You can develop tailbone pain without injury, which can affect your daily life. To treat it, you need to get to the root of the problem. Adopt a good posture, and modify your routine to get the results you need.
Do you get sharp pains every time you put pressure on the coccyx? Do you find yourself changing your posture when you are trying to sleep or sit? Damage to the tailbone area can be excruciatingly painful.
Although the tailbone is quite small in size, it can do a lot for the body. It’s a critical component of the pelvis because it’s where many tendons, ligaments, and muscles attach. It also provides weight support when you sit and helps you control your bowels.
For most patients, it takes a few months for the injured spot to heal. Yet, for others, it can take longer than that. But, the question many people have is “What causes tailbone pain without injury?”.
The guide below can answer all your queries.
What Is Tailbone Pain?
The coccyx, also known as the tailbone, is a small triangular bone located at the bottom of the lumbar spine after the sacrum. The bone is right between the butt cheeks in line with the lumbar spine. It is about 2.5 cm (less than 1 inch) long and has a curved surface.
Coccydynia means pain in the coccyx. You can feel sharp, dull, or throbbing aches just above the buttocks. The aches can range from mild to severe. The sensations usually happen due to an injury. But, tailbone pain without injury can also occur.
How Do You Know If You Have Tailbone Pain?
Based on studies, a telltale sign of coccydynia is localized pain over the tailbone. The aches can get worse when you sit for a long time, lean back while sitting, try to stand up from sitting, or you are standing for an extended period.
The area can also feel painful when you have sex or a bowel movement.
You can recognize the tailbone pain from the following symptoms:
- Throbbing or dull pain that is similar to a muscle spasm
- Stabbing or sharp aches
- Tenderness over the coccyx
- Rectum pain
- Bladder or bowel problems
Other signs in patients with coccydynia can include:
- Depression
- Problems with sleep
- Anxiety
- Bone pain
- Sciatica
- Back pain
What Causes a Painful Tailbone?
Many things can damage your tailbone like a dislocation or fracture, increase in body weight, and serious malignancies. Some of the triggers are listed below.
1. Trauma or Injury
The tailbone is home to many ligaments and muscles. An injury to any of these muscles and ligaments can cause a painful tailbone.
There are times when you might have a fall while trying to stack some shelves, and this can cause injury to the structures around your tailbone resulting in strains or inflammation. Usually, this leads to a bruised tailbone, but depending on the severity of the injury, it can also lead to a cracked tailbone.
2. Sitting on a Hard Surface
Wondering what causes tailbone pain without injury? Do you use a firm bench or wooden chair a lot?
If you sit on a very hard surface for a long time, it can press on nerves and even cause sore spots. Over time, this pressure can lead to discomfort and pain.
3. Childbirth
The tailbone is positioned in such a way that makes it prone to internal injury when giving birth, especially in a difficult delivery.
Based on studies, dislocations and fractures of the tailbone often lead to coccydynia and bruised tailbone.
4. Hemorrhoids
When the tissues around hemorrhoids swell up or get bigger, they make the muscles around the tailbone pull harder. This extra pulling moves the tailbone, which makes the tailbone hurt.
5. Your Weight
Being overweight or obese makes you prone to coccydynia.
The extra body weight bears down on your tailbone, hip bones, and sacrum. This pressure forces the coccyx to lean backward and trigger pain. You can also expect some soreness in the affected area.
So, if you want to know what causes tailbone pain without injury, check your BMI. Try to maintain a healthy body weight so you won’t put too much pressure on your pelvic floor.
6. Chordoma
Chordoma is a slow-growing, but locally aggressive and invasive tumor.
According to experts, about 50% of chordomas form at the sacrum or base of the spine. Patients with sacral chordoma develop recurring tailbone pain or pain in the back.
If you are asking “What causes tailbone pain without injury?”, this could be one of them.
7. Prostate Cancer
When prostate cancer spreads to the bones and invades the tailbone, it can cause serious pain and great discomfort. This is a rare distant metastasis that affects your quality of life.
8. Pilonidal Cyst
A pilonidal cyst is a pocket that forms in the skin and often holds hair and debris. These cysts typically develop near the tailbone at the upper part of the buttocks.
They usually happen when hair breaks through the skin and gets stuck inside. If this cyst gets infected, it can cause a lot of pain. Doctors might need to make a small cut in the skin to drain the cyst.
How Many People Have Tailbone Pain?
According to studies, about 1% to 3% of lower back pain is due to coccydynia. Coccydynia is 5 times more prevalent in female than male patients. Traumatic childbirth is a predominant risk factor, with a prevalence rate of 4% to 15%.
It’s also more frequently seen in teenagers and adults rather than in children. In some cases, rapid weight loss can increase the likelihood of tailbone pain. Mainly because the body has less mechanical cushioning.
Internal or external injuries increase the risk of coccydynia. You can develop bone pain if you dislocate, break, or bruise the tailbone.
How to Get Relief from Tailbone Pain
To alleviate tailbone pain, address the root cause. At times, home remedies provide relief. If they don’t help, your doctor may recommend surgical or non-surgical treatment.
In 90% of patients, at-home treatments prove useful. Some of these include:
- A warm bath for boosting blood flow and relaxing the muscles.
- Apply a hot or cold pack to the affected area for 20-30 min a day.
- Use extra cushioning when sitting, like a donut pillow with high-density foam.
- Use NSAIDs for swelling and pain relief.
- Take stool softeners for easier bowel movement.
There is also another option for you to try. The Flexoplex Joint and Bone Supplement can boost every aspect of your joint health. It is here to curb the inflammation, manage the stiffness, and promote natural lubrication.
You can rely on this joint supplement when you want to take the overall health of your joints to a completely different level. It comes with a potent formula that can help in the long run.
But, if the tailbone pain is moderate to severe and doesn’t go away, then your doctor may suggest:
- Massage
- Coccygeal nerve block (an injection)
- Physical therapy
- TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)
- Acupuncture
- Surgery
Stretches and Exercises to Ease Symptoms
A 2017 report indicates that patients with coccydynia felt better after they did specific exercises and tailbone stretches. They improved the flexibility of the middle section of the spine and stretched the muscles in their hips and buttocks.
To get some relief, you can try:
- Child’s pose
- Kneel & twist
- Kneeling hip flexor stretch
- Pigeon’s pose
Consult with a doctor to find the best exercise or stretch that is perfect for your range of motion.
FAQ’s
Is tailbone pain serious?
Pain in the tailbone can subside on its own. Although home treatments usually help, it is best to get it checked. If you haven’t had a fall, and the tailbone is not broken or dislocated, then the pain could be from prolonged sitting or bad posture.
But, if you have another health issue or hurt the area in any way, it’s useful to know how to treat it so as not to aggravate the site.
How should I sleep with tailbone pain?
It can be difficult to sleep with a bruised tailbone. Here are a couple of options for you to try. Lie on your side with a pillow between your legs. If that’s not comfortable enough, lie on your back with a pillow under your knees.
Also, try to relax before you go to sleep. A warm shower or a bath can ease the tension in the muscles and calm the mind. Drinking herbal tea, like chamomile, can induce sedation and make it easier for you to fall asleep.
Is walking good or bad for tailbone pain?
When the symptoms subside, you can start doing some light activities. Walking can help, as long as you don’t overdo it. Tailbone stretches can also prove useful as they promote circulation, flexibility, and mobility.
Wrap Up
The coccyx is a delicate bone. You can develop tailbone pain without injury, which can affect your daily life. To treat it, you need to get to the root of the problem. Follow your doctor’s recommendation, adopt a good posture, and modify your routine to get the results you need.