Tailbone Pain When Sitting Down and Getting Up – Why and How?

In today post, I am going to write about why you feel tailbone pain when you sitting down and getting up, what are the main symptoms and how to treat this type of pain.

Tailbone pain is a painful sensation that occurs in or around the bony structure at the bottom of the spine called, in the anatomical parlance, the coccyx. The pain is usually caused by trauma to the coccyx due to falling accidents, difficult sitting positions on very limited surfaces, degenerative joint illnesses, or normal childbirth.

The pain is usually dull in nature and is barely noticeable at times, but will take on a stabbing sensation during sitting, standing, and prolonged standing. Bowel movement and sexual intercourse will turn into painful experiences. Women will feel extreme pain during their menstrual periods.

Tailbone pain or coccydynia or coccygodynia will usually self-heal in a few weeks or months.

What is a tailbone?

There are claims that say it’s as useless as the human appendix, but I disagree. There are ligaments, tendons, and muscles that use it as their anchor. It also helps in our movement and some say it even aids us in our body balance. But how does it appear and why is it called as a tailbone when we know that humans have no tail? It’s just a vestigial presence which reaches its full height during the embryonic period of our development in the placenta of our mother. Then it continues to recede until it reaches a permanent form prior to our birth. Being called a tailbone, it’s understood to be located in the most posterior part of our spinal bones. It’s cartilaginous in composition and triangular information.

Causes of Tailbone Soreness

Our tailbone is located in the lowest part of our upper body torso. It’s not the strongest part of our body; it’s resilient because of its cartilaginous nature, but that’s as far as it goes. It can easily be affected or injured when we fall down with our back first, more so if we’re in a sitting position.

That’s the worst that can happen, remember that. One way to prevent tailbone injury: ask for the assistance of others or, better still, get yourself a lift chair if you have a weak back or knees and sitting down is an ordeal for you. A butt-floor contact will surely result in a tailbone injury. It can also happen during contact sports or any kind of sports in which there are too much movement and trauma during a direct hit caused by bumping accidents. Bone growths, nerve pinches, and herniated vertebrae may also cause tailbone injury.

Most coccyx injuries caused by accidents to the tailbone area such as a direct hit to the tailbone similar to those that occur during boxing or wrestling.

A fall involving the tailbone during sitting against a solid surface is the most common cause of tailbone or coccyx injuries.

Normal childbirth may injure the coccyx or tailbone also.

Cycling and rowing and other similar sports can injure the coccyx because of repetitive straining or friction.

Some of the causes are not known. The pain will just appear.

Other causes of tailbone soreness may include bone spurs, pinched nerves, or injuries to the spine, local infections, and tumors or outgrowths.

Women are more prone to coccyx injury because they have broader pelvic bones, exposing their coccyx more.

Cause of Tailbone Pain When Sitting

The pain when sitting down or getting up is can be caused by many different factors.

• One of the most common causes is falling into a sitting position.
• Sitting for extended time on a hard and tapered surface will rub the tailbone directly.
• Women are more prone to experience tailbone pain when sitting, known as coccygodynia, due to severe physical stress during normal vaginal deliveries.
• Obesity will also bring about coccygodynia due to the load force exerted on the coccyx or tailbone.
• Coccygodynia can be very stressful and can lead to a difficult life; it can be both acute as well as chronic.

What Are The Signs of Tailbone Tenderness?

• Pain and soreness limited to the tailbone area.
• A contusion may be visible when trauma is severe.
• Sitting for a long time will also cause pain in the tailbone area.
• Difficult defecation will bring untold tailbone pain.
• Sexual intercourse may cause pain to some women.

Symptoms of Tailbone Soreness When Sitting Down

Coccydynia, or tailbone soreness when sitting, is normally diagnosed according to the symptoms and findings brought about by localized pain. CAT scans or MRI scans may be used to exclude other conditions not related to it, some of the symptoms are:

• Sudden pain when standing up from sitting position
• Bowel movement pains.
• Descending pains on both legs.
• Pain during sexual intercourse.
• Pain when sitting and afterward.
• Aching coccyx area.
• Menstrual pain in women.

Common Treatment of Tailbone Pain

• Lean forward when sitting down; you have to lean forward to take pressure off the tailbone area.
• Sitting on a doughnut-shaped pillow or a wedge-shaped pillow will help diminish tailbone strain.

• Apply heat or cold compress to the injured tailbone part.
• Take over-the-counter drug pain relievers.
• If the pain continues without abating, consult your doctor.

Common Treatments for Tailbone Pain when sitting

• Patients with coccydynia or tailbone strain when sitting is advised to use cushioned seats when sitting and to avoid prolonged sitting if necessary.
• Rest is important and re-injury to the affected area should be avoided at all cost,
• Anti-inflammatory and pain medications can relieve symptoms.
• Walking and leg exercise can help, so can swimming.
• Anal lock inversion therapy, lumbar extender, and yoga are some of the special exercises used for relieving tailbone pain when sitting.
• A hot and cold compress can also limit the painful experience.

Featured image source: spine-health