What is Coccydynia
Coccydynia is pain around or actually in the area of the tailbone, otherwise known as the coccyx.
Many times, there are idiopathic or unknown causes of coccydynia. Other causes include excessive or abnormal tailbone mobility, trauma from childbirth or falls or in rare cases, fractures, tumors or infections.
What are Coccydynia Symptoms?
Coccydynia symptoms include pain when there is applied pressure to the tailbone like when seated on a chair that is hard. Usually, when pressure is relieved, symptoms usually improve when walking or standing.
Other included symptoms are a deep ache in the tailbone region, pain when sexual intercourse occurs, pain in movements of the bowel, severe or immediate pain when moving from being seated to standing up.
How is Coccydynia diagnosed?
The diagnosis of coccydynia will require a thorough physical exam and medical history exam. It is significant to notice any specific injury whether in the past or just recently. A prolonged labor history or injury in childbirth needs to be taken not of.
A thorough palpation or inspection of this region is necessary to detect any masses that are abnormal or infections which are known as abscesses.
A coccyx lateral x-ray is done to assist in the detection of any coccygeal significant pathology like when fracturing is present.
Your physician or provider of health care may need to order tests that are more sophisticated such as an MRI or magnetic resonance imaging, CT scans or an area bone scan if this is indicated clinically.
What Is Involved in Coccydynia Treatment?
Often, treatment for coccydynia consists of naproxen or ibuprofen which are NSAIDs or anti-inflammatory and non-steroidal drugs which is a conservative form of treatment.
Also, using a sitting cushion that is therapeutic to take off the tailbone pressure when seated is recommended. This may take months or even just weeks of conservative treatments before relief from pain that is significant is felt.
The Spine Institute of Cleveland Clinic may make a referral regarding engineering biomedical seating cushions for construction and customized measurement. This is designed specifically to provide an area in the surface of sitting that is ‘open.’ To promote healing, it also shifts the weight away from the tailbone.
For the treatment of coccydynia, your provider of health care may consider physical therapy. This could make an inclusion of ligament stretching exercises. Ligaments are the tissue in a joint that connects one bone to another. These also strengthen the muscles that support it. Other modalities such as ultrasound, massage and heat could be utilized as well.
To alleviate pain and move the coccyx back into the right position, coccygeal manipulation can also be used.
In rare cases, surgery which is called a coccygyectomy for the coccyx removal becomes a consideration. This only occurs in cases which are severe such as when there is no coccydynia pain control that results from conservative extensive management. The main associated risks with surgeries are problems with wound healing and infection. There are also great risks that surgeries will not cause relief of pain.
Anxiety and depression may occur especially if there has been prolonged feelings of pain and should be treated with aggression.
John Dembly has used a coccyx pain cushion to help coccyx pain. To see if a coccyx pillow can help you please visit: http://coccyxcushionuk.co.uk
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