Most pain in the spine is usually associated with age-related changes in the body. However, similar symptoms often occur in young patients who have not previously expressed health complaints. What is the reason when the tailbone hurts, what to do, and is it worth worrying? Further in the article we will analyze the causes, methods of diagnosis and treatment of such an ailment.
Tailbone Overview
The tailbone in the human body is considered a rudiment, a kind of superfluous element, which is a bone process of the lumbosacral spine, consisting of four to five vertebrae.
Contrary to the assertion we received from school that this organ in no way affects the proper functioning of organs and systems, the tailbone is actively involved in the work of the genitourinary and digestive systems, and also assumes a certain load in the musculoskeletal system.
If we talk about the localization of pain, then most often pain is observed in the sacral region just below the lower back. The nature of such pain is individual for each patient and largely depends on the cause. When the tailbone hurts what to do, the specialist decides, depending on the nature of the ailment.
Causes of Pain
They are recruited not so few. For example, trauma to a part of the bone skeleton. In this case, pain caused by a tailbone injury is felt especially acutely. Among these injuries can be noted:
- bruise as a result of an unsuccessful fall;
- fracture or crack in the bone;
- dislocation.
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system, in particular certain parts of the spine, can also cause pain in the coccyx. These include:
- osteochondrosis;
- intervertebral hernia;
- pinched nerve.
Among the most likely causes of tailbone pain, we denote the following:
- Pathological abnormalities in the structure of the hip joints.
- Digestive system diseases (for example, pain with bowel disease or hemorrhoids). Diagnosis often reveals problems associated with the digestive system when a lump appears on the tailbone.
- The syndrome of prolapse of the perineum due to heavy childbirth or heavy physical exertion.
- The process of the formation of adhesions and scars in the postoperative period.
- Abnormalities in the gastrointestinal tract. Such conditions are often accompanied by constipation or diarrhea, which causes a characteristic pain syndrome in the coccyx.
- Diseases of the urinary or reproductive system in patients of both sexes (for example, cystitis, endometritis, prostatitis or adnexitis).
- Tailbone cystic mass or malignant neoplasms.
- Prolonged stay in an uncomfortable sitting position.
- Disorders of the mental state of the patient.
- Periodically arising idiopathic pains. The appearance of a similar syndrome is associated with disorders of neurological origin.
- Wrong choice of clothes. Often the cause of pain in the coccyx is too tight and uncomfortable clothing.
- Muscle overstrain as a result of frequent and prolonged stay in the toilet
- Bearing a child in late pregnancy. Such conditions are characterized by a significant increase in the load on the pelvic area due to the growth and development of the fetus.
Coccyx hurts - how to treat? Correct diagnosis of the causes will establish effective methods.
Varieties of pain
If the tailbone is sore when you are sitting, in addition, the discomfort is constant aching in nature, such symptoms are considered a hallmark of the anocopy syndrome. Typically, such pain occurs after prolonged sitting and recedes after a change in body position or after exercise.
A disease called coccyalgia is a consequence of a tailbone injury. At the same time, acute pain in the area of the bone process does not appear immediately. Sometimes the consequences of the injury come to light after a few years.
The pain that occurs when you try to take a sitting position, localized in the area of the exit of the rectum, is called prianal pain syndrome. Often, such pain disappears as suddenly as it appeared, for some time without disturbing the patient.
The nature of pain depending on the causes
Most often, the tailbone hurts after a fall. Sudden acute pain at the location of this spine or in the immediate vicinity of it indicates injury to the skeleton. Such sensations arise, as a rule, with sudden movements and intensify when walking. The duration of the pain syndrome depends on the degree of damage. In some cases, the injury for a long time does not make itself felt and appears suddenly. In other cases, pain after an unsuccessful fall or injury remains for a long period of time.
Cutting pain
Cutting pain in the coccyx is often a symptom of an exacerbation of chronic diseases of the musculoskeletal skeleton or a consequence of the formation of a cyst. In this case, the pain migrates from one part of the spine to another or gives off to the buttocks and lower extremities. The aforementioned pain is also a characteristic symptom of pinching of the nerve process in the intervertebral space, pinching of the sciatic nerve or exacerbation of hemorrhoids.
Tearing pain
Painful sensations of aching and pulling character in the lumbar region are observed in inflammatory processes of the genitourinary and excretory systems. In women, such symptoms are often associated with the presence of gynecological problems in the body, for example, with inflammation of the ovaries or severe menstrual bleeding. In men, such sensations may indicate inflammation of the prostate gland.
In addition, severe aching pain often worries people exposed to systematic mechanical stress on a problem area (for example, the so-called occupational illness among drivers).
Pain in sitting and standing
The appearance of a pain syndrome in a sitting position and when standing up is typical for people spending a lot of time in a sitting position on a soft seat, athletes with acquired pathological changes in the lumbosacral spine, for example, cyclists or riders. Sometimes sitting pain occurs in women giving birth as a consequence of labor, since during childbirth this area undergoes severe deformation.
The tailbone hurts when you sit or get up? Similar symptoms are observed in people in the postoperative period, in the presence of adhesions and scars, as well as in benign neoplasms, the so-called dermoid cyst. If the tailbone hurts when standing up or tilting the body, such symptoms are often associated with inflammatory processes in the intestines, urinary organs or gynecological diseases in women.
Painful coccyx during gestation
Pregnancy is often accompanied by unpleasant pain in the coccyx. It is difficult to identify the exact reason, however, among the probable ones we can distinguish the following:
- manifestation of an old injury;
- calcium deficiency in the body;
- inflammation of the internal organs, including genitals;
- fetal pressure on the bones of the pelvis.
Coccyx pain after childbirth
If pain in the tailbone persists in the postpartum period, it is most likely that during childbirth an injury to his bones or hemorrhage in the tissue located next to the bone process occurred. Typically, injuries such as a tailbone fracture during childbirth go unnoticed, because pain from contractions and attempts to prevail over other pain sensations.
Which doctor should I go to if my tailbone hurts?
To conduct a general study and establish a preliminary diagnosis, you should consult a therapist. This is the first thing you can advise a patient who does not know if the tailbone hurts what to do. Based on the initial examination, the therapist will prescribe treatment or refer the patient to a specialist consultation to clarify the diagnosis.
A set of measures to establish the cause of pain in the coccyx includes the following diagnostic methods: radiography, ultrasound, CT or MRI. Additionally, a study of the composition of the blood is prescribed, and if necessary, an endoscopic examination of the intestine (colonoscopy).
Depending on the pre-established cause of coccyx pain, the patient can be referred to the following narrow specialists:
- The neurological causes are addressed by a neurologist or vertebrologist (specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of spinal diseases). If necessary, the doctor will prescribe an additional examination of the condition of the main arteries, muscle tissue, joints and spinal cord of the patient.
- If the tailbone hurts after a fall, the patient is referred to a traumatologist. Traditional methods of treatment for such pathologies include wearing corsets and bandages, and in some cases, the procedure for stretching the spine is prescribed.
- The help of a proctologist is required if the reasons that provoked the pain syndrome in the coccyx are caused by pathologies or inflammation of the intestine.
- A gastroenterologist is involved in solving the problems associated with the digestive tract. This specialist helps to normalize the digestion process, as a result of which the bowel movement improves, causing pain in the coccyx.
- In case of problems with the bone skeleton and the musculo-articular apparatus, the surgeon treats the patient. Depending on the severity of the disease, treatment appropriate to the patient’s condition is prescribed: from manual therapy, massage and exercise therapy to surgery. To stop the inflammatory process in the bones and joints, as a rule, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed, including topical application.
- If the cause of pain in the coccyx is an oncological disease, a mandatory oncologist consultation is required. In such cases, an alternative to drug treatments for cancer becomes a surgical operation performed by an oncologist surgeon.
- Female patients, in the absence of other reasons, should consult a gynecologist. A specialist doctor will help to eliminate serious pathologies of the genital organs and deal with the postpartum consequences.
- Psychosomatics help is required for patients whose pain is caused by mental disorders.
Conclusion
If tailbone hurts what to do? This is a common phenomenon that causes a lot of trouble to people of all age categories. If the disease has not bothered you before, acute, burning or cutting pain in the lower spine is the basis for immediately seeking qualified medical help.