Understanding Tailbone Pain
If you have pain in your lower back near your rear end that makes it hurt to sit down, you may have coccyx (tailbone) pain. The coccyx is a small, triangle-shaped bone at the end of your spine, right above the cleft of your buttocks. Sometimes the cause of tailbone pain is obvious, like a fall or going through labor and childbirth. Other times, tailbone pain can come on more subtly, resulting from issues with your pelvic floor muscles or other musculoskeletal issues.
Women are 5X more likely than men to suffer from tailbone pain. This can be a real pain in the “butt”, but lifestyle changes and exercises can treat it.
Symptoms of Tailbone Pain
• Sharp or dull and achy pain in your bottom, directly over your tailbone
• Tailbone or buttock pain with sitting or standing for long periods, or with changing positions
• Pain with bowel movements
• Pain with intercourse
Causes of Tailbone Pain
• Falling onto your back or bottom
• Repetitive pressure or strain to the area (e.g, prolonged sitting, biking)
• Sitting on hard surfaces
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Constipation
• Degeneration from arthritis or bone spurs
Tailbone Pain and Your Pelvic Floor
Your pelvic floor muscles (a bowl-shaped group of muscles that nestles like a hammock at the bottom of your pelvis) all attach at the tailbone. Issues with these muscles (such as spasms) can pull the tailbone out of alignment and cause discomfort. Alignment issues with your pelvis and low back or posture-related strain can also cause tailbone pain. Your Zanskar Health physical therapist can customize your exercise plan to address tailbone pain related to musculoskeletal issues.
Do these exercises to improve the mobility of your coccyx and relax your pelvic floor that may be pulling on your coccyx
1. Piriformis Stretch
2. Hamstring Stretch
3. Child’s Pose
4. Ilipsoas Stretch
Other Tips for Managing Tailbone Pain
• Use a pillow when sitting to help relieve pressure on this area. Any pillow with good cushioning is fine, no need to buy special cushions with cut-outs.
• Take frequent breaks when sitting, and try to seat leaning forward
• Apply ice or heat to the area
• Change your sleeping position. Try sleeping on your side instead of your back.
• Prevent constipation by staying hydrated, eating high-fiber foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and legumes), exercising, and taking stool softeners as needed.
• Practice diaphragmatic (belly) breathing, which can help relax a tight pelvic floor.
• Take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication (NSAID) like ibuprofen as needed (if approved by your doctor).
If making these adjustments and doing your physical therapy exercises doesn’t improve your pain, speak with your doctor about other medication or surgery (which is rarely required).
Key Takeaways
1. The coccyx (or tailbone) is a small, triangle-shaped bone at the end of your spine, right above the cleft of your buttocks.
2. Tailbone pain can be due to an obvious reason (like a fall on your bottom) or a more subtle reason (like a pelvic floor problem).
3. Pelvic floor physical therapy can be very effective for tailbone pain because it addresses an issue with the pelvic floor muscles (which attach to the tailbone) when they pull the tailbone out of alignment.
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Medical Review: This article is written by Dr Nishtha Mittal (Senior Health Content Editor at Zanskar Health) and has been medically reviewed by Dr Rashi Goel (Senior Physiotherapist at Zanskar Health). This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.
