The sacrum is a large and important bone in the human body. It is she who takes the maximum load and helps the person move, so a fracture of the sacrum is a very unpleasant diagnosis.
What is the sacrum
The sacrum is a large single bone, which is formed by the fusion of five vertebrae. Its shape is triangular. In the human body, it is located top down.
A healthy sacral section is very important for a normal person. It is he who helps the body to move, being in an upright position.
If you look at the sacrum, its front part will be smooth and curved. 4 lines along the bone are clearly marked on it. The inner part of the bone is rough.
Why pain in the sacrum may occur
Complaints from patients to doctors about the disturbing sacral department come very often. Doctors note that most often women experience pain in this place. The fact is that in the female body the sacrum is less developed than in the male, therefore it is more prone to various injuries and injuries. In addition, the bone experiences a lot of stress during pregnancy and childbirth.
So why can the sacrum and tailbone still hurt ?
- Osteochondrosis. The most common cause of pain in this area.
- Anomalies in bone development. True, this happens extremely rarely.
- Metabolic disorders can also cause pain in this place.
- Infectious diseases.
- Tumors of various kinds.
- Dilation of the pelvic veins. Basically, such an ailment is recorded in women.
- Gynecological problems.
- Bruised sacrum or fracture.
It is worth noting that women also often experience periodic pain in the sacrum during menstruation. Such painful sensations are not considered a manifestation of any disease, but you should make sure that these are indeed periodic pains.
Men can also feel pain in the sacrum. As a rule, they occur with prostatitis or with adenoma.
How to recognize a fracture
Fracture of the sacrum has very vivid signs. Knowing them, you can easily suspect a violation of the integrity of the bone, but the final diagnosis can only be made after an additional examination.
So, the main signs that the fracture really happened:
- sharp pain in the lower back;
- the appearance of edema;
- the formation of a large bruise with bruising;
- with a fracture, as a rule, it is impossible to sit down;
- pain passes to the legs;
- frequent urination;
- pain during bowel movements.
It is worth noting that a fracture cannot be suspected if the patient identifies only one symptom. With such a serious injury, there are always several symptoms.
To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor sends the patient for an x-ray. How do x-rays with a fracture of the sacral bone? Several shots are needed in different projections in order to assess the scale of the damage, as well as to eliminate the presence of displacement.
Which doctor should I visit first
Of course, when the sacrum and tailbone hurt, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. If there was a fracture, then you need to visit a traumatologist, and here patients have no difficulties. And if the cause of the pain is not trauma? Where to run and to which doctor?
So, it is recommended that you first seek the advice of a neurologist, since most often patients experience pain due to osteochondrosis. After this, you should visit a urologist or gynecologist and take tests. If the tests are bad, then you need to establish the cause. It is possible that this is a tumor. Then it is worth making an appointment with a surgeon or oncologist.
If this is still not a fracture, not a tumor, not problems of gynecology or urology, but osteochondrosis, then you should do gymnastics daily, swim in the pool as often as possible and sign up for massage sessions. Also, doctors often prescribe physiotherapy. A visit to their course significantly improves the patient's condition.
Symptoms of a fracture
The main symptoms, if a fracture of the sacrum occurred, were listed above, however, in addition to edema and pain, there are several more signs when the doctor may suspect a violation of the integrity of the bone.
Very often, the pain from a fracture is so strong that a person may experience nausea, vomiting, and intense headache. With a very severe fracture, even peeling of the skin is possible, however, this is extremely rare. Bruising of the sacrum, as a rule, hurts only with palpation and with sudden movements. Fracture is accompanied by very strong pains that make themselves felt even during breathing.
If the patient actually had a fracture, then relief will bring him only a horizontal state, while it will be easier to lie on his stomach or side, but not on his back.
In any case, if the patient has recently suffered an injury to the sacral section, then he needs to urgently see a doctor. The fact is that sometimes a complete fracture does not occur, and only a crack forms on the bone. It does not cause much trouble and usually heals on its own, but in the future it is the wrongly healed crack that can bring many health problems.
Diagnostics
First, it should be noted that the fracture of the sacrum is divided into two groups: open and closed.
A closed fracture involves only partial destruction of the bone. At the same time, the skin remains intact and there are no visible injuries except swelling. Bruising and bruising are sometimes possible.
An open fracture is much more dangerous than a closed one. Cracked bone damages the skin and tears it. From this point of view, open fractures affect health worse. Damaged tissues are slowly restored, and due to the fact that a person has an open wound, it is possible to get blood poisoning in the absence of quality treatment.
After the doctor has determined which group the fracture belongs to, it is necessary to take x-rays. How do x-rays with a fracture of the sacrum? Usually this is a shot in two projections. In severe injuries, it is recommended to undergo computed tomography.
After the diagnosis, the medical worker makes a conclusion, makes a diagnosis and can prescribe (if necessary) the necessary procedures.
Necessary treatment
Fracture healing takes time, especially if it is a fracture of the sacrum. Treatment is prescribed by a doctor based on the nature of the damage.
If the fracture is closed, then the patient is assigned only peace and bed rest. It is only necessary to sleep and lie on a hard surface, which is called a shield among doctors. If the patient's bed allows, then you can put a simple piece of flat plywood. If this is not possible, then you should take care of buying a special couch. A soft roller should be placed under the broken sacrum.
If the patient was diagnosed with a compression fracture, in this case, recovery can be calculated only after the establishment of special braces. Due to a compression fracture, the vertebra is compressed, and the victim feels unbearable pain.
If the fracture is mixed, then only surgery will help.
At any stage of healing, the patient is prescribed pain medication. However, do not get involved and take them too often. Their constant use minimizes the analgesic effect, and in addition, some drugs such as "Ketanova" adversely affect the heart muscle and stomach.
Recovery period
From the first, after an injury, the patient is assigned a strict bed rest. Compliance with it is especially important at the recovery stage, because few injuries are more dangerous than a fracture of the sacrum. How long does such damage heal and how else can the patient be helped?
First you need to think through a set of physical exercises. It is impossible to overstrain the patient, but light loads are simply necessary even so that the muscles do not atrophy after prolonged inactivity.
What else needs to be done for a speedy recovery?
- Eat fermented milk products. Kefir, cottage cheese, natural yogurts are rich in calcium. Calcium helps bones grow together faster. It is worth remembering that calcium is absorbed only with fat, so fat-free sour milk is better not to get carried away.
- When the patient recovers, it is advisable to enroll him in courses of rehabilitation and therapeutic massage. If it is difficult for him to move around, then you can call a masseur at home.
- To quickly relieve swelling, you can apply tampons that have been soaked in a decoction of calendula or chamomile. Such compresses are indicated only for closed fractures.
Usually, patients recover completely within two or four months, but if the recommendations are not followed, the recovery period may be increased.
Possible complications
Some injuries are very insidious, such as a fracture of the sacrum. The consequences can be serious. If the bone is crushed strongly, then fragments of the rectum or abdominal cavity are possible.
With untimely treatment, the spinal cord is sometimes damaged in patients, which is also very dangerous.
But most often, even after recovery, patients note consequences of a neurological nature, for example, pain syndromes, numbness of the site or its poor mobility.