How to Deal with Tailbone Pain: Causes and Treatment Strategies
Coccydynia - more commonly known as tailbone pain - is a medical condition that can cause mild discomfort or severe issues.
Tailbone pain can stem from many different sources, including injuries, arthritis, and nerve problems. Understanding the condition and finding the underlying cause is crucial to choosing the right treatment options and alleviating pain.
In this article, we will learn about the characteristics of tailbone pain, possible causes, and available treatment options.
Understanding the tailbone and its function
The tailbone, or coccyx, is a group of three to five vertebrae fused to form a single bone. You can find the coccyx below the sacrum bone, at the bottom of the spine.
It's a common belief that the coccyx serves no purpose in the human body. While it's true that it no longer fulfills its original function, it still provides an attachment point for multiple muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the pelvic area. It also serves as a point of balance when sitting.
Characteristics of tailbone pain
Coccyx pain may vary in severity and the feeling of pain. It might manifest as a dull, stabbing, piercing, or burning sensation.
The pain might worsen when sitting for extended periods, standing up after sitting, and during bowel movements, menstruation, or sex.
In addition to pain, one might experience numbness, tingling, muscle weakness in the legs, or bowel and bladder problems. These symptoms might signal a nerve issue and should always be checked by healthcare professionals.
Some conditions might cause tailbone pain, among other symptoms. Arthritis, sciatica, and spinal stenosis are a few examples.
Causes of tailbone pain
Tailbone pain is a common condition that many adults experience at some point. Women are at a greater risk than men, and obesity is another risk factor for coccydynia. Most of the time, the causes behind coccyx pain are only temporary issues, but in some rare cases, it might result from some chronic condition.
Tailbone injury
A common cause behind tailbone pain is injury. Following a fall or accident, the tailbone might break or fracture.
Doctors will perform X-ray scans to determine the severity of the damage and the course of treatment. If there aren't any fractures or broken bones, a bruised tailbone can heal with rest alone.
Physical stress on the tailbone
Repeated stress to the tailbone may lead to mild or even severe pains. This might result from poor posture, sitting in an uncomfortable position or on a hard surface, added pressure to the bone due to being overweight, or sports like cycling or rowing. Being underweight might also cause issues, as the lack of fat to cushion the tailbones might put more stress on the coccyx when sitting, or the bone might rub against muscles, ligaments, and tendons in the pelvic area.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a natural cause of pelvic and tailbone pain. During the later stages, joints loosen in the area, allowing bones to move around and give space, causing muscles and ligaments to stretch, leading to pain. This is a natural process, and the pain usually goes away after pregnancy.
Infections
Viral, bacterial, or fungal infections might affect any area in the body, including the bones and the tissues around them. They might cause inflammation, swelling, and pain. In addition to inflammation and pain, fever is a common symptom in these cases. It's vital to contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible if you suspect an infection.
Tumors and other growths
In rare cases, abscesses, tumors, cysts, or other growths like bone spurs might pressure the tissues or nerves around them. This might lead to pain symptoms. Prostate cancer, chordoma, vertebral tumors, colorectal cancer, and pilonidal cysts might all cause pain in the tailbone.
Diagnosing tailbone pain
When diagnosing coccydynia, doctors will ask about your medical history and recent physical traumas like falls, accidents, or childbirth. They will also check for fractures, bone deformities, infections, and growths.
X-rays, CTs, MRIs, and bone scans can provide a reliable picture of the underlying issues and help doctors determine the appropriate course of treatment.
Treatment options for tailbone pain
A sore tailbone might heal with proper rest and home treatment. In some cases, though, underlying issues have to be addressed.
Correcting outside factors
The cause of tailbone pain is often repeated stress to the area. In these cases, one might need to make some lifestyle adjustments. Correcting a poor posture, spending less time sitting, adjusting your sitting position or surface, and maintaining a healthy weight might all contribute to the healing of tailbone pain and avoiding future issues.
Using an ergonomic chair, avoiding restrictive clothing, and using a donut pillow to sit on might also be good ways to help with recovery. In some cases, gentle stretches and light tailbone pain exercises can also be beneficial. Strengthening the muscles around the pelvic area will help stabilize the joints and provide additional support.
Pain relief for tailbone pain
Since tailbone pain often goes away with rest, treatment might be limited to pain management during the healing process. Especially in the case of long-standing or chronic coccydynia, pain relief is a vital part of treatment.
Physical therapy, stretches, or massage can be an effective method to ease tailbone pain.
Painkillers like paracetamol, NSAIDs, or steroid injections can offer pain relief and treat inflammatory symptoms.
Drug-free pain management options like innovative pain patches, herbal remedies, and thermal therapy might be worth considering if you want to avoid the side effects of traditional drugs.
When it comes to tailbone pain, avoiding further stress and trauma, maintaining a healthy posture, and using ergonomic chairs might be your best long-term pain relief options.
Tailbone surgery
In rare cases, doctors might recommend surgery. Total or partial coccygectomy means removing the entire tailbone or parts of it. Tumors or other growths might also get removed using surgical methods.
Spinal Stenosis: What You Can Do to Prevent and Manage It
Spinal stenosis is a common source of back pain caused by the narrowing of the spinal canal and irritation of the spinal cord. The causes might vary, and depending on where the pain occurs, we can distinguish between different types of spinal stenosis. Understanding the underlying issues, symptoms, and available treatment methods can bring you closer to getting relief for your back pain.
What is spinal stenosis?
The spinal canal is a space that runs through the entire length of our spine, surrounded by vertebrae. Its function is to protect the spinal cord and the spinal nerves.
Spinal stenosis is a medical condition where the space in - or around - the spinal canal narrows, restricting the nerves or the spinal cord, leading to nerve pain and other symptoms.
Types of spinal stenosis
We can distinguish between different types of spinal stenosis depending on which part of the spine (lumbar, thoracic, or cervical) they occur in and if they affect the spinal cord or the nerves branching from it.
Lumbar spinal stenosis
Lumbar stenosis is the most common form of spinal stenosis and affects the lower back (from L1 to L5 vertebrae). Symptoms can be felt throughout the back, the buttocks, or the legs.
Cervical spinal stenosis
Cervical stenosis occurs in the neck area of the spine (from C1 to C7 vertebrae), which might cause tingling, numbness, nerve pain, and muscle weakness in the neck, radiating to the shoulders, arms, and hands. In some cases, cervical stenosis might also cause muscle weakness in the legs and balance problems.
Central canal stenosis
Central canal stenosis happens when the center part of the spine, the spinal canal, narrows, putting pressure on the spinal cord or the cauda equina. It might cause inflammation and weakness in the back and other affected areas.
Foraminal stenosis
Many nerves branch out to the sides of the spinal cord. These are called spinal nerves, and they go through the nerve root canals found on the sides of the spine. When these canals get constricted, it can pressure these nerves, causing foraminal stenosis, also known as lateral stenosis. This might lead to nerve pain, muscle weakness, numbness, and tingling in various areas depending on the affected nerves.
Spinal stenosis symptoms
The symptoms of spinal stenosis can vary depending on whether it affects the spinal cord or the spinal nerves and the area of the spine where the problem occurs.
Some people with spinal stenosis might never have any symptoms, while others might experience a wide range of them. Spinal stenosis might cause the following symptoms:
- Back- or spine pain
- Nerve pain in the limbs, shoulders, buttocks, neck, or the back
- Tingling sensation
- Numbness
- Muscle weakness
- Balance problems
- Difficulty controlling bowel or bladder movements
The symptoms of spinal stenosis often occur slowly at first and worsen gradually over time. Certain positions might alleviate the pressure on the nerves, temporarily making these symptoms less apparent.
Spinal stenosis might lead to other, more specific, medical conditions. We will list some of these below.
Cauda equina syndrome
The cauda equina is a group of nerve roots at the bottom of the spine, in the lumbar and sacral area. These nerves play a vital role in controlling bladder and bowel functions and the movement of the legs. If these nerves get constricted, it might cause problems in these areas, a condition called cauda equina syndrome. If you experience nerve pain and difficulty controlling the functions mentioned above, you should seek medical help immediately.
Sciatica
The sciatic nerve stems from the lower back and runs throughout the buttocks and the legs. Its function is to transfer sensations and control movement. When the sciatic nerve gets irritated or constricted, it might lead to burning or needle-like pains, tingling, and numbness in the affected areas. This condition is called sciatica.
Neurogenic claudication
Neurogenic claudication, also known as pseudo-claudication, is a common symptom of lumbar spinal stenosis. The compression of the spinal nerves causes nerve pain, tingling, numbness, weakness, heaviness, or cramping in one or both legs. A characteristic sign of neurogenic claudication is that it might get better or worse, depending on your posture. You might experience relief when leaning forward or sitting down.
Spinal stenosis causes
Spinal stenosis might occur naturally due to old age, but in most cases, it goes unnoticed without any symptoms. However, some underlying causes might lead to more severe spinal stenosis, where the symptoms are apparent and can have a severe impact on your everyday life.
- Injuries - Accidents, blunt force trauma, sprains, or other issues might damage the bones, muscles, ligaments, or tissues around the spine, leading to spinal stenosis.
- Bone growths - Osteoarthritis, Paget's disease, or other conditions can lead to unnatural bone spurs in the spinal area. These bone growths might constrict the spinal canal or nerve root canals and lead to spinal stenosis.
- Inflammation or infections - Overuse, inflammatory arthritis, autoimmune diseases, or infections might cause inflammation in the surrounding tissues, potentially leading to swollen muscles or thickened ligaments pressing on the spinal cord or the nerves.
- Disk problems - The spinal disks are soft, shock-absorbing cushions in the spine. These disks might get misaligned, herniated, or damaged in other ways, pushing into the spinal canal, causing nerve irritation.
- Tumors or other growths - In rare cases, tumors or other tissue growths might occur near the spine, potentially constricting the available space and leading to nerve problems.
- Poor posture - Severe cases of poor posture or keeping the spine in unnatural positions for long periods of time might also lead to spinal stenosis.
The risk factors for spinal stenosis include old age, repeated stress or injury to the spine area, and poor posture.
Diagnosing spinal stenosis
When diagnosing spinal stenosis, your doctor will perform a physical examination and ask about your symptoms and medical history.
Spinal stenosis is fairly easy to diagnose using X-rays and MRI or CT scans. These imaging tests often reveal the source of the issue, showing herniated disks, bone spurs, tumors, and muscle or ligament damage.
Spinal stenosis treatments
The recommended treatment methods for spinal stenosis largely depend on the underlying issue. Doctors will focus on solving the causes while providing relief for the symptoms.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy can help alleviate spinal stenosis symptoms or even fix the problem entirely. Building muscle strength can help stabilize the spine, gentle stretches can help realign the bones, and massage or other forms of movement might help with swollen muscles.
Certain forms of exercise might improve flexibility and balance as well.
Pain management
Pain management is a vital part of most treatment plans. It can make the healing process more comfortable or provide relief for chronic cases of spinal stenosis.
- Analgesics - These simple painkillers might provide relief for minor pains
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - NSAIDs can alleviate pains while at the same time reducing inflammation in the body
- Steroid injections - Steroids are potent medicines that can help with inflammation, swollen tissues, and severe pain
- Opioids - Opioids provide very strong pain relief, but because of their addictive nature, they are usually only considered a last resort option
- Alternative pain relief options - Herbal medicines, natural agents, and drug-free pain management options can help relieve pain with minimal side effects or provide a supplementary pain management option alongside traditional methods
Surgery
Doctors might recommend surgery in some cases, which might correct issues like herniated disks or bone deformities. The goal is to expand the available space in the spinal or nerve root canals.
Sciatica Pain Relief – What Are Your Options?
Sciatica is a painful condition that can hinder your movement and everyday life.
Finding the proper treatment methods is essential to relieve sciatic nerve pain and restoring your range of motion and balance.
In this article, you will learn about sciatica treatments, their pros and cons, and home remedies for sciatic pain.
Understanding sciatica pain
Before we get to sciatica treatments, it's crucial to understand the condition itself.
The sciatic nerve stems from the lower back and extends into the legs. Its function is to transfer sensations and regulate muscle movement. When this nerve is irritated or damaged, it might cause sharp or burning pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, or even paralysis in the buttocks, the legs, or the lower back. We call this condition sciatica.
The causes of sciatic nerve pain can vary, ranging from underlying spinal conditions and herniated discs to muscle imbalances and physical trauma. Sciatica often stems from irritation to the sciatic nerve, like swollen muscles or bone spurs rubbing or pushing on the nerve.
Treating sciatica
When it comes to sciatica treatments, diagnosing the source of the issue is vital because treatment methods might vary for each.
When the underlying issues are simple problems like overuse of muscles or a joint sprain, sciatic pain might get better simply with rest. In other severe cases, like bone deformities, herniated discs, or tumors, surgery might be the only viable option.
Treating the underlying causes of sciatica
While finding relief for sciatica symptoms is vital, at the same time, doctors will aim to identify and treat the source of the issue.
Rest
Sciatica might stem from swollen muscles pressing on the nerves, which may occur due to overuse, inflammation, muscle strain, or other milder issues.
If there's no other underlying problem behind the sciatic nerve irritation, resting the muscle or ligament that causes sciatic nerve entrapment might be all that is needed.
Physical therapy for sciatica
Sometimes, sciatica might result from muscular abnormalities, bad posture, or keeping the lower spine in an unnatural position for extended periods.
Physical therapy, like stretches, strengthening exercises, and posture correction, might be enough to cure sciatica by removing the irritation on the sciatic nerve.
Medicine-based approaches
In some cases, the underlying cause behind sciatica might be some inflammatory disease, infection, or other condition that can be treated or cured by taking some drugs. These diseases might lead to swollen muscles, temporarily deformed disks or other factors that cause sciatic nerve irritation.
Doctors might recommend antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), steroid injections, or other drugs.
Surgery for sciatica
When other treatment methods fail to bring results, or the source of sciatica requires immediate intervention, doctors might advise surgical approaches. This usually happens if your sciatica gets more severe and you experience symptoms like paralysis, muscle weakness, or difficulty controlling bladder or bowel movements.
Cauda equina syndrome, tumors, herniated disks, or central spinal stenosis are some underlying issues that might require surgical approaches.
Sciatica pain relief
The main symptom of sciatica is nerve pain that might feel like burning or a pins and needles type of sensation. It usually occurs in the lower back, the buttocks, or throughout the legs. Most of the time, sciatica pain is only apparent on one side of the body. In rare cases, it might affect both sides, signaling possible spinal damage that requires immediate attention.
Sciatic nerve pain relief is a vital part of any treatment effort. Let's take a look at available pain management options.
Painkillers for sciatic pain
Traditional painkillers can bring immediate relief for sciatica pain in most cases. They are the most reliable and widely available pain management options. Their downside lies in the possible side effects, especially when taken over long periods.
Depending on the severity of the pain and the underlying causes, doctors might recommend different types of drugs.
- Analgesics - Simple painkillers, like paracetamol, can help relieve minor pains.
- NSAIDs - Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reduce pain and inflammation at the same time.
- Steroid injections - Epidural steroid treatments can offer potent pain relief and treat inflammatory diseases when other methods fail to bring results.
- Opioids - Opioids are strong painkillers that can effectively treat even severe pains. However, they are usually recommended only as a last resort because of the risks of addiction.
Alternative remedies for sciatica pain relief
If you want to avoid the side effects of traditional drugs, alternative pain relief techniques might be the right option for you. Some of these methods require professional care, while others are easy ways to start your sciatica pain treatment at home.
- Acupuncture - Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese practice backed by scientific research. It utilizes needles to ease pains and treat various conditions.
- Massage therapy - Professional massage therapists can help ease muscle tension and remedy swollen muscles, which might help relieve sciatica symptoms.
- Thermal therapy - Heat and cold therapy are both effective and science-backed ways of pain management, and they can be easily done at home.
- Herbal remedies - Some herb-based solutions can help ease mild pains. Herbal ingredients, like capsaicin, lavender oil, and Boswellia, are often used in these products.
- Drug-free pain patches - Pain patches utilizing innovative technologies can offer effective and localized pain relief without the side effects of traditional painkillers.
Lifestyle changes and prevention for sciatica
Some minor lifestyle changes can help ease your existing symptoms and decrease your risk of developing sciatica in the future.
- Stay active - Keeping your muscles and joints in good shape is essential. Yoga, swimming, and other low-impact exercises can strengthen your core muscles, improve flexibility and joint health, and promote a healthier lifestyle overall.
- Avoid stressors - If you're at risk of developing sciatica, it's often advised to be mindful of stressors that might cause muscle or joint damage. Avoid overuse, lifting heavy objects, or physical trauma, whenever possible.
- Manage your stress levels - While stress doesn't directly lead to sciatica, it might be a contributing factor, as it increases muscle tension and the risk of certain diseases and conditions. Meditation can be an effective way to reduce both stress levels and pain perception.
The Complete Guide to Managing Sciatica Pain
Sciatica means nerve pain or dysfunction in the legs, originating from the sciatic nerve.
It is a common condition experienced by almost half of the population at some point in their lives. Understanding the symptoms, underlying causes, and available treatment options can bring you closer to finding relief for your pain.
What is sciatica?
The sciatic nerve extends throughout the entire length of our legs, starting from the lower back. Its primary function is to control movement and transmit sensations in certain leg muscles. When the sciatic nerve suffers from irritation, compression, or impingement, it might cause pain or nerve dysfunction. This condition is called sciatica.
While sometimes referred to as one, sciatica is not a disease. It's only a symptom of some other underlying issue. Technically, the term 'sciatica' describes nerve pain, tingling, and numbness that stems from the sciatic nerve.
Sciatica symptoms
The symptoms of sciatica are unique because they typically affect only one side of the body.
The hallmark symptom of sciatica is pain that radiates from the lower back, through the buttocks, and often, down the entire leg. This pain might feel like a series of electric shocks or a burning sensation.
Other common symptoms might include:
- Sharp or shooting pain along the leg
- Tingling or numbness of the muscles
- Muscle weakness
- Difficulty in moving the leg or foot
- Worsening pain when raising the legs upwards when lying on your back
- Difficulty controlling bladder or bowel movements
The intensity of these symptoms may vary from case to case.
Sciatica causes
Since sciatica is not a standalone disease but rather a symptom, there is always an underlying cause.
Often, it stems from pressure, irritation, or damage to the sciatic nerve.
Damage or deformation to the spinal disks can compress these nerves, leading to nerve pain and loss of function. Degenerative disk diseases and herniated or slipped disks can often lead to sciatica.
Spinal stenosis and foraminal stenosis are both conditions that constrict the available space around the nerves, potentially leading to the compression of the sciatic nerve.
Structural abnormalities can also contribute to sciatica. Spondylolisthesis, for example, occurs when a vertebra slips out of its normal position and might exert pressure on the nerves. Osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease, can lead to the formation of bone spurs that impinge on the sciatic nerve.
Conditions such as conus medullaris syndrome, involving damage or compression of the lower spinal cord, and cauda equina syndrome, characterized by compression of nerve roots at the lower end of the spinal cord, can also result in sciatic nerve impingement.
Additionally, tumors, cysts, and other growths might also cause sciatica.
Risk factors for sciatica
Some conditions and lifestyle factors might increase your risk of developing sciatica. Some common risk factors include:
- Pregnancy
- Injury
- Age-related wear and tear
- Poor posture or weak core muscles
- Type 2 diabetes
- Smoking
- Obesity
Diagnosing sciatica
Since sciatica is merely a symptom, it is crucial to pinpoint and address the root cause. So, your healthcare provider will prioritize identifying the underlying issue while, at the same time, providing relief for the associated symptoms as well.
During diagnosis, doctors will assess your medical history and perform a physical examination, evaluating the range of motion, pain symptoms, muscle strength, and reflexes.
Imaging tests, such as X-rays and MRI or CT scans, can help identify the source of the sciatic nerve dysfunction and rule out other conditions.
Sciatica can be categorized into two different types. True sciatica is when a condition directly affects the sciatic nerve. And sciatica-like conditions are ones that might feel like sciatica, but they don't actually involve irritation, compression, or other impingement of the sciatic nerve itself. While the symptoms are usually the same, distinguishing between the two types is essential for accurate diagnosis and determining the appropriate course of treatment.
Sciatica treatments
The treatment approach for sciatica depends on the severity of symptoms and the underlying cause.
Doctors will try to fix the source of dysfunction whenever possible. Depending on the underlying cause of sciatica, this might mean resting, physical therapy, a course of medications, or in some cases, surgery.
However, it's not always possible to eliminate the cause of sciatica. When you have chronic sciatica, treating the symptoms becomes crucial to restore your quality of life and range of movement. Even in cases where sciatica is only temporary, treating the symptoms can make the recovery process more comfortable.
A vital part of this treatment process is restoring the range of motion and muscle function. Depending on the severity of sciatica, this might be achieved with certain medications, gentle physical activity, like stretches and special exercises, or in some cases, assistive devices.
Sciatica most often causes nerve pain in the lower back, the buttocks, or the legs. Pain management methods, like painkillers, steroid injections, natural remedies, and alternative therapies, can ease these symptoms. If you'd like to learn more about your available pain relief options, make sure to read our article on sciatica pain relief as well!