Broken TailboneWhile most people have a coccyx which follows the natural curvature of their spine and stays mostly tucked away from harm, other persons feature a prominent coccyx which might be prone to injury. The coccyx is known as a location which is problematic to treat for
chronic pain
conditions and often involves long-term unresolved symptomatic complaints. At least when a fracture is positively diagnosed, the reason for the symptoms should be obvious, unlike many idiopathic coccyx conditions. Broken Tailbone Condition
Actual
fractures
are rare in a normal coccyx. Bruising is far more likely from trauma, such as a fall or
sports
injury. In order to fracture a normal healthy coccyx, there must be significant and concentrated force applied, typically at a certain angle to the bone. Even if a break is present, it is most likely to be a hairline crack or simple fracture at the site of a natural seam between fused coccygeal vertebral bones. The next most common occurrence is a chip type break at the very tip of the coccyx. Serious, complex or compound fractures rarely occur in the coccyx region, although they can be a medical emergency if they do exist. Broken Tailbone RecoveryEven if a fracture does exist in the coccyx, it should heal all by itself. Surgical reduction is rarely used to treat a fractured coccyx, since the bones will usually heal fine on their own. Getting past the months of residual pain can be a trial, but eventually, the symptoms should resolve completely.Patients with chronic coccyx pain, which has been blamed on a fracture, must investigate if the bones have actually healed or not before proceeding with further treatment. In a few cases, there may be a problem with the healing process or the way the bones have rejoined. In other cases, pain may endure when all seems perfectly healed. In ongoing expressions, the true cause may be a mindbody process which has conveniently used the fracture as a trigger for pain to continue even after the actual injury is resolved. The tailbone is a common location for
psychological back pain,
and related symptoms, which explains why so many coccyx pain complaints are so
treatment resistant.
Remember, broken bones will heal and should not cause permanent pain syndromes to exist in most cases. Recommendation on a Broken TailboneIf you are among the many who have endured a fractured tailbone or even some other form of coccyx pain, take heart. Your pain should heal with time and/or treatment. The coccyx is a notoriously slow structure to heal, but eventually will become good as new in most patients.If your pain continues beyond a year, or worsens, there is a good chance that your pain is coming from a different source. In these circumstances, new diagnostic evaluation is advised to be sure there are no other structural conditions which may be causative. If not, some patients have found lasting relief using a different approach to care, like knowledge therapy. Remember that a coccyx injury might just be a trigger mechanism for some psycho-emotional process to begin. The injury heals, but the mind perpetuates the pain. This is a very common clinical profile of chronic tailbone pain. Broken Tailbone to Back Pain 2/4/08 Revised 1/27/12 |
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