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 it, injuring it 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. Tailbone or coccyx pain after childbirth, trauma or any other reason can be quite debilitating. 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.

Coccyx Pain Symptoms

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

Coccyx Pain Treatment

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 some effective tailbone pain relief that will free them from the clutches of this nasty pain. The frustrating part about 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 hot tub of 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:

Ergonomic Chairs
Coccyx pain while sitting can be crippling. Minimizing the amount of pressure applied on the region will help alleviate the painful condition and assist in the healing process of the tailbone. 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 hair houses an empty space in the region of your tailbone, 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.

Coccyx Cushion
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 cushion is a square seat pad with a triangle shaped hole 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
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 slowly take a deep breath and exhale. Carry out this procedure several times before going to bed or after waking up in the morning.

Avoid Vaginal Delivery
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 some effective pain relief to be felt. However, do not get discouraged and continue to use the cushions and ergonomic chairs to alleviate the pain.