Coccyx InjuryCoccyx pain has a bad reputation as being stubborn, treatment resistant and long lasting. Injury to the coccyx might take time to resolve, but with appropriate medical treatment, the tailbone should heal good as new. Of all the possible low back pain conditions, coccyx symptoms are so frustrating. This is because everyone knows that the coccyx serves no anatomic function and to suffer such pain in a useless piece of the body adds insult on top of already considerable injury. Coccyx Injury / Bruises
A bruise to the tailbone can be a very painful event. The coccyx is sensitive and any jarring effect is likely to resonate throughout the spine. Bruising does not require medical care, but some home based remedies are useful in relieving the pain.Ice is great for the first 24 to 48 hours, followed by heat. OTC pain management is ok, if the pain is severe. Hydrotherapy is also a good choice for a bruised tailbone. Make sure to avoid aggravating the pain by sitting or lying on your back. Even though a bone bruise is not a significant injury, the symptoms can still last for weeks. It is not uncommon for severe bruises to cause pain for 2 months or more... Coccyx Injury FracturesA fracture to the coccyx is far more serious. While physicians usually do little or nothing for this injury, it is still recommended to get checked out if you suspect a fracture to have occurred. Minor hairline fractures should heal fine without any professional intervention, but will take time.For serious
vertebral fractures
where pieces of bone have been moved from their respective proper anatomical locations, surgery (open reduction) might be necessary. The coccyx has a variable anatomy in each individual. In some people it is one solid piece of bone. In others it is segmented into 2, or more commonly, 3 pieces of bone. Remember that the coccyx can be fractured along the natural vertebral separations which will make the damage difficult to diagnose. This situation is often responsible for longterm pain where no fracture was discovered, but exists nonetheless. Recommendation on Coccyx InjuryDuring martial arts training, these types of spinal injuries are common. Judo and grappling arts are especially liable for causing many tailbone injuries among students. Luckily, during my training, I have never injured my tailbone to any real degree. It is one of the few areas of my body which has not been torn up during training…I did injure my coccyx once as a child, in the bathtub and I remember it hurting for a very long time. Maybe, I even fractured it, but never sought treatment, so I guess I will never know for sure. I do recall the pain lasting for almost a full year. If you have injured your tailbone, it would be a good idea to get an imaging study done to make sure everything will heal on its own. After that, you must simply be patient. Try to avoid activities which will aggravate the injury. Most of all, do not get used to taking pain killers, and especially prescription pain relievers, since dependency can definitely occur before the injury fully heals. Coccyx Injury to Back Pain 11/16/07 Revised 12/1/11 |
Sensei Adam Rostocki
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