Do you feel a sudden pain in your lower back when you sit down or stand up? You might be experiencing tailbone pain. It can be undeniably distressing, especially if you’ve been experiencing it for awhile, so it’s useful to know how to treat it. Read this article to learn more about the causes of and treatments available for tailbone pain.
What is Tailbone Pain?
Coccydynia is the medical term for pain in the tailbone area, derived from the coccyx bone, which is located between the buttocks and above the anus. When the coccyx becomes inflamed, you may experience sudden tenderness and pain. This pain is worsened when you sit.
Causes of Tailbone Pain
Usually, back pain and tailbone pain are caused by injuries, but there numerous possible underlying causes, including:
– Cancer is a chronic condition which may cause pain in the lower back or tailbone area. However, this cause is not common.
– Having an infection in the base of the soft tissue or the spine may cause pus to accumulate. This can be painful and may lead to tailbone pain.
– A bone spur is a lesser known cause of tailbone pain. This is an extra growth in the bone which may put increased pressure on it and lead to tailbone pain.
– The repetitive motion used in sports like cycling, rowing and bowling may cause tailbone pain.
– Pregnancy may cause tailbone pain or even lead to fracture.
– Direct impact, such as that experienced in contact sports, may cause pain.
– One of the most common causes of tailbone pain is falling.
– Unfortunately, there are times when the condition has no cause at all.
Symptoms of Tailbone Pain
Now that you know the possible causes of tailbone pain, let’s look at some of the symptoms:
– Sharp pain during sexual intercourse
– Straining or being in pain to pass stool
– Pain increases when sitting for excessive periods of time or increasing stress/pressure on the area
– A bruise on the tailbone area
– Tenderness or severe pain
How to Prevent Tailbone Pain
Some of the best ways to prevent tailbone pain include the following:
– Being more careful in your environment. Falling onto your tailbone is the most common cause of injury.
– Wearing appropriate protective gear when doing intensive workouts or playing sports.
Home Remedies to Treat Tailbone Pain
Here are some of the most amazing ways to treat tailbone pain:
Essential vitamins. Pain is often associated with a deficiency in vitamins like vitamin D, B12 and B6. Consuming the proper amount of these essential vitamins may help reduce the chances of developing tailbone pain.
Epsom salt bath. Warm water with Epsom salt helps relax the body and reduces stress on the back muscles.
Massage. Massaging the levator ani muscle may relieve pain in the tailbone area.
Castor oil. This is considered one of the best remedies to treat tailbone pain, mainly because the oil has amazing anti-inflammatory properties which enable a quick recovery. Furthermore, the oil has antimicrobial properties which help treat pain caused by infections.
Heat or Ice Pack. This is probably the most common remedy for tailbone pain. Many studies show that applying cold or heat compress to the tailbone can reduce pain.
Conclusion
Tailbone pain may interrupt your daily chores or routine, but using the above-mentioned remedies to treat it may help ease the pain. So, if you experience a sudden pain in your tailbone area, you’ll know now what to do. If the tips in this article don’t help, then you should consider going to your doctor.
