How To Deal With Tailbone Injuries?
How To Deal With Tailbone Injuries?
The human tailbone, also called the coccyx, is a group of bones at the end of the spine. It is usually made up of three to five vertebrae and is fused together. When you sit down, it is the coccyx or the tailbone upon which the upper body rests. It is, in fact, the connecting point of the upper body to the lower body and attaches to the gluteus muscle. An injury to the tailbone can result in severe pain when you lie down or sit.
Common causes of tailbone injury
• Majority of women suffer from tailbone pain after pregnancy due to fracturing or injuring the tailbone.
• Bone deterioration is another major cause of having pain in the tailbone.
• Injuries to the tailbone can occur in case of a significant fall on the back like rolling down the stairs or slipping down hard on the floor.
• Car accidents too can result in injuring or breaking off the tail bone.
• Direct hit on the tailbone during contact sports can also hurt it.
• An overweight person is more likely to experience dislocation or fracture of the tailbone because the body puts more pressure on the tip of the coccyx while sitting down.
Symptoms of tailbone injury
• Pain and tenderness in the tailbone area.
• Signs of bruises on the skin in the tailbone area may be visible in case of a traumatic injury.
• There may be an increase in pain when the person sits down for long hours or puts pressure on the tailbone area.
• Bowel movements may be painful if there is a tailbone injury.
When should you seek medical treatment?
Any kind of injury that includes a direct hit on the tailbone or a fall or accident, causing hurt to the coccyx area resulting in pain should be reported to a doctor. If you have recently suffered a traumatic injury that is resulting in any of the symptoms of a tailbone injury, it is recommended that you get checked by the doctor to diagnose the pain and the extent of the injury.
Treatment of tailbone injury
A doctor recommends an X-ray examination to determine the seriousness of the injury. A physical examination and an X-ray test can confirm how serious the injury is.
Recuperation at home is also necessary to control the pain and help in the healing of the injury. It is necessary to rest and take care of yourself to avoid further injury to the tailbone. Some tips for recuperation are:
• Do not sit down with pressure on the tailbone for a long period of time.
• Do not sit down on hard surfaces that put more pressure on the tailbone.
• If you have to sit down, try leaning forward to avoid putting the pressure of your weight on the tailbone.
• Try applying ice to the tailbone three to four times a day after the injury to reduce the pain and inflammation.
• Use a pillow or cushion to sit down if you are sitting on a flat surface. A doughnut cushion is the best in this case.
• If there is extreme pain, you can go for anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen with a doctor’s permission to reduce the pain.
• Eat foods that do not cause constipation as straining would result in more pain.
