms of tailbone pain doesn’t necessarily mean that you have coccydynia. Seeking medical assistance for persistent pain is important because it allows a proper diagnosis to occur. Without it, you can be in excruciating pain without learning what the root cause of the issue is currently.
Some symptoms of coccydynia that you may be experiencing include aching or burning in the tailbone, pain using the bathroom, discomfort during intercourse, and aching or tingling in the thighs or buttocks. The severity of pain varies from person to person. That’s why it’s important for anyone experiencing symptoms of coccydynia to speak openly with a medical professional about their situation. Getting the help that’s needed to treat coccydynia effectively involves detailed accounts of what the patient experiences in the tailbone area of their bodies.
Coccydynia is a condition that can be treated, so if you’re having one or more of the symptoms affiliated with tailbone pain, it’s imperative that you see your primary care physician and chiropractor for further instruction. You don’t want to experience bowel issues or mobility issues long-term because you didn’t have coccydynia treated correctly.
How Chiropractors Treat Coccydynia
In addition to the prescription medication your primary care physician has prescribed to you, there are other options that can be part of your coccydynia treatment plan. For example, chiropractic care can be very beneficial. If you haven’t had it before, you should give it a try as another possible solution to alleviating tailbone pain long-term. If you don’t have degenerative disc disease and instead have a bruised tailbone, you may find that adjustment of the spine is the best treatment for you.
There are many ways that chiropractors treat coccydynia. Among the most common treatments include:
- Spinal adjustments. Chiropractors are spine experts. They know how to adjust the spinal column in a way that releases pressure. They may need to warm up the area first with a massage gun. Then, using their hands and tools of their trade, they’re able to adjust the spine in ways that give you relief from coccydynia.
- Massage therapy. Applying gentle pressure to the afflicted area of pain can relieve some of the symptoms of coccydynia. A chiropractor knows the spine better than any other medical professional. If they recommend massage therapy, they’ll let you know what kind of practice it entails and how often you should have it done to treat your tailbone pain.
- Stretching. Sedentary people find great relief from their symptoms by engaging in gentle stretches that relieve pressure on the spine and tailbone. Your chiropractor will let you know what they recommend in terms of exercise and give you a series of movements you can do at home and work to keep coccydynia pain mild. That way, you’re never suffering from tailbone pain for long.
- Assistive devices. Cushions can ease the pain of coccydynia. It can be a great help to invest in the kind that your chiropractor recommends. Adding a good cushion to your chair and using it along with the other treatment options recommended to you helps minimize tailbone pain. It makes it possible for you to feel better faster because you have fewer symptoms working against you.
Rather than sit with your pain in silence, there are options for you to consider. Chiropractors make it possible to alleviate tailbone pain through spinal adjustment. They prescribe to the theory that relieving the pressure in the area of the spine affected provides a physical and emotional release. It’s very common for the body to detox after chiropractic services. Note that you may feel flu-like symptoms after having your spine manipulated, but they’re often mild in comparison to the pain that you’re currently feeling in your tailbone.
Receive Pain-Relieving Care from a Chiropractor Today
Seeking chiropractic care is easy, especially when you have a referral from your primary care physician. Setting up a consultation with a doctor of chiropractic services is the first step in getting relief from the pain you feel often in your tailbone. Calling the chiropractor’s office to book your first appointment is among the most effective ways of dealing with ongoing tailbone pain. Spinal adjustment provides great relief immediately, making it one of the best options for people with coccydynia to treat tailbone pain.
Receiving a personal treatment plan from your chiropractor helps you know how many treatments you’ll require based on the level of pain that you’re experiencing in your tailbone. Your medical history is considered along with your activity levels and the type of profession in which you work. Ongoing stress to the spine can result in mobility issues, which is why you should seek treatment for coccydynia right away.
Recent Comments