In general, there are usually doubts about whether coccyx pain should be treated with medication, therapy or simply waiting for it to pass over time and at Men’s Health we try to resolve these doubts with the help of specialists in the field.
Mayo Clinic specialists say that while tailbone pain may be uncomfortable, it will go away on its own in a matter of a few months. Meanwhile, there are some steps you can take to reduce pain.
But you should also keep in mind that, if the pain lasts more than two months, or if it worsens despite the care, you need to go to your doctor to assess the situation.
WHAT IS IT?
The coccyx, or rump, is the bone structure at the end of the spinal column that helps support the pelvic floor.
This type of pain is known as “coccydynia” and people who suffer from it usually feel dull pain in or around the area.
The pain can become more acute or intense after sitting or standing for a long time, having sex, urinating, or even defecating.
According to Dr. David Bell, Mayo Clinic Community Internal Medicine specialist, there are several situations that can lead to pain of this type.
WHAT CAUSES COXY PAIN?
Commonly, the pain is a consequence of an injury resulting from the trauma suffered during a fall. Tailbone pain can also occur after sitting on a hard surface for a very long period of time or in a poorly adjusted or moving seat.
In other cases, pain may also be caused by changes in sitting posture that come with obesity or old age.
It should be noted that this condition is rarely a consequence of something more serious, such as an infection, a benign tumor or cancer.
HOW TO TREAT COXY PAIN?
Generally, this discomfort does not require any medical treatment. However, when sitting, it is recommended to try the following to decrease pain:
Sit completely straight, keeping your back firmly supported by the chair, with your knees at the same level as your hips, your feet on the floor and your shoulders relaxed.
Mayo Clinic specialists tell us that while it is best to avoid settling on hard surfaces, an overly padded surface can cause you to sink unnaturally and painfully, which is also not ideal.
For this reason, it is best to choose a chair that is supportive and has moderate padding.
If the pain is not relieved by these changes, the option is to lean forward while sitting to redistribute the weight. Sitting on a cushion with a hole in the center or on a V-shaped wedge can also help to redistribute the weight so as not to rest everything on the painful area.
How to relieve back pain?
OTHER WAYS TO CALM COXY PAIN
Other ways you can help your body feel relief from that pain are by applying heat or ice to the painful area and taking over-the-counter pain relievers.
Continue doing these techniques until the pain goes away. In many cases it decreases until it disappears over the course of several weeks or months and only a minority is the one that lasts the longest.
However, if your pain lasts more than two months or worsens even when you are already following these measures, go to your trusted doctor to carry out the necessary evaluation and thus rule out other possible causes.
In the case of chronic coccyx pain, it is worth consulting with a specialist in pain medicine or physical medicine and rehabilitation.
If necessary, chronic pain management may include learning techniques to relax the pelvic floor, receiving physical therapy, or undergoing coccyx manipulation that is normally done through the rectum.
An injection of anesthetic and corticosteroids can also help you in severe or persistent cases. These injections are usually administered by an anesthesiologist or some other pain management expert.
As a last resort to remove this pain and only in severe cases is considered a surgical intervention. This due to the possibility of suffering considerable complications.
