Coccydynia which describes tailbone pain, can cause significant obstacles despite impacting just a little part of the body. Far from being pleasurable, common actions like sitting, driving or bending can end up being much more uncomfortable when lower back problems are present. People who have this condition find that it impacts their daily life in significant ways, although others may see it as a small issue. Why does this kind of pain show up and why does it sometimes not go away for a long time?
A Brief Coverage On Tail Bone Pain Reasons
This article focuses on the major reasons responsible for causing tail bone pain as mentioned below in a numerical order:
1. Accidents and injuries
Tailbone pain is usually the result of an injury such as from falling or getting hit directly. Mishaps such as falling hard, the wrong way on a hard ground or a hit in a sport can give you bruises, dislocate the coccyx or even cause a small fracture. Sometimes the pain appears straight away and other times it takes a few days to develop. If a person keeps using the body part in a wrong position, an injury from long ago may start hurting again. Accidents are amongst the top contenders for tail bone pain reasons.
2. Sitting In A Single Position For Long Periods
Tailbone pain is also likely to develop when sitting for long periods, especially on hard and uneven surfaces. Many graduates, people driving their vehicle for a living and office workers frequently sit for long hours with little back support. After so much pressure, the tissues near the tailbone may become inflamed and cause pain. It gets worse when someone sits with bad posture such as leaning too far forward or backward. Mere activities like spending hours in certain meetings, sitting on the bleachers or binge-watching can create pressure on the coccyx.
3. Performing Repeated Movements And Activities
When you continue to do specific physical activities, the lower spine often feels pressure in the tailbone that could later result in discomfort. Many people blame sports and hobbles that move the body in constant motion for causing these symptoms. These include:
- Cycling
- Rowing
- Horseback riding
Though these sports are usually good for your body, doing them poorly or without proper equipment may result in long-lasting coccyx pain.
4. Pregnancy And Giving Birth
Women often experience tailbone pain before, during and after pregnancy. When the body starts preparation for delivery, hormones loosen the ligaments around the upper legs, pelvis and the coccyx. Because we sit for long periods, our tailbone is more likely to get strained. Sometimes, when birth is difficult or takes long, the baby can press on the tailbone as it goes through the birth canal.
A lot of women find that after delivering their baby, they may have tailbone pain for a long time, especially when sitting or trying to move from sitting to standing.
5. Poor Posture And The Spinal Placement
The way you stand or sit each day can have a big effect on your coccyx. Keeping your body bent, leaning your back too far or sitting at an unbalanced angle can place extra weight on your tailbone. As time goes on, holding these positions constantly makes the muscles and ligaments sore and causes pain over time.
Problems in posture can have results on other body parts too. It may cause the lower spine to change its alignment which can affect the pelvis and send pain running down through the tailbone.
6. Weight-Related Pressure
Having too much or too little body weight may lead to problems with the tailbone. People who are obese may put extra discomfort on their tailbone when they sit, usually because they don’t use ergonomic chairs. Meanwhile, people who are very thin do not always have enough soft tissue around the coccyx to reduce the risk of injury.
In any case, your tailbone has to deal with stress that is too much for it, leading to swelling or pain that is worse when you sit for extended periods. Therefore weight also falls amongst tail bone pain reasons.
7. Hidden Medical Problems
There are situations when pain in the tailbone may suggest a more serious condition. Still, these causes are not very frequent, but should not be missed if the pain is extreme, begins suddenly or comes with other unusual features. These include things such as:
- Some infections result in pilonidal cysts near the tailbone that produce swelling, redness and discharge.
- Joint degeneration which is known as arthritis, may cause issues in the sacrococcygeal area, mainly in older people.
- Tumors or bone growths are not common, but can happen when there are signs of nerve problems or losing weight.
If you have tingling and numbness, noticeable swelling or frequent pain that doesn’t get better, make an appointment with a healthcare provider.
8. Unidentified And Unknown Cause
Sometimes, tailbone pain appears without any clear cause. Even though we do not know why it happens, this kind of coccydynia causes real pain for patients. It might occur because the nerves in the pelvis are overly sensitive, the muscles down there are too tight or because of minor, unnoticeable injuries. Usually, treatment focuses on reducing pain and this may mean using physical therapy, special exercises, well-designed work desks or occasionally having a medical procedure.
When To Decide Visiting A Doctor
If the pain last a few weeks or more or if it bothered you before, you should not ignore it. While most cases are helped by rest, correcting your posture or easy home methods, sometimes more serious pain will require you to consult a doctor.
A few reasons to see a doctor are:
- Soreness that makes it hard to relax or move normal
- The onset of numbness or a tingling feeling in the lower body
- If you notice swelling, redness or anything draining in the area of the coccyx
- Having a fever or unexpectedly losing weight
Early attention to the problem can ensure less pain, a faster recovery and your ability to get back to your usual daily activities.
Final Thoughts
Even if tailbone pain is not very serious, it usually lasts for a while and can really bother you. Regardless of the cause, for example a fall, incorrect sitting, effort at work or a health problem, this type of pain needs to be looked after. The good part is that most coccydynia can be successfully treated by spending some time and attention on the problem. If you understand the causes of tailbone pain, you can make helpful changes and enjoy more comfortable sitting once again. We hope you are now clear about the tail bone pain reasons.
