Tailbone Pain - Causes, Treatment, and Stretches

Introduction

The medical term for the tailbone is the coccyx. It is the triangular-shaped bone located at the base of the spine above the buttocks. Even though the tailbone is a small size structure of the spinal cord, it has many muscles, ligaments, and tendons attached to it. Its primary function is to bear the body's weight in the sitting position. The pain in the tailbone is medically termed as coccydynia. Usually, an injury to the tailbone takes several weeks or months to heal. The treatment for the tailbone injury involves some physical stretches as instructed by the physiotherapist or physical therapist.

What Are the Causes of Tailbone Pain?

Tailbone pain has several causes some of which have unknown causes. The most common cause of tailbone pain is an injury which includes fracture, dislocation, or bruising.

Injury to the tailbone occurs due to

• Falling - A person may fall and land in a sitting position which causes trauma to the tailbone.

• Spinal Cord Surgery - A person may experience tailbone pain after spinal Surgery.

• Pregnancy and Childbirth - At the time of pregnancy the ligaments of pelvic muscles loosen and shift which causes women to experience tailbone pain. Tailbone pain appears at the time of delivery due to injury to the muscles and surrounding ligaments of the tailbone.

• Prolonged Sitting - A person may experience tailbone pain when sitting for a long period while traveling and driving vehicles. Sitting in an awkward position may also cause pain.

• Repetitive Actions - pain in the tailbone may also be caused by the activities such as cycling, rowing, and riding.

• It may also be caused by other medical conditions such as osteomyelitis, arthritis, and a tumor of the tailbone (chordoma).

What Are the Treatments for Tailbone Pain?

The tailbone pain is relieved by reducing the inflammation of muscle and easing the muscle tension. The treatment includes physical therapy that targets the pelvic floor muscles and sometimes therapists suggest conservative management for the pain which includes:

• NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

• Radiofrequency thermocoagulation.

• Hot baths.

• Psychotherapy.

• Intrarectal manipulation.

• Ring-shaped cushions.

• Ganglion blocks.

In addition, physiotherapists suggest deep breathing exercises to relieve muscle tension in the pelvic floor. Often therapists suggest exercises that manipulate the piriformis and iliopsoas muscles of the buttocks and hips to relieve the tailbone pain. Tailbone pain stretches include the following:

1. Single Leg Knee High Stretch - These stretches manipulate the piriformis and iliopsoas muscles, as a result, the muscles become tight and limit the movement of the pelvis. The piriformis muscle which originates from the tailbone, when inflamed can sometime cause sciatica nerve pain. The procedure for this stretch is

• The person should lie on their back and bend one knee towards their chest.

• If tolerable, the person's feet should be extended straight outwards.

• The person should hold on to the bent knee and gently put down the knee to the chest.

• The position should be held on for about 30 seconds and then the other side should be repeated in the same way.

2. Figure 4 Stretch - This stretch manipulates the piriformis muscles as well as the glutes. The glutes are attached to the tailbone, in activities like walking and running the glutes pull the tailbone. The procedure is:

• Lie down on their back and raise their knees towards the ceiling and their feet flat on the floor.

• The person should bend their left leg towards the body and rest the ankle of the same leg across the right knee.

• Then the person should loop their hands around the right thigh and gently push their right leg towards the chest for 30 seconds.

• The same procedure should be followed on the opposite leg.

3. Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch - This stretch is performed if the pain in the tailbone is caused by prolonged sitting. The hip muscle which is the iliopsoas muscle is responsible for the flexion of the hip. The procedure is:

• Kneel on one leg while being upright and keep the other leg’s foot flat on the floor. The thighs should be at 90 degrees to the shin.

• The shin and knee should be placed backward, bent, resting on the floor and the toes on the floor facing down.

• By placing the chest upright, the hands should be rested on the hips for stability.

• The person should tuck the pelvis and lean forward slightly. Hold the position for about 20 - 30 seconds and then repeat on the other side.

4. Kneel and Twist Stretch - This stretch manipulates the iliopsoas muscles. It helps in improving the mobility of the lower back.

• Follow the first step of kneeling hip flexor stretch. By placing the chest upright, the person should raise their arms to shoulder length, out from the body.

• The person should focus on tucking the shoulder blades down to prevent them from raising. Except for the head, arms, and legs, the body parts should be rotated slowly until the arms are in the line with the legs and then gently rotate to the opposite side.

• This should be repeated 4 to 5 times.

5. Pigeon’s Pose - This stretch manipulates the iliopsoas and glutes. It is contraindicated in persons with knee problems. It is performed instead of the Figure 4 stretch.

• The person should begin with all four hands placed to the front of the shoulders.

• Then they should bring their left knee forward and place it slightly behind the left hand and the ankle should point toward the right hip bone.

• The person should slide their right leg back and keep it straight by placing their thighs facing down towards the floor.

• Then their body should be lowered forward and rest on the folded arms to increase the stretch if possible.

• Then the person should hold the position for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.

6. Child’s Pose - This pose is a type of yoga pose that lengthens the spine and eases lower back pain and targets the muscles of the hip and pelvic floor. The procedure is

• The person should begin with the kneeling position with the knees apart and sitting on the heels.

• Both hands should be placed on the floor and gently slide their arms and body forward by facing the head down.

• Then the body should be shifted slowly forward by extending the arms fully and holding the position for 20 - 30 seconds.

Conclusion

Tailbone pain can be relieved by various treatment modalities depending on the underlying cause. Pain relief can improve the quality of life for people. Tailbone problems can also be prevented by moving throughout the day instead of prolonged sitting. Reaching out to the physiotherapist to perform tailbone stretches to relieve pain is the best choice of treatment. Performing physiotherapy exercises under the supervision of a physical therapist may be beneficial as some people may experience pain while exercising due to improper positions. Doctors recommend purchasing back stretcher for lower back pain relief to relieve tailbone pain.