Tail bone pain

Tail bone painThere are several options that effectively manage the problem of pain in the tailbone area. However, what is more important, is to identify the underlying reasons for the pain. The tailbone, referred to as the coccyx, can be responsible for some serious damage to the body structure that could be caused due to negligence of the condition. Therefore, ignoring the root cause of the pain could potentially lead to many complications.

Pain in the tailbone is medically known as coccydynia. It is a condition that is responsible for severe lower back pain and amazingly, even with the advances in medical science, is not yet completely understood by medical experts. The pain associated with the tailbone area is quite similar to a dull concentrated ache at the lower region of the backbone leading to many patients reporting severe pain, particularly whilst sitting. Doctors generally believe the majority of causes leading to tailbone pains are unknown or referred to as idiopathic. Some of the causes that have been recorded range from childbearing amongst women, trauma due to falls, and abnormal mobility of the tailbone due to infectious conditions, tumors or fractures.

Research has shown that women are more likely to experience this condition than men. Local injuries, a fall or childbirth are some of the causes of tailbone pains in women. In rare situations, an infectious condition or the existence of a tumor are also known to be responsible for pain in the tailbone. When you are affected with pain in the tailbone, it is highly recommended that you consult a doctor as soon as possible. In the event your doctor diagnoses that the tailbone is the root of the pain, several manual treatments can be used by the doctor to treat the ailment. Consult an orthopedic expert who may choose to administer anti inflammatory drugs by way of injections in order to heal this condition. There have been rare cases, where none of these alternatives proved effective. In such a situation doctors may suggest a surgery for the removal of the entire coccyx. If you are opting for surgery ensure your surgeon has enough domain experience.

There are now focused products produced to tackle this condition. These include lifestyle alternatives such as specific cushions, circular ringed seating buffers and other such products which alleviate the pressure on the tailbone whilst seated. These products are essentially supposed to be beneficial in reducing the pain and providing a more comfortable life until a cure is found. Other types of treatment that can be used to alleviate the condition include physiotherapy and epidural injections. Do remember to consult your doctor before you opt for any medications.

Cures for pain in tail bone

An ache due to a fall can sometimes last up to months, maybe even years, if not taken care of in a timely manner. If your fall is recent, you can follow certain limitations for a while to make sure the pain caused due to the injury goes away completely. For at least two weeks after your fall: do not run or indulge in heavy, strenuous exercise; do not lift any weight more than five pounds with your hands alone; do not do any heavy housework for at least two weeks; do not stand continuously for more than 20 minutes. Even if your pain goes away before the two weeks are over, follow these rules and you will have a healthy back for life. Apart from this, you can massage your back with garlic oil. If you cannot find it in the market, make it at home. Heat 15 tablespoons of olive oil till it starts smoking. Remove from the fire and throw in 20 cloves of sliced garlic. The oil will smoke furiously, sending out strong odours. Cool, strain and store this oil. You can also use mustard oil or olive oil for a massage. Lie flat on your back for 10 minutes at a time, several times during the day. If the pain is bad, you can also wrap an elastic belt around your waist to arrest it.

Tail bone or the coccyx is the last bone of the vertebral column.Tailbone pain is also called as coccygodnia it frequently affects the women more than the men and it occurs in both acute and chronic forms. Acute tailbone pain occurs after a fall on the buttocks and chronic pain occurs due to damage to the sacrococcygeal ligaments that occur due to difficult pregnancy or delivery, faulty posture while sitting, strain due to cycling or rowing. Malformation of the coccyx can also lead to pain as seen in cancer or damage to the sacrum.

People suffering from tailbone pain can have pain while sitting and while standing up, numbness in the lower part of the spine, pain and burning sensation in the rectal area and also during bowel movement, sexual intercourse and menstruation, in severe case the patient may experience pain during lying down and standing.

Certain remedies that are useful for those suffering from tailbone pain are:

  • Sitting in a tub filled with hot water for few minutes daily can bring relief from the pain.
  • Try to sleep sideward or on the stomach to reduce pressure on the affected area.
  • Wear cotton pants rather than jeans that can rub the lower back and cause irritation.
  • Apply cold press on the affected area daily several times a day.

However if the pain is unbearable, then it is advisable to consult a doctor.