This week we look at tailbone injuries… Have you ever fallen on your coccyx with such force that it causes pain to sit down, stand and even lay down?
In the video below, Dr Andrew talks about when he fractured his tailbone while snowboarding. Regardless of whether a tailbone is fractured or injured the treatment is normally the same.
Most tail bone injuries occur from trauma to the coccyx area and may result in a bruise, dislocation or fracture of the coccyx.
Although falling is the most common cause of injury to the tailbone, it can also result from
- Sitting for long periods of time
- Pregnancy
- Childbirth
- Referred pain from the back
- Repetitive activities such as cycling or rowing
When you injure your tailbone, you will experience inflammation and / or irritation that can cause additional pain and discomfort to the area. The muscles become inflamed and stiff, causing the misalignment, possibly resulting in the compression of nerves. Since there are lots of nerves in that area, it’s quite a painful area to have problems with.
If you have experienced trauma to your tailbone and it has moved out of alignment, further causing irritation to the nerves and tissues surrounding the area, we may be able to correct the misalignment and relieve some of the pain.
There are some exercises and stretches that can also help in aiding the recovery of this type of injury. By doing these exercises it helps to reduce the pain in the coccyx area as the muscles, tendons and ligaments surrounding the tailbone are stretching and strengthening.
Here in the clinic, we are experts in muscular skeletal conditions and are best to turn to if you are experiencing any pain to the coccyx. In some cases, we may request x-rays or an MRI to evaluate the severity of the injury. It is really important to know the direction and the severity of the coccyx problem otherwise you might be pushing it in the wrong direction and making it worse.
If you are unable to seek immediate treatment it is best to avoid physical activity that causes pain and just rest. It is a good idea to ice the area for 20 minutes every hour for the first 24-48 hours after the injury. Using a cushion while seated can help take pressure off the coccyx.
A bruised or sore tailbone can take 4 weeks to heal, whereas a fractured or broken tailbone can take from 8 to 12 weeks to fully heal. During this time, it is vital to rest and ensure there is no additional trauma caused to the area which will potentially cause more damage to the area further extending the time taken to heal.
So if you think you have a misaligned or fractured tailbone please give the office a call will assess it and let you know whether we can help or whether somebody else has to.
Down below is a video of Dr Andrew looking further into tail bone injuries.