Elaine444
03-21-2008, 10:49 PM
I have been having constant pain in my tailbone since last weekend, although it has begun to improve now. It hurts to sit for very long or put any kind of pressure on it, and going to a standing position from sitting can be quite painful as well. I don't recall doing anything to cause trauma to that area, except that over the last few weeks I have started working out doing weights/strength training and cardiovascular at the gym 3x a week for 40 minutes each time. Still I can't recall doing anything at the gym that might have caused this.
I have severe osteoporosis in my spine (-3.0) and am paranoid anytime I get pain anywhere in my back. I did see my physical therapist (I see for fibromyalgia) on Thursday and mentioned it to him and he poked around and ruled out referred pain from other areas. The pain is strictly in my tailbone. He thinks it is just strain.
Has anyone ever broken or strained your tailbone? What did it feel like, what was done to treat it if anything and how long did it take to heal? I don't know if it is worth having it xrayed or if it really is just strain. It has gotten a little better but is still driving me nuts. I am just curious about others experiences. Thanks.
I have severe osteoporosis in my spine (-3.0) and am paranoid anytime I get pain anywhere in my back. I did see my physical therapist (I see for fibromyalgia) on Thursday and mentioned it to him and he poked around and ruled out referred pain from other areas. The pain is strictly in my tailbone. He thinks it is just strain.
Has anyone ever broken or strained your tailbone? What did it feel like, what was done to treat it if anything and how long did it take to heal? I don't know if it is worth having it xrayed or if it really is just strain. It has gotten a little better but is still driving me nuts. I am just curious about others experiences. Thanks.
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DesertBloom
03-22-2008, 01:29 AM
Hi Elaine: I've had this problem for years, off and on, and feel for you. Have you been doing "any" cycling, rowing or exercises that use your coccyx?
Usually this type of strain goes away by itself, but you "really" need to limit your sitting. If you have to sit use a pillow that has the cut out at the back of it or center so you aren't putting pressure directly on the tailbone.
If you have access to PT, they could do deep tissue massage, heat/ice or if you want to try a trigger point injection (of cortisone) those can help quite a bit, but everyone reacts differently to them so the relief could be for days, months, or up to a year, but I would only consider this if this goes on for a much longer time or the pain is unbearable.
This usually happens when you injure the tail bone by falling on it, or doing exercises that cause repetitive strain on that section of the spine.
The pain is usually caused by chronic inflammation to the area, so anti- inflammatories can help a lot. I like Motrin IB, but that decision would be up to you.
If the pain persists, you need to have an x-ray. Since you said it's easing up a bit, that's a good sign, but sitting for "any" length of time will make it worse. If you can't get one of the cut out pillows, make sure you sit on a firm chair; soft chairs cause your spine to put pressure on your sit bones, which in turn applies more pressure to the tail bone.
I hope it gets better, just keep an eye on it and don't do any exercises that use that part of your spine like those mentioned above and "squats". If you have "any" bladder or bowel disturbances, see a dr asap (which is not common) but something to watch out for; this only happens in severe cases, where you have a lot of trouble walking, sitting and standing and is caused from a direct trauma to the bone, like when you fall in a seated position.
Good Luck...:angel:
Usually this type of strain goes away by itself, but you "really" need to limit your sitting. If you have to sit use a pillow that has the cut out at the back of it or center so you aren't putting pressure directly on the tailbone.
If you have access to PT, they could do deep tissue massage, heat/ice or if you want to try a trigger point injection (of cortisone) those can help quite a bit, but everyone reacts differently to them so the relief could be for days, months, or up to a year, but I would only consider this if this goes on for a much longer time or the pain is unbearable.
This usually happens when you injure the tail bone by falling on it, or doing exercises that cause repetitive strain on that section of the spine.
The pain is usually caused by chronic inflammation to the area, so anti- inflammatories can help a lot. I like Motrin IB, but that decision would be up to you.
If the pain persists, you need to have an x-ray. Since you said it's easing up a bit, that's a good sign, but sitting for "any" length of time will make it worse. If you can't get one of the cut out pillows, make sure you sit on a firm chair; soft chairs cause your spine to put pressure on your sit bones, which in turn applies more pressure to the tail bone.
I hope it gets better, just keep an eye on it and don't do any exercises that use that part of your spine like those mentioned above and "squats". If you have "any" bladder or bowel disturbances, see a dr asap (which is not common) but something to watch out for; this only happens in severe cases, where you have a lot of trouble walking, sitting and standing and is caused from a direct trauma to the bone, like when you fall in a seated position.
Good Luck...:angel:
Elaine444
03-22-2008, 11:31 AM
Hi Elaine: I've had this problem for years, off and on, and feel for you. Have you been doing "any" cycling, rowing or exercises that use your coccyx?
Usually this type of strain goes away by itself, but you "really" need to limit your sitting. If you have to sit use a pillow that has the cut out at the back of it or center so you aren't putting pressure directly on the tailbone.
If you have access to PT, they could do deep tissue massage, heat/ice or if you want to try a trigger point injection (of cortisone) those can help quite a bit, but everyone reacts differently to them so the relief could be for days, months, or up to a year, but I would only consider this if this goes on for a much longer time or the pain is unbearable.
This usually happens when you injure the tail bone by falling on it, or doing exercises that cause repetitive strain on that section of the spine.
The pain is usually caused by chronic inflammation to the area, so anti- inflammatories can help a lot. I like Motrin IB, but that decision would be up to you.
If the pain persists, you need to have an x-ray. Since you said it's easing up a bit, that's a good sign, but sitting for "any" length of time will make it worse. If you can't get one of the cut out pillows, make sure you sit on a firm chair; soft chairs cause your spine to put pressure on your sit bones, which in turn applies more pressure to the tail bone.
I hope it gets better, just keep an eye on it and don't do any exercises that use that part of your spine like those mentioned above and "squats". If you have "any" bladder or bowel disturbances, see a dr asap (which is not common) but something to watch out for; this only happens in severe cases, where you have a lot of trouble walking, sitting and standing and is caused from a direct trauma to the bone, like when you fall in a seated position.
Good Luck...:angel:
Wow, thank you for such a helpful post! I have been cycling on a recumbent bike at the gym. I had no idea that involved my coccyx. I just never thought of it. I am going to switch to something else for my cardiovascular that is for sure!
I have definitely noticed the pain is much worse when I sit in a soft chair like a recliner. I have been subconciously avoiding those. I still have to get the special pillows you mentioned. My PT also mentioned those. I am a bit concerned now because I have been having bladder issues lately. I have had a few accidents over the last three weeks which are too embarassing to go into here. It just came without warning. Not a trickle either. I see a pelvic PT specialist for chronic pelvic pain issues related to my hysterectomy/endometriosis and scar tissue/adhesions and I told her about it. She was surprised becuase if anything I have very tight tense sphincter muscles down there which we have been working on. Since my pain has gotten worse (around pubic bone and where bladder is) she mentioned a possible UTI although I don't have the classic symptoms of one, and have had the bladder type pain for several years to varying degrees. It could be that exercising like I have been is triggering all this again. So frustrating because it always feels like one step forward three steps back. Argh! I guess I need to slow down (something I am not good at).
Thanks again for your help. I will get this checked out further.
Elaine
Usually this type of strain goes away by itself, but you "really" need to limit your sitting. If you have to sit use a pillow that has the cut out at the back of it or center so you aren't putting pressure directly on the tailbone.
If you have access to PT, they could do deep tissue massage, heat/ice or if you want to try a trigger point injection (of cortisone) those can help quite a bit, but everyone reacts differently to them so the relief could be for days, months, or up to a year, but I would only consider this if this goes on for a much longer time or the pain is unbearable.
This usually happens when you injure the tail bone by falling on it, or doing exercises that cause repetitive strain on that section of the spine.
The pain is usually caused by chronic inflammation to the area, so anti- inflammatories can help a lot. I like Motrin IB, but that decision would be up to you.
If the pain persists, you need to have an x-ray. Since you said it's easing up a bit, that's a good sign, but sitting for "any" length of time will make it worse. If you can't get one of the cut out pillows, make sure you sit on a firm chair; soft chairs cause your spine to put pressure on your sit bones, which in turn applies more pressure to the tail bone.
I hope it gets better, just keep an eye on it and don't do any exercises that use that part of your spine like those mentioned above and "squats". If you have "any" bladder or bowel disturbances, see a dr asap (which is not common) but something to watch out for; this only happens in severe cases, where you have a lot of trouble walking, sitting and standing and is caused from a direct trauma to the bone, like when you fall in a seated position.
Good Luck...:angel:
Wow, thank you for such a helpful post! I have been cycling on a recumbent bike at the gym. I had no idea that involved my coccyx. I just never thought of it. I am going to switch to something else for my cardiovascular that is for sure!
I have definitely noticed the pain is much worse when I sit in a soft chair like a recliner. I have been subconciously avoiding those. I still have to get the special pillows you mentioned. My PT also mentioned those. I am a bit concerned now because I have been having bladder issues lately. I have had a few accidents over the last three weeks which are too embarassing to go into here. It just came without warning. Not a trickle either. I see a pelvic PT specialist for chronic pelvic pain issues related to my hysterectomy/endometriosis and scar tissue/adhesions and I told her about it. She was surprised becuase if anything I have very tight tense sphincter muscles down there which we have been working on. Since my pain has gotten worse (around pubic bone and where bladder is) she mentioned a possible UTI although I don't have the classic symptoms of one, and have had the bladder type pain for several years to varying degrees. It could be that exercising like I have been is triggering all this again. So frustrating because it always feels like one step forward three steps back. Argh! I guess I need to slow down (something I am not good at).
Thanks again for your help. I will get this checked out further.
Elaine
Piano0105
03-22-2008, 03:01 PM
The same exact thing happened to me a few months ago. Since I'm now paranoid about fracturing, I told my rheumatologist (I also have Fibro) that I wanted an X-ray. That showed nothing broken, however, it did take about 4-6 weeks to go away. The only thing I had been doing was my usual leg lifts with 10lb weights that I've been using for 4 years without a previous problem. Once the pain was gone, I resumed the exercise without further problems.
montesflus
03-22-2008, 09:27 PM
ELAINE444 :
Hi. Regarding your bladder probs - perhaps it might be a good idea to see a urologist for that. They have special magnifying scopes to look into the bladder to see what's going on.
Hi. Regarding your bladder probs - perhaps it might be a good idea to see a urologist for that. They have special magnifying scopes to look into the bladder to see what's going on.
turtlelady
03-24-2008, 12:13 PM
Just to throw out another possibility - incontinence issues may occasionally be associated with spinal stenosis. I was having the same problem, also with pain (lumbar, in my case) accompanied by some unusual reflexes and the neurologist said it was caused by pressure on the spinal cord where the vertebral space had narrowed. Who knew? Problem mercifully disappeared entirely following surgery. Very best of luck to you!
betty48
04-13-2008, 02:10 PM
I have been having constant pain in my tailbone since last weekend, although it has begun to improve now. It hurts to sit for very long or put any kind of pressure on it, and going to a standing position from sitting can be quite painful as well. I don't recall doing anything to cause trauma to that area, except that over the last few weeks I have started working out doing weights/strength training and cardiovascular at the gym 3x a week for 40 minutes each time. Still I can't recall doing anything at the gym that might have caused this.
I have severe osteoporosis in my spine (-3.0) and am paranoid anytime I get pain anywhere in my back. I did see my physical therapist (I see for fibromyalgia) on Thursday and mentioned it to him and he poked around and ruled out referred pain from other areas. The pain is strictly in my tailbone. He thinks it is just strain.
Has anyone ever broken or strained your tailbone? What did it feel like, what was done to treat it if anything and how long did it take to heal? I don't know if it is worth having it xrayed or if it really is just strain. It has gotten a little better but is still driving me nuts. I am just curious about others experiences. Thanks.
I have severe osteoporosis in my spine (-3.0) and am paranoid anytime I get pain anywhere in my back. I did see my physical therapist (I see for fibromyalgia) on Thursday and mentioned it to him and he poked around and ruled out referred pain from other areas. The pain is strictly in my tailbone. He thinks it is just strain.
Has anyone ever broken or strained your tailbone? What did it feel like, what was done to treat it if anything and how long did it take to heal? I don't know if it is worth having it xrayed or if it really is just strain. It has gotten a little better but is still driving me nuts. I am just curious about others experiences. Thanks.
betty48
04-13-2008, 02:18 PM
I was reading some of the emails about tailbone pain. I have had tailbone pain for several years but I did fall down stairs several time and landed on my tailbone and one time I had basket full of clothes going up stairs and I had the worst pain in the area of my tailbone so I had to go to the Doctors and the end of my tailbone it had pulled away from my Coccyx and was told it would take times to reconnect its self , even know when I set it hurts and at times moves on me when I set. I have bad back and cant work.My tailbone throbs and numbness when I get up from setting it seems also that it is causing more tingeling down my legs and some numbness at times.
Elaine444
04-13-2008, 10:57 PM
Thanks for sharing betty! Come to think of it I did fall down the stairs last November but don't remember any tailbone pain with that. I didn't land on my tailbone but did land on my arm. Amazing I did not fracture anything! Your problem sounds much more painful than mine! Ouch! I sure hope things improve for you soon!
I still have the tailbone pain but not as severe as when I first posted. It is at the worst when I sit for long periods and then stand up. Really stiff and sore. I can't take a bath for more than 15 minutes now. I switched some exercises at the gym but it has made no difference. Still having the urinary incontinence issues also. Bladder infection ruled out. I just started a higher dose of hormone replacement to see if it is related to hormones. But it is possible the tailbone and incontinence problems are related. I looked up spinal stenosis and it said one of the risk factors was scoliosis. I do have scoliosis in my lower back, not severe but quite noticable. I don't have leg tingling, numbness, or pain (except knees) but do have tingling and pain in upper arms. Always assumed that was either fibromyalgia or thyroid problems (hypo). But now I wonder if that could be related to my back. So much to look into! I will update if I find anything new out. Thanks for all the suggestions!
Elaine
I still have the tailbone pain but not as severe as when I first posted. It is at the worst when I sit for long periods and then stand up. Really stiff and sore. I can't take a bath for more than 15 minutes now. I switched some exercises at the gym but it has made no difference. Still having the urinary incontinence issues also. Bladder infection ruled out. I just started a higher dose of hormone replacement to see if it is related to hormones. But it is possible the tailbone and incontinence problems are related. I looked up spinal stenosis and it said one of the risk factors was scoliosis. I do have scoliosis in my lower back, not severe but quite noticable. I don't have leg tingling, numbness, or pain (except knees) but do have tingling and pain in upper arms. Always assumed that was either fibromyalgia or thyroid problems (hypo). But now I wonder if that could be related to my back. So much to look into! I will update if I find anything new out. Thanks for all the suggestions!
Elaine