The coccyx and pelvis constantly hurt. Treatment. Pain in the coccyx or in the coccyx area - causes, characteristics, treatment methods. Pain in the tailbone: causes

Why does the tailbone hurt? People rarely ask themselves this question, because it rare pathology. Of all the problems spinal column it takes up only 1%. In this case, the pain is barely noticeable or completely deprives the person of the ability to move normally. Often this symptom indicates the development of a serious illness. In another way, this pathological condition is called coccydynia.

Coccydynia is most often observed in women 40-60 years old. Although it is also diagnosed in children and men. It is difficult to determine the exact location of the source of pain in coccydynia. The sensations radiate to other parts of the body.

The functions of the coccyx are:

  1. It is attached to the sacral part of the spine using a low-moving joint. This fixation allows the bones to move apart during labor activity in a woman.
  2. Muscles and ligaments that participate in the functionality of certain departments are attached to the front of this bone. genitourinary system and large intestine.
  3. In the presented area there is great amount nerve endings that extend to internal organs. Therefore, we can talk about the vagueness of symptoms.

The coccyx is considered a vestige of the tail. U modern man he does not carry out any significant function for the body. However, it may bother you painful sensations. This is due to the fact that there are also many nerve cell endings at the location of the coccyx

Even a minor injury or injury can cause quite severe pain, especially if nerves are damaged or pinched by muscles. If the cause of coccydynia is not determined in time, the patient will develop complications (osteochondrosis). The development of neoplasms is also possible.

Characteristics and classification of pain

According to the ICD classification, there is pain in the coccyx, false coccydynia, and anorectal pain. In all cases discomfort are localized in the specified area. First of all, the following types of pain are distinguished:

  1. Primary. Here the discomfort is caused by damage to the coccyx itself or the development of pathological processes in it.
  2. Secondary. The severe pain that the patient feels occurs due to damage to neighboring internal organs.

What is coccydynia? Watch the video below for more details:

In addition, pain is classified according to the factor that causes it:

  • Vertebrogenic. After damage to the coccyx, they become pinched nerve endings which causes pain.
  • Myodystrophic. It is caused by inflammation in muscle tissue pelvic floor, due to which pathological passage occurs nerve impulses.
  • Inflammatory.
  • Post-traumatic. This type of pain occurs due to mechanical damage to the coccyx.

Therapy is prescribed depending on the type of coccydynia. However, this must be done by a doctor.

Causes of pain in the coccyx and negative factors

Pain in the coccyx does not appear just like that; it is provoked by external or internal negative factors. Treatment of coccydynia cannot be started without identifying the causes pathological condition. So, pain in the coccygeal region is caused by the following reasons:

  • Weakening of the muscles and ligaments in the perineum. The problem is typical for older people. Here the internal organs descend and put pressure on the tailbone. In women, for example, the vagina and uterus descend, bladder, even the rectum.
  • Coccyx cyst. It develops as a result of exposure pathogenic microorganisms V coccygeal tract. Initially, coccydynia may not manifest itself in any way.
  • Hernia. Develops as a result excessive load. In this case, symptoms may simply not appear for a long time. If the situation worsens, then the person not only has a sore tailbone, but also a feeling of numbness in the limbs, as well as other signs (impaired urination, defecation).
  • Neuritis. The tailbone also hurts due to inflammation of the nerves. Unpleasant sensations also spread to those organs that are innervated by nerve endings. Neuralgia is characterized by the appearance of unpleasant sensations slightly above the tailbone.

Hernia intervertebral disc is one of the causes of pain in the tailbone

  • Osteoarthritis of the articulation of the bones of the coccyx and sacrum. With physical inactivity after 30 years, it can become immobile and ossification begins. In this case, both the ligaments and the plexus of nerves are affected. If they are injured, coccydynia occurs.
  • Myositis.
  • Osteochondrosis. Here, thinning of the cartilage occurs, a decrease in the clearance between the vertebrae, and damage to the intervertebral disc. In this case, a person experiences pain radiating to the buttock, lower back, and sacrum.
  • Constipation. The tailbone hurts especially often if this problem has become chronic. The patient, in order to go to the toilet, is forced to very strongly strain the pelvic muscles. As a result, coccydynia occurs. Constant diarrhea also leads to the same consequences. It hurts most often under the tailbone.
  • Injury. This factor is considered the most common. Injury occurs when struck or falls from a height. Moreover, the damaged part hurts after some time, so at first the person does not attach any importance to it. At the doctor's appointment, he may not remember the injury. The victim may fall on his buttock. In this case, a dislocation or fracture of the indicated place occurs.

Elena Malysheva and her colleagues in the program “Live Healthy!” talk about the causes of coccygeal pain, modern methods diagnosis and treatment:

  • Surgery if it is performed in the rectum or perineum area. After surgical procedure Scars remain at the incision sites, causing tissue deformation. This causes coccydynia. Here pain in the tailbone appears when a person tries to stand up.
  • Organ pathologies. Anococcygeal pain syndrome appears. This group of diseases includes bone fractures and paraproctitis (inflammation in the rectum). With hemorrhoids, the tailbone hurts due to the appearance of lumps. Discomfort affects the entire pelvic area. If discomfort is observed when bending over, this indicates problems with bladder, intestines, uterus.
  • Pathologies reproductive system. In men most often pain symptoms in the coccyx provokes prostatitis. In women, vulvovaginitis and parametritis become such a factor. This also includes oophoritis, endometritis, urethritis. In this case there appear nagging pain. Such a pathology is endometriosis, which is manifested not only by pain, but also by the fact that a woman’s menstruation is disrupted, there are pulling sensations lower abdomen.
  • Tumor of the pelvic bones.
  • . During this period, a woman undergoes strong changes.

  • Spondylitis. It develops due to bacteria entering the vertebral body through the blood. Wherein bone capable of dying completely.
  • Stress, significant emotional experiences.
  • Clothes are too tight.

The following factors can also provoke pain in the coccyx: prolonged sitting position, in women (large fetus or narrow pelvis), constant nervous breakdowns or stress. Constant cycling, as well as horse riding, can cause damage to the coccyx.

Symptoms of pathology

Coccydynia has its own characteristic manifestations:

  • Pain. It can be short-term or long-term. Her character is also different. Discomfort often appears after walking, running, or sitting. Sometimes the tailbone hurts for no reason.
  • Localization of unpleasant sensations. They can be precisely localized or blurred, spread to the groin, or be felt in the thigh. If there is a problem with the reproductive system, then the abdomen is affected. Sometimes touching the tailbone worsens coccydynia.
  • Change in gait. Movements slow down and become smooth (sharp movements cause more discomfort). It is typical for the patient to shift from one foot to another.
  • Inability to lean back in a chair. The body almost constantly leans forward.

Increased sweating, regardless of physical stress, high temperature body or environment, overheating of the body when wrapped up or from other physical factors

  • Abdominal pain and bloating. At the same time, there is less pain after bowel movements.
  • Depressive state.
  • Functional disorders of the autonomic nervous system.
  • Temperature increase. This symptom is not considered obligatory.
  • Feeling of heaviness.
  • Change in skin tone during attacks: it becomes pale.
  • Increased discomfort during palpation.

When your tailbone hurts, you should definitely consult a doctor. IN otherwise the person may quickly lose the ability to walk.

Diagnostic features

It is impossible to make a correct diagnosis on your own. To do this, you must consult a doctor and undergo a comprehensive examination. If your tailbone hurts, then diagnostic manipulations will help you find out the exact reasons and determine the true state of affairs.

Table 1. Diagnostic methods

Way Characteristic
External examination and palpation It allows you to take a closer look visible damage in the coccyx area. To do this, the patient needs to lie on his stomach and spread his legs shoulder-width apart. In order to slightly raise the pelvis, a cushion is placed under the lumbar part. In this way you can achieve relaxation of the gluteal muscle. This allows for a complete examination of the coccyx
Rectal examination Here diseases such as hemorrhoids and paraproctitis are defined. In addition, it is necessary to see where exactly the pain is located. Touches in the area of ​​5-6 cm around the tail bone will be especially unpleasant. If you feel the tailbone through the rectum, you can determine the degree of mobility of the joints. Tumor pathologies in the vagina are also excluded. Here the patient becomes in the knee-elbow position
Sigmoidoscopy Direct and sigmoid colon examined by a special device
Radiography It allows you to evaluate changes in the spine that cause pain in the tailbone. It also makes it possible to see old injuries of the specified department. In addition to them, dislocations, subluxations, cracks, and abnormal structure of the spine are visible. The study is carried out in two projections. However, radiography will not provide an accurate diagnosis.
MRI and ultrasound These techniques are necessary to exclude or confirm pathologies of the spinal column in the lumbar region. Examination of the pelvic organs will exclude pathologies of the bladder and reproductive system
Bone scintigraphy It is used to determine the presence of bone metastases. Carried out with the introduction of radioactive isotopes
Colonoscopy This is a study of the intestinal mucosa

If it is not clear which doctor to contact, you should first see a therapist, urologist, gynecologist and proctologist, traumatologist, neurologist, surgeon and vertebrologist.

When is it necessary to call an ambulance?

There are situations when the pain in the tailbone area is so severe that medications at home cannot help cope with it. At the same time, it can give lower, shoot, and pulsate noticeably. The patient's legs begin to go numb, he is unable to stand, but it is difficult for him to sit down.

Naturally, if the tailbone hurts, then it is imperative to begin its treatment as quickly as possible. However, there are situations when a patient needs emergency care:

  • If a man or woman has a significant increase in temperature.
  • If there is severe pain to the right or left of the tailbone.
  • In the presence of strong discharge blood from the rectum.

Pain appears to the right of the tailbone

  • Rise pain syndrome and the impossibility of eliminating it with the help of medications.
  • In the presence of oncological tumors in the patient's medical history.
  • If the skin is hot and red, there are fistulas with purulent contents that are released.

If pain occurs in the coccyx area, which is accompanied by such symptoms, then you need to urgently call ambulance with clarification of symptoms over the phone.

Treatment

Coccydynia is a complex disease that requires the intervention of specialists and combination treatment. In general, therapy involves the use medicines, physiotherapeutic procedures, exercise therapy and massage, folk recipes. However, the tactics and methods of treatment, as well as the dosage of medications, are selected by the doctor.

Drug therapy of pathology

As for medications, the patient is usually prescribed the following medications:

  • Analgesics: “Sedalgin”, “Armadol”. These remedies allow you to get rid of pain in the tailbone area that radiates to the leg or other parts of the body. Most often, discomfort is eliminated with oral tablets. If coccydynia manifests itself too strongly, injections of drugs are required.
  • : “Diclofen”, “Voltaren”, “Indomethacin”, “Movalis”. They relieve the symptoms of coccydynia and reduce the intensity of the inflammatory process. Here, too, a person can be prescribed pills or injections.
  • Muscle relaxants: Mydocalm, Sirdalud. The presented drugs help to quickly cope with coccydynia by relaxing spasmodic muscles. They are used if anti-inflammatory drugs do not provide relief from pain in the tailbone, because nerve roots remain clamped.
  • Novocaine blockade. It is necessary if the tailbone hurts badly and it is very difficult to eliminate the discomfort. The mixture should be introduced into pain points, which are located in the coccyx area. The injection instantly eliminates discomfort. But they can be used infrequently. Lidocaine and Kenalog are also used to block pain.

  • Soothing and psychotropic drugs: "Barboval", valerian, "Amitriptyline". During the treatment of coccydynia, they help improve mood and cope with depression.
  • Antibacterial drugs. They are necessary if your back hurts in the coccyx area due to vital activity. bacterial pathogens, causing pathological process. Here the patient is able to feel a burning sensation in the tailbone area, spreading to the left or right leg.
  • : “Arthra”, “Dona”. These medications do not cure coccydynia itself, but they do improve the functionality of this part of the spine. These drugs prevent dystrophic and degenerative processes in tissues from progressing.
  • Laxatives: Microlax, Glycelax. If a person is pushing hard, then muscle will be tense. This causes pain in the tailbone. Therefore, laxatives help relieve the problem of constipation.
  • Complexes for strengthening the immune system: “Immunal”, “Tactivin”. They are not able to treat pain, but their task is to restore damaged tissue. B vitamins are also useful: Milgamma, Neurorubin. They have a beneficial effect on nervous system person.

According to ICD 10, this pathology has code M53. It is not recommended to treat it yourself, as unforeseen complications may arise.

Physiotherapeutic procedures

Physiotherapy helps medications quickly relieve pain in the tailbone area. The following procedures are usually used:

  • Darsonvalization. Here the body is affected by high-frequency currents. First, a spasm appears in the coccyx area, and then vasodilation occurs. Blood circulation and microcirculation improve, pathological bacteria die, the intensity of the inflammatory process decreases, and pain is eliminated.
  • Ultrasound therapy. The waves penetrate very deeply into tissues (up to 7 cm) and improve cell functionality. Regeneration processes are accelerated and pain is eliminated.

The photo shows phonophoresis of the damaged area

  • Phonophoresis. It involves the treatment of the affected part of the body with ultrasonic waves with the simultaneous introduction medicines, relieving pain. The procedure improves the effectiveness of the products, as the active substances reach the smallest blood vessels.
  • Diadynamic currents. The body is exposed to a current with a frequency of 50-100 Hz. Its strength and intensity is selected by the doctor individually for each patient. The current allows you to activate skin receptors, stimulating the nervous system and blocking pathological impulses.
  • Paraffin therapy. Here, heat application brings benefits, which improves local blood circulation and eliminates muscle spasms.

Physiotherapy is used only for inpatient treatment.

Massage and exercise therapy

These procedures improve general state spine. If you have coccydynia, you need to do morning exercises. A special treatment complex is also prescribed. In all exercises you must follow the instructions and moderation. Bending your knees and spreading them to the sides will help you cope with pain. You can also fix the ball with your knees and squeeze it for 6-7 seconds. Exercises in which you need to lift your pelvis will be useful. All workouts are done slowly, smoothly, without unnecessary stress, so that there is no pain.

Dear readers, we have prepared for you a set of exercises for illness. By doing it, you can not only reduce pain, but also prevent its further occurrence:

As for massage, the most used techniques are: stroking, kneading, rubbing, pressing on the tailbone. It is advisable that all these actions are carried out by an experienced massage therapist. You should also keep in mind that massage is not always allowed, so you should not sign up for the course yourself. If pain is felt during the procedure, it should be stopped.

When is surgical treatment necessary?

It is the most last resort and is used if other methods of eliminating coccydynia have not helped. Surgery is required if:

  • the fracture of the coccyx bones does not heal;
  • there is a cyst or other neoplasm in this part of the body;
  • a fistula with purulent contents has formed;
  • rectal pathologies have been diagnosed that cannot be eliminated without a scalpel.

The decision about surgery is made by the attending physician based on the results of the examination, as well as the effectiveness of conservative treatment of coccydynia.

The use of folk remedies

What to do if the tailbone hurts very much, and treat it medications does not work due to the characteristics of the body (pregnancy, individual characteristics). In this case, home remedies will effectively cope with the problem. However, you need to be careful when using such medications for allergy sufferers and expectant mothers. It is important to consult a doctor if your child is sick.

To eliminate pain in the tailbone, radiating to the leg, lower back and other parts of the body, you can use the following recipes:

  1. Sprouted wheat. You just need to eat it 1 tbsp. three times a day.
  2. Vinegar and honey. This mixture (the components are combined in equal proportions) must be gently rubbed into the affected area every day. This ointment will allow you to quickly cope with coccydynia.

Means plant origin. Causes moderate sedative effect. Price in pharmacies from 10 rubles.

  1. Rosehip decoction or infusion. It is rich in vitamin C, so it helps strengthen the immune system, eliminate inflammation and pain.
  2. Valerian tincture. The product is applied to a piece of tissue and applied to the tailbone as a compress.
  3. Iodine. It just needs to be applied to the damaged area 2-3 times a week and wrapped warmly. The course of therapy lasts up to two months.

Folk remedies are not a panacea, so you should not use them yourself. If nausea occurs after using the product, then it is better to abandon it.

Prognosis and prevention of pathology

If pain is felt in the tailbone, the patient’s prognosis directly depends on the causes of its occurrence. If the diagnosis of coccydynia was carried out correctly and treatment was started on time, then there is a chance of a favorable outcome even in treatment malignant diseases. Self-therapy can significantly worsen the condition and increase the pain, so it is better not to resort to it.

As for prevention, the following recommendations will help:

  1. It is important to regularly give feasible physical activity to this area, which will strengthen muscle tissue and ligaments (the same applies to sex). However, it should not be too strong, as it will cause pain.
  2. Should be abandoned sedentary image life.
  3. It is better to avoid local or general hypothermia.

  1. Proper nutrition will not allow you to appear excess weight, and will also enrich the body with substances necessary for its normal functioning.
  2. Promptly treat injuries, infectious or inflammatory pathologies any etiology.
  3. Periodically undergo examination by specialists in order to early diagnosis pathologies of the spine or internal organs.

It is imperative to treat pain, since neglect of the problem can provoke the development of complications.

Orthopedic traumatologist, first category surgeon, Research Institute, 2009

A large number of people do not think about the condition of their tailbone until they begin to experience pain in this area of ​​the spine. The coccyx is the last six vertebrae that connect to the sacrum and can bend and straighten as the position of the human body changes. The tailbone often hurts when you sit and stand up, which may indicate the presence of serious violations on the health side.

Usually pain in this area is the result of a slight physical activity person, therefore they are often not perceived by him. But when such symptoms appear, doctors recommend undergoing an examination to eliminate the risk of developing serious pathologies.

Pain in the tailbone when sitting and standing up is an unpleasant sensation below the lower back, which acts as a signal of a disruption in the functioning of certain organs or systems. The coccyx is the last section of the spinal column, which is closely connected with the organs of the gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system. If diagnosis and treatment are not timely, pain can become chronic, making it difficult to move and sit.

Pain in the tailbone when sitting and standing can vary:

  1. Coccydynia is characterized by the presence of unpleasant sensations that come from the spine itself due to joint pathologies or neurological disorders, as well as as a result of injury.
  2. Anococcygeal or anorectal pain is caused by pain in the rectum or anus, perineum, sacrum, which extends to the tailbone. IN in this case pathology develops due to the presence of scars after surgery, inflammation or disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. This type of pain is usually observed in older people when sitting.
  3. Perianal pain occurs for unknown reasons.


Pain when sitting in the coccyx area is not observed so often; usually the pathology develops in those people who engage in cycling or horse riding, as well as in those who are forced to long time sit on a hard surface.

A person may feel an increase in pain in a sitting position, as well as during pressure on the lower back, with standing up abruptly occurs from a hard surface burning pain. Often the pain intensifies during constipation, and after bowel movement it decreases. In some cases, the unpleasant sensations are not constant, they can occur suddenly and be accompanied by a burning sensation in the perineum or buttocks. In this case, a person cannot recognize the exact location of the pain syndrome.

Causes of pain

When you sit and stand up, the reason for this may be injuries that were received while riding a bicycle or sitting on furniture that is uncomfortable, as well as impacts from a fall, displacement of the pelvis due to a sudden change in body position.

The coccyx is the lowest part of the spinal column, in which the rudimentary vertebrae are tightly fused together. In front they are joined by muscle tissue and ligaments, which ensure the normal functioning of the organs of the genitourinary system. Behind it there is a large gluteal muscle. The coccyx is responsible for the distribution of loads, so the appearance pain can be caused by many reasons.

Often these include the presence of degenerative, destructive processes or pathology of the sacrum, as well as injuries during labor, infectious diseases, the presence of benign or malignant neoplasms, habit of spending a long time in the toilet.

One of the reasons for the development of pain is congenital pathology, in which a through hole or cavity appears in the bones. It may also be observed this phenomenon for neuralgia, in which inflammation nerve tissue located in the lower part of the spinal column. At untimely treatment pathology increases the risk of developing purulent inflammation and fistulas.

Most often, the tailbone hurts when you get up from a chair or sofa as a result of a past injury. When a person is injured due to a fall or blow, there is a risk of a crack or fracture, and in some cases, a displaced fracture or lesion. hip joint. For this reason, pain may occur when standing up. This may also occur due to surgical intervention on the pelvis that were performed in the past.

Doctors also identify the following predisposing factors:

  • Accumulation of salts;
  • Violation of muscle tone in the perineal area;
  • Pregnancy or birth trauma;
  • Constipation;
  • Nervous system disorder;
  • Complications after surgery;
  • Disturbance in the functioning of internal organs or the circulatory system;
  • The development of osteochondrosis, in which pain from the back radiates to the tailbone area, it intensifies when standing up suddenly.

Pregnant women may find it difficult to get up due to a temporary displacement of the tailbone

When a woman is pregnant, the tailbone softens and bends back under the influence of the heaviness of the uterus. Women often cannot sit down. After childbirth, the tailbone may not take its original place, this is especially true in the case of the birth of a large child.

Pain in the tailbone when sitting appears when staying in one position on a hard surface for a long period of time, as well as as a result of a very active life.

The bones of the coccyx were collected a large number of nerve endings, muscle fibers who are responsible for the work lower limbs and hip joint. Therefore, it is important that this area has free access to blood to maintain the connection lower section spine with nerves.

Often people who have a sedentary job complain of pain in the tailbone. And the reason for this may be an incorrectly selected chair.

When sitting on uncomfortable furniture, cartilage tissue is damaged, vertebrae are displaced, which leads to compression of soft tissues and the development of pain.

Doctors identify the following risk factors:

  • Gynecological diseases in women;
  • Disruption of the pelvic organs;
  • Presence of hernias;
  • Infectious process in the rectum;
  • Inflammation of perirectal tissue;
  • Complications after paraproctitis;
  • Hemorrhoids or sigmoiditis.

In these cases, pain in the coccyx area when standing or sitting may be accompanied by vaginal discharge, development of hemorrhoids, defecation disorders.

Diagnosis of the disease

Why does your tailbone hurt when you get up from a chair or sit? experienced doctor after diagnostics.

In this case, the following methods are used:

  1. X-ray of pathological areas;
  2. Sphincterometry, which measures the strength of the anal sphincter;
  3. Laboratory tests of blood and urine to identify the inflammatory process;
  4. Palpation of the rectum;
  5. Rectoscopy to study the condition of the rectal epithelium;
  6. MRI or CT scan to determine the condition of surrounding tissues.

For staging accurate diagnosis An examination by a urologist, proctologist or gynecologist, neurologist is required to identify diseases such as hemorrhoids, sciatica, anal fissure, paraproctitis and others.

First aid

If the pain occurs suddenly, for example, as a result of an injury, doctors recommend placing a cold compress. If a large amount of time has passed since the injury, instead of a cold compress they use a hot one, that is, they warm up the injured area. Special pillows are provided for pregnant women; they are not recommended to take painkillers; the doctor may prescribe calcium supplements and vitamins. It is also necessary to comply bed rest, if severe pain occurs, you can take an anti-inflammatory drug, for example, Ibuprofen or Paracetamol.


Treatment in this case should be carried out by a physician after diagnosis. Sometimes therapy takes a long time and requires the involvement of a neuropsychiatrist.

If your tailbone hurts when you sit and stand up, the doctor will tell you how to treat it after examining the patient. Usually eliminate unpleasant symptom helps traditional methods treatment without surgical intervention. To do this, the doctor prescribes painkillers and sedatives, bed rest, exercise therapy, manual and physiotherapy, as well as massages, mud tampons, applications, diadynamic currents, UHF and acupuncture. If there is no effect from conservative treatment, the doctor may prescribe surgery, in which the tailbone is completely removed.

The specific treatment method is selected in each individual case after a complete examination. When pathologies are detected in the body, they are eliminated using appropriate methods.

However, at home, in the absence of health problems, you can use the following recommendations:

  • Do not be in an uncomfortable position for a long time;
  • Perform exercises that strengthen the spine and muscles;
  • Treat concomitant proctological diseases in a timely manner.

Treatment methods for pathology are selected according to the examination results

Pain syndrome in the tailbone is difficult to diagnose and treat. The effectiveness of therapy will depend on an accurate determination of the cause of the pathology.

Prognosis and prevention

This pathology is difficult to diagnose and treat. The effectiveness of therapy will depend on an accurate determination of the cause of the pathology. With a correct diagnosis and effective treatment, the prognosis of the disease is favorable. IN severe cases complications may develop in the form of a violation emotional background, activity of internal organs, development of chronic constipation.

Prevention methods should be aimed at managing healthy image life, conduct physical exercise, periodic visits to an osteopath, who will help normalize metabolism, lymph and blood flow in the pelvic area, and return the affected organs and structures to their original location.

The coccyx was once a support for the tail of prehistoric people, but now it is a vestigial organ, represented by 4 or 5 underdeveloped vertebrae at the very bottom of the spine. Even though this organ has no actual benefit, it still causes pain when injured or sick. What to do if your tailbone hurts, which doctor can help in such a situation?

Pain in this area can be felt in different ways. Sometimes the person himself is not entirely sure where exactly the problem is hidden. Typically, such patients say that they have pain in the tailbone area. In this case, doctors call the pain anorectal. If a person is in pain because it is the tailbone that hurts, then they talk about coccydynia.

Determining the localization is very important both for diagnosis and for further treatment. People often have pain in the coccyx area, but in fact the unpleasant impulse comes from the internal organs. The pelvic bones, intestines and organs of the genitourinary system are capable of “giving” to this zone. Only after determining the location will it be possible to establish the causes and understand how to treat the disease.

It is important to separate two concepts: pain in the coccyx and pain in the coccyx area, since in the first case the source of the problem is already known, and in the second it remains to be found out

General list of potential causes

For effective treatment In such a pathological condition, it is important to understand why the tailbone hurts. Compiled by doctors wide list potential causes leading to similar unpleasant sensations.

Why does the tailbone (between the buttocks) hurt a lot?

  • Mechanical damage, injuries.
  • Pathologies affecting the entire spine and tailbone as well.
  • Muscle diseases,
  • Diseases of the pelvic floor nerves,
  • Lesions of the pelvic bones,
  • Descent of the perineum,
  • Pathologies of the sigmoid or rectum.
  • Hemorrhage in the area around the coccyx,
  • Postoperative complications leading to scarring of the anus,
  • Increased extension of the coccyx during childbirth,
  • Diseases of the genitourinary system,
  • Inflammation of appendicitis,
  • Salt deposition between the sacrum and coccyx,
  • The habit of spending a lot of time on the toilet or sitting only on upholstered furniture,
  • Coccyx cyst,
  • Stress and anxiety
  • clothes.

This list goes on and on. However, according to statistics, approximately a third of all cases when a person has back and tailbone pain are due to so-called idiopathic pain. This means that the exact cause of what is happening cannot be found out. Fortunately, this type of discomfort goes away quite quickly on its own. It is worth taking a closer look at some very common causes of pain.


There are more than a dozen reasons why the tailbone may hurt, so only diagnostics will give exact result

Mechanical damage to the coccyx

Most often, people experience pain in their tailbone after a fall. Mechanical damage and injuries to this element of the spine cause severe pain and, what is especially important, usually do not go away for a very long time. It takes a lot of time for someone who has fallen to feel better; the tailbone can hurt for a week, or even much longer.

Mechanical damage can occur in different ways:

  • Fall while sitting
  • Be injured during childbirth
  • Injure the tailbone with a direct blow (for example, during a fight),
  • Chronically affect this area (during horseback riding or cycling).

In the case of mechanical injuries, it is important to understand that sometimes a certain amount of time passes from the moment someone hits the tailbone until the minute the pain syndrome manifests itself. As a result, a person cannot accurately determine what caused the discomfort.

A fracture of this bone is possible if the blow falls directly on it. If this was not the case, then the patient most likely encountered a subluxation. Most often, the tailbone hurts this way after childbirth. If a woman has a narrow one or big baby, and also in the case when childbirth occurs very quickly, this part of the spine may move too far back. As a result, a person’s tailbone hurts when sitting and when standing up.

Note. This impact results in hypermobility of the affected bone.

A special place is occupied by the period when a woman is still carrying a child. The fact that the tailbone hurts during pregnancy can be caused by the general tension of the ligaments in the body, which you just need to wait out. However, we must not forget about the possibility that during pregnancy a woman could develop some kind of disease that affected the tailbone.


Tumors in the lumbar region

Another common cause of lower back pain is tumors formed from germ cells that appear in the area of ​​the sacrum and coccyx. Most often, these are benign teratomas, created from particles of nails, hair and almost any other tissue.

Note. Most often, such tumors are diagnosed in childhood, sometimes even at the gestation stage, due to ultrasound. IN in rare cases the disease is discovered only in adulthood.

Teratomas are capable for a long time don't show yourself. Unpleasant sensations occur during the period when the tumor becomes infected. Another option is that pain occurs if the transition to malignant form. In this case, the following symptoms appear:

  • Feeling foreign body in the coccygeal area,
  • Redness and swelling of the skin,
  • Pain.

Often, metastases appear in the sacral zone that appear due to the development of tumors in some other organs. For example, with high probability Cancer can move to the tailbone from the intestines (belly), bladder, cervix, ovaries and endometrium. Typically, as metastases spread, the primary tumor also grows.

This can be noticed by the appearance of weakness, a slight but constant increase in temperature, as well as pathological weight loss. If a person has pain in the tailbone area, he will not be able to get rid of the discomfort with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. It is necessary to be wary of pathological fractures, which are caused by destruction of the spine due to metastases.


Another common cause of pain in the tailbone is the presence of tumors.

Hemorrhoids, rectal cancer and pinched nerves

One of the reasons why a person may have pain in their tailbone is. The sensations arise due to the dilation of the veins, which are located at the very bottom of the rectum. This often occurs against the background of risk factors such as:

  • Chronic,
  • Insufficient fiber intake
  • Pregnancy.

The characteristic symptoms of hemorrhoids may be accompanied by pain associated with the veins. In the event of a sharp increase in pain in the coccyx area, it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor, especially if bleeding occurs.

Note. Sometimes the problem occurs due to anal fissures, radiating to the coccyx area.

At times, people have pain in their tailbone and lower back because this is how colorectal cancer disguises itself. Over time, oncology can invade the bladder, uterus, coccyx and sacrum. You can suspect something is wrong by gnawing pains that intensify at night.

The pathological process is accompanied by bleeding from the rectum, as well as weight loss. The tailbone will hurt when you stand up and sit, and the discomfort will persist in any position. Although all these signs do not guarantee the presence of cancer, they require medical consultation and diagnostics.

Some patients complain that the pain radiates to the leg. This usually occurs when muscles trap a nerve and cause it to become inflamed. The leg is affected due to the curvature of the spine, physical activity, injury or structural features of the muscles. As a rule, when the nerves are inflamed, pain occurs above the tailbone.


Pain in the tailbone can occur during pregnancy, and with a pinched nerve, and even with hemorrhoids, depending on its complexity

Pain in different positions

Doctors often have to figure out why the tailbone hurts when sitting. This may be caused either by constant use of upholstered furniture, or incorrect position body, which led to salt deposits. Can a doctor help in this case? As a rule, therapy has the desired effect, but the cause must be dealt with. Therefore, the patient is recommended:

  • Sitting less
  • If you need to stay in a sitting position for a long time, use special pillows,
  • Fill your diet with fiber
  • Lead healthy, active image life.

If unpleasant sensations occur after sitting or lying down, or when standing up, this may indicate various pathologies. This is caused by inflammation in the pelvis, neoplasms, infections, injuries, excessive sitting and physiological changes in the bones of the small pelvis.

In this case, if the tailbone hurts, treatment may be limited to taking analgesics. As a rule, pain when standing up can be dealt with by waiting it out, since it goes away on its own, but this is only possible if the discomfort is not associated with the development of some kind of disease.


Sedentary image life and an uncomfortable place to sit may well become the cause of pain in the tailbone, since, for example, sitting on a hard wooden chair for 8 hours every day is a severe strain

What to do if you have pain?

If a person falls on his tailbone, then he needs to decide which doctor to see. Depending on how much time has passed since the injury, you can go to a therapist, who will refer you to other specialists. If a person has a lump on the tailbone, then you should not delay going to the doctor.

Note. If your tailbone hurts early stages pregnancy, then, as a rule, no treatment is provided.

If the pain is not related to pregnancy or injury, then diagnostics will be required to identify the disease. Only by dealing with the cause will it be possible to eliminate the unpleasant sensations in the tailbone. Treatment in this case will be aimed specifically at the pathology, and not the pain syndrome.

Pain in the tailbone is not a fatal disease, but it still causes a person a lot of anxiety, interferes with living, working, sleeping, and can also be a symptom of a serious illness that a person might not even suspect. Treatment of the coccyx at home is a preventive procedure that helps eliminate unpleasant consequences bruise, or consequences of surgery.

Prescribed medical supplies can relieve pain, but they cope well with this and folk remedies. It is worth noting that treatment of the coccyx with folk remedies should be given preference, since it will be cheaper and will cause less harm. You can make your own ointments, rubs, and healing infusions, which not only reduce or completely eliminate pain, but also have a beneficial effect on the body.

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Vishnevsky ointment

A popular means of reducing pain and eliminating inflammation is Vishnevsky ointment. You need to soak a small cloth with it, apply it to your tailbone, cover it with cellophane (cling film), wrap it in a warm scarf or scarf and go to bed. In the morning the pain will decrease, and after several uses it will disappear completely. Iodine has the same effect. Before going to bed, the tailbone should be generously lubricated with iodine, allowed to dry, and the lower back wrapped in something warm. You can block access to oxygen using a plastic bag.

Combined ointments

For greater effect, make a mixture of Vishnevsky ointment, cottage cheese, kefir, alcohol and honey, everything is mixed in equal proportions. At night, a compress is made from this mixture.

An ointment made from honey and vinegar is used for bruises. Take 2 times more honey than vinegar, mix until a homogeneous mixture is formed, apply to the damaged area. If the pain is not severe, then 6-7 applications are enough, but if it is severe, then rub in homemade ointment will have to every hour.

Other tinctures

An alcohol “cocktail” of ethyl and camphor alcohol with the addition of iodine and analgin will also help relieve pain. You need to infuse it for 21 days in a cool, dark place. To obtain the effect, 6-8 applications will be enough. Tincture proportions: iodine (10 ml.), ethanol(300 ml.), camphor alcohol(10 ml.) and 10 analgin tablets. Mix everything thoroughly; the mixture must be shaken well before use.

Also helpful for bruises of the tailbone: wormwood and plantain leaf (grind into a paste and apply to the sore spot as a compress); onion and radish (grate, squeeze out the juice from the resulting pulp, make a compress); Valerian tincture; blue clay.

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Arnica tincture (take 30 drops 3 times a day) also has an analgesic effect. Sold in pharmacies in finished form, refers to homeopathic remedies.

A decoction of geranium leaves helps reduce pain and also has a restorative effect. Pour geranium leaves (2 tablespoons) with water (1 liter) and let boil for a few minutes. You can take a bath or make compresses with this decoction. At slight pain You can use ingredients that you always have on hand, such as potatoes. It needs to be grated and the pulp applied to the sore spot.

Hard methods

If problems with the tailbone are not caused by mechanical damage, and the presence of a cyst or a fistula tract, they use completely different compositions. One of the most commonly used to relieve inflammation of the fistula tract is a mixture of tar with oil and propolis.

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Tar has a cauterizing and degenerative effect on fistulous tract, while propolis is used as an antimicrobial component. Oil is used as a base.

It is not difficult to prepare such a composition. Mix tar with oil and propolis. Let the mixture brew for one hour. Apply to a well-heated surface, covering with a bandage and blocking access to oxygen (for example, with a plastic bag).

Treatment of a coccyx fracture

In case there is a suspicion of more serious injuries than a bruise. The treatment of the coccyx is approached from the other side. In particular, regardless of the use of “folk remedies,” complex medications should be used that will avoid the development of infectious and inflammatory processes. In addition, it will not be possible to do without external painkillers. In this case, folk remedies only help speed up the healing process and relieve some of the discomfort:

  • Severe pain;
  • Inflammation of the coccyx;
  • Discomfortable sensations associated with the possibility of improper fusion.
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The most commonly used drug in this case is mumiyo, resin, and comfrey.

Mumiyo ointment

The ointment is prepared from purchased Mumiyo extract and mixing it with vegetable oils or animal oils. Greatest effect observed when using rose oil, which has an antiseptic effect. This ointment will speed up the regeneration process and relieve some of the pain.

Resin ointment

In this case they use spruce resin, along with grated onion and vitriol. You can also use rose oil as a base for the ointment. Using this mixture will significantly reduce the risk of infection.

Comfrey ointment

Mix the comfrey decoction in half with beeswax(to create a thick base), apply the resulting ointment in the morning or evening, after securing it with a bandage on the damaged area. It is recommended to use all three compositions, because each of them has its own medicinal properties(acceleration of regeneration, protection against infections, reduction of pain) Therefore, distribute all folk remedies correctly throughout the day.

Eduard Matveev

The importance of the spine is enormous. This is both the support of the whole organism and spinal nerve, responsible for transmitting nerve impulses throughout the body. The last section ends with the tailbone, and when pain occurs in it, the problems are just beginning...

In animals, the lower spine ends with the tail. For a person it is vital important reasons is not needed, but a small appendage remains - the coccyx. Why it hurts is a multifaceted question. But one thing is clear - when correct behavior By following safety rules while playing sports, the risk of injury and pain is sharply reduced.

But the reasons causing pain, more than five:

  1. Occupational and sports injuries and seasonal ice are the leaders on this list. Teenage hobbies like skateboards and roller skates are not inferior to them. Landing on the “fifth point” only seems to be the safest.
  2. Diligent schoolchildren, office workers, and drivers also know why the tailbone ache. A constant sitting position leads to increased stress on the lower back. Possible curvature of the spine cannot be ruled out.
  3. It's all about the muscles. They tend to pinch nerve endings and become inflamed.
  4. In some cases, a person may feel pain due to diseases of the organs located in the pelvis. These are the bladder, intestines (problems with stool - from constipation to hemorrhoids and fistulas), organs of the reproductive system (inflammation of the prostate in men, pathologies of the uterus in women).
  5. “Disease” of TV fans and computer games. Constantly sitting on a soft surface (chair, sofa) is a possible answer to the question why the tailbone may hurt.
  6. In the last part of the back, the victim may experience this syndrome due to skin pathologies. Boils, fistulas, in bedridden patients - bedsores sometimes cause acute inflammatory processes and in the coccyx.
  7. During pregnancy, the uterus puts pressure on it, and after childbirth, if the child was large, the tailbone could tilt back strongly, which caused subsequent pain.
  8. Cysts, tumors of the vertebrae of this part of the back are another reason that causes unpleasant sensations in the tailbone.

But you don’t have to endure continuous or periodic pain. It indicates violations for which you will still have to go to the clinic. An advanced condition will only complicate the course of treatment.

What causes tailbone pain: diagnosis and prevention

First you need to go to a therapist’s office, from there he can refer you to a surgeon, neurologist, proctologist or women’s (male) doctor. It depends on the cause that caused the unpleasant syndrome.

Before completely relieving pain in the tailbone, you will have to undergo an examination procedure:

    X-ray. It will allow you to see what is happening to the spine - whether there are any cracks, tumors, or displacements.

    If skin pathologies located in the lower back are visible from the outside, the doctor will need scrapings from the damaged areas. This will help eliminate the recognized infection.

    The proctologist will need to examine the rectum (on the chair).

  • Sometimes an ultrasound is prescribed abdominal cavity or kidneys to make sure they are not involved in lower back pain.

Also taken into account general examination patient. Possible deterioration in health, such as fever, chills, will indicate the development of an infection.

Immediately applying cold to the bruise after a fall will help prevent this phenomenon, and after redness and rashes appear in the tailbone area, you should consult a dermatologist.

Some people will tell you how to relieve pain in the tailbone available funds. But this is only for a while.

How to relieve pain in the tailbone?

Helps eliminate pain local remedy. Pain-relieving ointments that do not contain hormones are widely available at pharmacies. "Diclak", "Diclofenac", "Voltaren" or similar gels should be in home medicine cabinet Always. They penetrate deep into the damaged area quickly, relieving inflammation and pain.

The doctor, depending on the cause, will prescribe medication and/or surgery(surgery will be required for growths, fistulas).

Conservative therapy involves the use of drugs:

    Painkillers. Assigned as general action, and local. They may prescribe pain-relieving injections, suppositories, ointments (Novocaine, no-spa, but with the doctor’s permission!).

    Sometimes massages help - rectum, back.

    Eliminate the main cause that caused the discomfort (antibiotics fight fungi and infections, proctologists treat the large intestine and anus, surgeons restore physiological state spine).

  • It turns out to be effective as rehabilitation physiotherapy, but strictly under the guidance of an experienced instructor.

Traditional healers also give advice on how to get rid of pain in the tailbone.

    Apply a compress of fresh aloe leaf, cut in half.

    A gentle diet (cooked vegetables, viscous cereals, baked meat and fish, dairy products). Food should not cause constipation.

    Compress from a melted paraffin candle (a cloth is placed on the damaged area and paraffin is poured on top). The procedure is painful and contraindicated for skin diseases.

    Sometimes an iodine mesh is applied.

But all these methods are not confirmed by representatives official medicine, since they can aggravate the patient’s condition and delay precious time. And it is not only money, as the age-old wisdom states, but also health.