The coccyx is called the lower part of the spine, formed by the underdeveloped 4-5 fused vertebrae. When these vertebrae supports the tail in human ancestors, and now the tailbone is vestigial, useless organ. However, this residue of injuries and different diseases, which can cause the person severe pain and discomfort: you can not properly sit and walk, even sleep is hard to find a comfortable position.
Often the patient himself cannot determine the precise localization of pain and complains to the doctor for pain in the tailbone (this pain is called to correct an anorectal). The pain coccyx is actually called coccyalgia.
Experts must decide whether the pain of disease and injury to the coccyx itself, or pain coming from other organs (intestines, pelvis, urinary organs) and simply "give" in the tailbone. From the solution of this question depends on the treatment.
Causes of pain in the coccyx
- The consequences of the injury.
- Diseases of the spine, affecting the tailbone (lower back pain, displacement of the intervertebral discs pinching a nerve, etc).
- Diseases of the muscles and nerves of the pelvic floor.
- Pathologic processes in the pelvis.
- Diseases that directly or sigmoid colon (hemorrhoids, sigmoid, proctitis, rectal fissure).
- Omission of the perineum (for example, due to a difficult birth).
- Damage to the perineum during childbirth (bleeding in the subcutaneous tissue surrounding the coccyx).
- Excessive extension of the coccyx for difficult births.
- Scarring of the deformation of the anus, arising as a complication of surgery.
- Disorders of the bowel, due to frequent constipation or diarrhea, and, consequently, for the habit of sitting for long periods in the toilet.
- Diseases of the genitourinary system (cystitis, adnexitis, etc).
- A cyst of the coccyx.
- The habit of constantly sitting on upholstered furniture.
- Emotional crisis and stress.
- Tight clothing (jeans), putting pressure on the coccyx.
- Idiopathic pain (pain of unknown origin). Such pain may suddenly appear and suddenly disappear. About 1/3 of all the pain in the coccyx refers to the idiopathic.
The characteristics of pain in the coccyx in different diseases
Pain after injuries
Trauma often causes severe, sharp, acute pain in the coccyx. Damage to the coccyx (broken, fracture, contusion, dislocation, migration) can occur when a bad fall or blow to the buttocks. Pain after injury can be in the nature of attacks, or be constant. When walking and in a sitting position increases. The translations of the various post-traumatic pain in the coccyx, or in the vicinity (above, below, side).
Usually the pain in the coccyx occur immediately after the injury. But in some cases it can be slightly expressed and quickly passing, and a few years later, when the patient forgot about the injury, it suddenly appears a strong, burning pain.
Pain in the coccyx, in combination with pain in the lower back, sacrum
In osteochondrosis, a cyst of the spine in the lumbar or sacral division is characterized by a combination of pain in the coccyx with pain in the back, in the sacrum. However, the main complaints of the patient with pain in the back, and on the way – that the pain is "giving" in the tailbone.
The same clinical picture observed in the pinching nerve in lumbar and sacral parts of the spinal column. Compression of the sciatic nerve (sciatica) are accompanied by a burning sensation, a sharp pain in the tailbone or above it.
Lumbar and sacral pains accompanied by pain in the coccyx also hemorrhoids, diseases of the rectum.
Pain in the coccyx when you stand up
Such pain is unusual for injury of the coccyx. Most often associated with postoperative scars in the perineum, or adhesions in the pelvic cavity, which is formed after the surgery.
Pain in the coccyx, when the inclined
Pain when bending are usually the result of chronic inflammatory processes in the organs located in the vicinity of the coccyx (in the intestine or the bladder, the uterus and its appendages).
Pain in the coccyx when tilting occur when the patient has the following diseases:
- dysbiosis;
- colitis;
- the sigmoid;
- cystitis;
- adnexitis;
- endometritis, etc
Pain radiating to coccyx
As already mentioned, pain radiating to tailbone, characteristic of osteoarthritis, cysts of the spine, as well as for hemorrhoids, inflammation in the hip joints, diseases of the rectum, etc .. Such a pain can also be due to the postoperative scars.
Pain in coccyx, when sitting
The reason for this pain, is a habit of all the time sitting on upholstered furniture. The tailbone is in the wrong position. In the vessels that supply blood, are stagnation. This leads to the deposition of salts in the vertebrae that constitute the coccyx, and the occurrence of pain.
Pain in coccyx, when sitting complaining athletes – cyclists and people engaged in horse riding. Are cause of pain to another: microtrauma of the coccyx, occurs when engaging in these specific activities.
Pain in coccyx, when sitting it is possible for women after childbirth, when the deformation (excessive flattening of their the intervertebral joints).
Finally, pain in the coccyx, aggravated when sitting, the typical cyst of the coccyx. Dermoid cyst is a congenital malformation, consisting in the design of the inside of the bauble of the cavity, which is filled with tissue to grow hair.
Pain and drawing pain in the coccyx
Pain pain in the coccyx can occur if the inflammation of the internal genital organs (prostatitis or BPH in men with inflammation of the ovaries and fallopian tubes in women).
Gnawing pain in the coccyx is an additional symptom of degenerative disc disease to the lumbar or sacral spine. Sometimes it happens, when hemorrhoids and also the long sitting on the toilet because of frequent constipation.
Pain in the coccyx
The pain of this type occurs when a prolapse of the perineum, with presence of scars in the anus, diseases of the rectum. Characterized by pain below coccyx and trauma (fracture, contusion, subluxation of the " tailbone), which happened a few years ago.
Pain above tailbone
Pain localized to above the coccyx, characteristic of the neuralgias' (inflammation of the nerves arising from the lumbar or sacral spine).
Pain in coccyx during menses
This pain can be accompanied by a number of gynecological and neurological diseases. It may be appropriate to start the examination with the advice of the gynecologist and ruled out only gynecological diseases, to consult with the neurologist.
Pain in the tailbone during pregnancy and after childbirth
Pregnant women often have pain in the coccyx. Pain in the tailbone during pregnancy, can have different causes:
- Injury to the tailbone that took place a few years ago, and that hasn't recovered.
- Lack of calcium in the skeletal system.
- Inflammatory diseases of internal genital organs.
- Physiological changes in the body: when preparing for labour and delivery, the pelvic organs change their usual place. The fetus grows, the uterus increases, changing bodies in the vicinity. Tailbone while reclines. And from the coccyx vertebrae, which are related to each other, so the deviation is very painful.
Pain in the coccyx after birth, say the experienced gynecologist, what happened to the trauma of birth: difficult birth cause bleeding in the soft tissue surrounding the coccyx, or what happened with his over-handling (which is possible when large amounts of fruit).
Pain in the coccyx in men
In men, pain in the coccyx may be due to the so-called "pellentesque disease." This disease occurs with frequent riding unsprung carriage (crawler tractors, army tanks, armored personnel carriers). The load on the coccyx when riding on such equipment is too large. This can cause inflammation of pilonidal sinus or cyst of the coccyx. This move, or cyst, is a hollow tube, which runs under the skin from the end of the coccyx and ending blindly.
Inflammation of the pilonidal sinus, and is called "pellentesque disease." If the inflammation passes into the purulent stage, often forms a fistula – pus breaks out. Treatment - only surgical.
How to treat pain in the coccyx
A preliminary survey
For the effective treatment of pain in the coccyx, it is important to determine its cause. Patients with this pain, should appeal primarily proctologist. This specialist, when necessary, refers the patient (the patient) gynaecologist, neurologist, surgeon, osteopath. Sometimes they need the assistance of the therapist.
Each of these doctors, not only the examination of the patient, but also very detailed questioning of him. The patient should be ready to talk in detail about the nature of pain, its localization, the recall of past trauma and history of surgery.
In some patients with pain in the coccyx, the exact diagnosis cannot be determined. Then use symptomatic treatment, and in most cases this leads to good results. Sometimes the pain in the coccyx go away on their own, without treatment. But I hope that is not needed - if you encounter this pain, you need to visit your doctor.
The main aspects of the treatment
In most cases, pain in the coccyx is treated conservatively (i.e. without surgery). Comprehensive treatment includes the provision of patients with rest, pain medication, restore the affected traffic through massage, chiropractic, physical therapy, exercise physical therapy.
All the identified comorbidities compulsory treatment.
If you want to remove or weaken the negative emotions that are in use (by the advice) neuropsychotropic drug.
No help can be given by doctors only when pain in the coccyx in pregnancy. Anti-inflammatory and pain medication is contraindicated for pregnant women. Radiological diagnosis is also excluded. Therefore, women have to endure the pain in the coccyx, which encloses underneath it a soft pillow or inflatable rubber circle in the form of a donut (sold in pharmacies).
To sit at this round, it is recommended that not only pregnant women, but for all patients with pain of such translations. This simple device eliminates the burden and pressure on the coccyx while sitting, and thus reduces pain.
Chiropractic, massage, acupuncture,
Pain in the coccyx is greatly facilitated by the use of your fingers massage the muscles of the rectum and massage the muscles of the pelvic floor (if there is spasm).
Manual therapy techniques performed by experienced specialist, improve blood circulation in the triples, remove blood stasis, relieve muscle spasm and help restore the range of motion of the coccyx.
Acupuncture (acupuncture) is often used for pain in the coccyx, significantly reduce their intensity. The right choice of biologically active points of acupuncture you can completely remove the pain.
Physical therapy
Methods of physiotherapy for pain in the coccyx is used for:
- the ultrasound treatment;
- laser therapy;
- UHF;
- electrotherapy (electrode inserted into the rectum);
- diadynamic currents;
- darsonval;
- applications with paraffin;
- therapeutic mud;
- in the ozokerite.
Physiotherapy
For the establishment, exercise in the morning exercises for people with pain in the coccyx is not only possible, but necessary. With certain limitations: the exercise should be running, jumping, brisk walking, sudden inprobus movement, straining.
Exercises for pain in the coccyx should include the following exercises:
- Lying on his back on the floor, bend your knees and puts them on the page. Place the palms on the inner side of the knee. Try to join knees, arms, at the same time opposing this movement.The number of repeat 8-12 times with short intervals (10-15 seconds).
- In the same position, clamped between the bent knees, the ball (football, volleyball or another of the same size). The palms of your hands put on the belly. With the force of gripping bends the ball for 5-7 seconds while the palm of the prevention of the protrusion of the abdomen.The number of repetitions 6-8 times with the same intervals for rest as the first exercise.
- Lying on your back, hold the ball between the legs straightened leg. With the force of gripping the ball stops for 5-7 seconds. The number of repetitions 6-8 times; in the intervals is 10-15 seconds.
- Lying on your back, raise your hand bent at the knees and lift the hips for 3-5 seconds. The gluteal muscles need to strain. The number of repetitions 6-8 times; in the intervals is 10-15 seconds.
All of the exercises for pain in the coccyx, the patient needs to run slowly, evenly, rhythmically, resting between repetitions of the exercises. You can turn on relaxing music. For greater effectiveness it is recommended to do the set of exercises twice a day.
Folk remedies
For pain in the coccyx traditional medicine uses the following tools:
- The impact of magnet: ring magnet, which is moving in bauble in a circle, in a clockwise direction for 15-20 minutes 2-3 times a day.
- Compress with tincture of Valerian: a piece of cotton fabric to moisten the pharmacy tincture of Valerian, to put on the painful spot. Cover with a piece of plastic, then all the warm layer (wool, scarf, etc). Fix the compress with adhesive tape and leave overnight.
- Fir oil rubbed in to the bauble 3 times a day. Helps to relieve inflammation and reduces pain.
- Lubrication of iodine: in the evening, before bed, pre-heated the coccyx, to be lubricated with tincture of iodine and warm wrap. Repeat not more often than 2-3 times per week. Duration of treatment – 1.5-2 months.
- Compresses of blue clay: add up to 500 gr. clay a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, mix well. Before bedtime, apply a layer of this mixture on affected area, cover with polythene, to warm up (like any pack) and leave for one night.
- Rubbing of radish juice: mix 300 ml of fresh radish juice, 100 ml of ethanol and 200 ml of honey. To RUB into the affected area 3 times a day. Store mixture in the refrigerator in a glass jar with the lid tightly closed.
- Ointment with mummy (broken tailbone): 1/2 or Shilajit is mixed with such a quantity of rose oil, to grease to the consistency of thick cream. Rubbed in triples 2 times per day.